(HCO) User Guide for Housing Counselors

© 2015 Fannie Mae. Trademarks of Fannie Mae. July 2015

Home Counselor OnlineTM (HCO) User Guide for Housing Counselors

July 2015

HCO User Guide for Housing Counselors July 2015

Table of Contents

HOME COUNSELOR ONLINETM (HCO) USER GUIDE FOR HOUSING COUNSELORS......................................................... 1

TABLE OF CONTENTS......................................................................................................................................................................... 1

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................................... 6

WHO SHOULD USE THIS GUIDE? ............................................................................................................................................................ 6 WHAT CAN I EXPECT FROM THIS GUIDE? .............................................................................................................................................. 7 WHAT IS HOME COUNSELOR ONLINE? ................................................................................................................................................... 8 WHAT DO I NEED TO RUN HCO? .......................................................................................................................................................... 9

Technology Requirements ............................................................................................................................................................... 9 User Registration ............................................................................................................................................................................. 9 Application Administration ............................................................................................................................................................. 9

HOW SECURE IS HCO? ........................................................................................................................................................................ 10 Password Security.......................................................................................................................................................................... 10 Secure Data Archive ...................................................................................................................................................................... 10

WHAT IF I NEED ADDITIONAL HELP? .................................................................................................................................................. 11 Resources Page .............................................................................................................................................................................. 11 Recorded Tutorial Training .......................................................................................................................................................... 11 Information Link ........................................................................................................................................................................... 11 Telephone Support......................................................................................................................................................................... 11 Online Help.................................................................................................................................................................................... 11

CHAPTER 2: GETTING STARTED ................................................................................................................................................. 12

ACCESSING THE HCO APPLICATION..................................................................................................................................................... 12 NAVIGATING HCO’S HOME PAGE ....................................................................................................................................................... 15 USING LINKS AND NAVIGATION BARS ................................................................................................................................................. 16

HCO Links ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 16 Main Navigation Toolbar .............................................................................................................................................................. 16 Navigation...................................................................................................................................................................................... 17 My Tools ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 18

ENTERING DATA .................................................................................................................................................................................. 18 Identifying Icons, Buttons, and Links .......................................................................................................................................... 19 Terms and Definitions ................................................................................................................................................................... 20

LOGGING OUT OF HCO ........................................................................................................................................................................ 21

CHAPTER 3: WORKING WITH CASE FILES ................................................................................................................................ 22

WHAT IS A CASE FILE? ........................................................................................................................................................................ 22 CASE FILE MANAGEMENT.................................................................................................................................................................... 23

Creating a New Case File.............................................................................................................................................................. 23 Updating Contact Information ...................................................................................................................................................... 28 Completing a Case Summary ........................................................................................................................................................ 29 Conducting a Client Intake ........................................................................................................................................................... 33 Building an Address History ......................................................................................................................................