Category: Uncategorized

sureti achieves SOC 2 Type II compliance, demonstrates credibility as trusted fund control partner

 

Carlsbad, Calif., Jan. 30, 2023 — sureti, a third-party fund control company for property insurance claim payments, today, announced that the company has successfully completed its System and Organization Controls (SOC) 2 Type II audit. In achieving compliance with SOC 2 Type II requirements, sureti demonstrates a steadfast commitment to building trust with Insurance Carriers, Restoration Contractors and Policyholders alike.

 

The SOC 2 Type II audit is a thorough examination of a company’s ability to manage its infrastructure, software, data, people and procedures. Unlike SOC 2 Type I, which assesses the stability of these controls at a specific point in time, a Type II audit assesses the efficacy of these controls and observes operations over a period of months. 

 

In preparation for this audit, sureti spent several months dissecting its internal controls, software practices, encryption methods, and internal processes. 

 

“This audit wasn’t about ‘checking a box,’ but rather an opportunity to fundamentally improve our business, both in terms of security and efficiency,” said Chris Longano, CPCU, VP of Growth at sureti. “Earning our SOC 2 Type II certificate does not mean our audit is over. In fact, it is just beginning as sureti is now under constant surveillance from an independent auditor that relentlessly evaluates how sureti protects and encrypts sensitive data.”

 

The independent audit was performed by accrediting servicer Modern Assurance, who examined and tested the design and operating effectiveness of sureti’s fund control and digital payment platform for disbursing claims proceeds. The final report verified that sureti’s practices, procedures and system requirements were achieved based on the relevant trust services criteria, and were effectively in compliance with SOC 2 Type II requirements.

 

Protecting Personal Identifiable Information (PII) is a top priority for Insurance Carriers, as Policyholder data must be protected with the highest degree of safety. While SOC 2 Type II compliance is table stakes, still too many InsureTechs are putting off a SOC 2 audit, subsequently hindering their ability to earn the trust of the broader P&C insurance community. According to Longano, Insuretechs that have attained (or are attaining) SOC 2 Type II compliance signal a priority to safeguarding the Carrier and Policyholder’s best interest.  

 

“As a company that operates in the InsureTech and FinTech spaces, sureti is committed to ensuring we have the necessary armaments in place to keep PII and other sensitive data safe and moving without interruption,” Longano said. “SOC 2 compliance authentication is critical for Insurance Carriers to trust their partners. sureti’s successful audit is a testament to our commitment to their best interests and protecting their assets. We’re elated to have met a major milestone in our platform’s growth and development, and owe a huge thanks to our development team for ensuring our controls are safely effective.” 

 

A typical audit has a shelf life of 12 months. Trust is earned and reinforced over time, and sureti’s commitment to achieving certification is a catalyst for stronger controls, tighter procedures and responsible practices for years to come.    

 

About sureti

sureti is a third-party fund control company that establishes payment rails from Insurance Carriers to certified Restoration Contractors. Founded in 2019 by entrepreneurs Mark Whatley and Daniel Smith, sureti removes the need for Mortgage Lenders to be listed on insurance claim checks by taking on the risk the property will be restored. sureti aims to transform the restoration ecosystem with a digital-forward approach to risk management, progress insight, endorsement of multi-party payments, and more. Learn more at sureti.com.

Carlsbad, Calif., Nov. 16, 2022 — sureti, the premier third-party Fund Control company in the Restoration ecosystem, today announced that seasoned insurtech business leader Christopher Longano, CPCU has joined the company as Vice President of Growth. In this role, Longano will expand sureti’s offering to Insurance Carriers and collect insightful feedback from customers that will guide the sureti product roadmap.

 

Longano brings 12 years of industry experience to sureti, including sales and management expertise in data and software products for Property & Casualty Insurers. Throughout his career, Longano has promoted organic company growth through sales, customer satisfaction, and management, supported by robust creative thinking and problem-solving skills. His most recent roles have included sales strategy and team development, market definition, and product fit consultation.

 

“I’m incredibly excited to join such a dynamic team. sureti’s deep understanding of the consumer, contractor, and carrier experience is evident in the thoughtful and elegant products they make. I look forward to helping create a better policyholder experience with sureti,” said Longano.

 

“From the beginning, our strategy at sureti has been to build an industry-transforming product we are proud of before introducing it to Insurance Carriers. With Chris on board, sureti is well-equipped to take that next step,” said Whatley, co-Founder and President of sureti. “Chris is unique in that he offers a broad perspective on and demonstrated mastery of the entire insurtech ecosystem and competitive market. His talents and experience make him an excellent fit for what sureti needs: not a traditional salesman, but a product guy who knows how to sell. Chris’ passion for building exceptional products will be paramount to taking sureti to the moon.”

 

To learn more about how sureti’s innovative approach to fund control is changing the property insurance ecosystem, visit www.sureti.com.

About sureti

sureti is a third-party fund control company that establishes payment rails from Insurance Carriers to certified Restoration Contractors. Founded in 2019 by entrepreneurs Mark Whatley and Daniel Smith, sureti removes the need for Mortgage Lenders to be listed on insurance claim checks by taking on the risk the property will be restored. sureti aims to transform the restoration ecosystem with a digital-forward approach to risk management, progress insight, endorsement of multi-party payments, and more. Learn more at www.sureti.com.

Contact

Emma Sadlowski
Executive Assistant
sureti
emma.s@3.136.20.240
+1 (866) 471-0547

sureti’s Mark Whatley (President) and Sean Duffy (VP of Operations) were featured on the Restoration Domination podcast with Rico Garcia to discuss how sureti is helping to solve one of the biggest problems contractors have with restoration projects: getting paid on time and in full.

 

In this episode, Whatley, Duffy and Rico explore:

 

• The reoccurring, fundamental problems in the restoration industry that have spurred a need for an unbiased approach to fund control
• What the payment process looks like with sureti
• What sureti does for Contractors
• How Contractors can get started with sureti today

Getting paid is a common pain point for restoration contractors. There are a number of reasons for this – communication, working with adjusters, coverage issues, multi-party checks involving lenders, etc.

In this episode, Michelle is joined by Mark Whatley (founder) and Sean Duffy (VP) of sureti – a new app paving the way for better customer service and faster payment times for property insurance claims by alleviating frustrations and delays caused by multi-party checks.

They discuss the frustrations they have seen throughout the insurance restoration process, the evolution of a non-biased solution, and what this means for every party involved – property owner, restorer, carrier, and lender.

A new app is paving the way for better customer service and faster payment times for property insurance claims by alleviating frustrations and delays caused by multi-party checks. The sureti process was created, without bias, to remove mortgage companies from affecting the claims flow process, while still protecting their interest and those of everyone else involved in the claims cycle.

After years of research and development under the leadership of Founder Mark Whatley and Vice President Sean Duffy, sureti has been vetted and put to the test by some of the biggest restoration companies, and also established itself as a trusted resource by a growing number of carriers and mortgage lenders. The app, and people behind it, created a win-win for every party involved.

sureti eases the administrative burden on restoration contractors of receiving insurance claim funds for the work they perform, especially when a mortgage lender is listed as a payee. Behind the scenes, sureti’s team facilitates the transaction with the client to get the contractor paid promptly – releasing immediate funds to contractors during various stages of work, upon receiving proof of work via a 3D scan.

Property owners and policyholders no longer face the burden, frustration, and confusion of connecting with lenders to get appropriate signatures and release of funds for insurance work done on their property. With sureti, property owners and policy holders simply snap a picture of the check in the mobile app, sign some easy to understand paperwork, and sureti handles the rest.

For mortgage lenders, sureti is a cheaper, faster, more secure way to process loss draft checks. Likewise for carriers, sureti expedites the entire restoration process, getting property owners back in their homes and businesses, thus reducing business interruption and additional living expenses (ALEs).

“sureti was built by those with a deep understanding of the property insurance ecosystem,” Whatley said. “It was conceived without bias, with an eye towards being something that all four materially-interested parties could love.”

Publisher’s Note: Getting paid is a common pain point for restoration contractors. There are a number of reasons for this – communication, working with adjusters, coverage issues, two-party checks involving lenders, etc. This C&R Roundtable brings together leaders from three restoration companies serving different parts of the U.S. to discuss how they go about getting paid.

Meet the Panelists

The Discussion

1. What do you see as the top 3 hurdles restoration contractors face when trying to get paid for work

Kurt

1. Getting paid timely. Our contracts routinely require payments to be received within 30 days of completion, but customers generally hold on to payments much longer, thus requiring our company to lean on prior cash flow to support prior projects.

 

2. Getting paid in full. Constantly, customers attempt to negotiate payments after our work is complete. This can be challenging as we’re not the party holding the funds.

 

3. Getting paid with ease. As a contractor, we’re constantly having to chase down the money deploying resources to collect the payment due for the services we already provided.

 

Shawn

1. Not collecting deductible at beginning of construction projects and trying to collect it at the end of the job. Any problem on the job will be used against you at this time and you probably are not going to get the deductible.

 

2. Not getting everything in writing, change orders specifically. One of the biggest things we preach to our team is that when a change order is initiated, it is in writing and the entire change order must be collected before the change order is to be done

 

3. Dealing with mortgage companies. It is a big game that we have gotten pretty good at.   On construction projects, we sell the homeowner on how we are going to make this process easier by dealing with their mortgage company for them.  If we are dealing with the mortgage company, we are in control of the money!

 

Stephanie

I believe the biggest hurdle is communication with the insurance carrier and/or adjuster. The adjuster’s goal is to work on claims specifically, that sometimes the payment and billing process can be overwhelming to them. I think all parties would be served by a more robust accessible portal for payments, that is accessible to contractors, for payment updates, and to reduce unnecessary calls and emails.

2. Do you collect deductibles up front? If not, what are initial cost conversations with property owners?

Kurt

We request our customers pay the deductible up front, but many residential customers are not ready to pay that amount at the onset of services and commercial customers have a more formal and lengthy process to make an initial payment. This leads to constant struggles in collecting the deductible upon completion of work.

Shawn

On mitigation almost never. On construction projects, we push our team hard to get it before we even start the work. If we don’t collect it up front, we do our best to get some sort of payment schedule with the homeowner on how we will have it fully collected by the end of the job.

Stephanie

We leave this optional on the mitigation side, but require the deposit/deductible prior to the start of the rebuild, after the rebuild contract is signed.  

3. What is your average time from project completion to being paid in full? 

Kurt

Average DSO if roughly 90 days.

Shawn

45 days, this is mainly due to recoverable deprecation and final payments from mortgage company.

Stephanie

Right now, we are on this higher-end and averaging 37 days. We track this weekly on a metrics sheet our A/R team member fills out every Monday, to look for any concerning trends. 

4. What has been your company’s traditional process in handling multi-party checks that include the mortgage company? 

Kurt

Traditionally, ATI used an in-house team to follow the mortgage company’s payment distribution process, which included an abundance of time and effort from our corporate office and our field staff in order to accommodate the inspections and paperwork needed to request funds for payments. By doing so, we sacrificed the time to commit quality service to our customers.

Shawn

We are very strict about this. If there is a mortgage company involved, we want the check and want to be in control of it.  If we are not in control of the check, we follow our draw schedule very close and will stop the job if we are not paid on schedule.

Stephanie

Once the rebuild contract is signed, compliance is created to contact the adjuster about the structure of payment. We ask the adjuster if payment has been released and if the mortgage company is on the check. If they are, we contact our clients, and guide them through the entire process, by requiring them to sign a TPA (Third Party Authorization). This allows us to speak with the mortgage and expedite needs, paperwork, mailing checks, or an authorization to be added to checks, etc.

5. What types of technology have you embraced to expedite/support the payment process – both on the documentation side, and the processing side?

Kurt

At ATI we focus on innovation and implementing the newest and best technology to support our operations. Current successes include an integration of geospatial technology into our standard operating procedures which has helped ATI identify the work completed, and provides the necessary documentation to support the full scope of work being billed. We’ve transitioned our process for mortgage company collections to sureti, as their process has helped expedite the timeliness of collections, ensured we can be paid in full for services we’ve completed, and we spend less resources on the collections efforts giving us valuable time we can spend providing quality products to our customers. We also use Docusketch, T&M Pro, and are exploring centralized T&M Bill Compilation.

Shawn

We have used Matterport to provide to mortgage companies to get draws. 

Stephanie

We use Matterport, and hyperlink it into a billing packet for all mitigation and contents bills, which has significantly expedited payment. As it is sent as one package and avoids delays and requests for documentation.

6. Anything else?

Shawn

We do a lot of work with different public agencies which generally pay timely and don’t withhold money if they have been paid from their carrier.  Something that we have dealt with a good bit over the past few years is working with FEMA and FEMA consultants when insurance proceeds are exhausted. In these situations, we have found the most important thing is to have all of your paperwork perfect; it passes through and you get paid much quicker when it is.

Stephanie

It’s really important to set a standard or metric of what you want your collection time frame to be and measure that weekly by using your preferred software that will pull reports. Documentation is everything it is the connection between receiving payment and not. This is why we email packets over to make it easier for adjusters; this lessens the time they have to review it and decreases your average collection time. Also, make it easy for your team, and coordinators, and create canned emails so they can send out more emails in shorter time frames. Meet with them often to look for any alarming trends. By measuring this weekly, you can be ahead of any concerning trends.

Reach out to carriers and see if they have updated their payment processes. (ACH, direct payments, direction of pay).

Bonus insight from the Restoration Lawyer, Ed Cross:

“The AGA‘s Position Statements on Pricing, Third Party Consultants, and TPAs help restorers navigate many of the most common collections issues facing restorers today. They outline some of the strongest arguments in favor of the restorer’s position, allowing restorers to deliver professional, concise, fact-based responses to those who seek to reduce the amounts charged by restorers. Restorers can use segments of the Position Statements to incorporate into their dialogues with carriers and consultants or send Position Statements in their entirety. They can do this with the comfort of knowing that the positions have been tested and peer-reviewed by a group of industry leaders.”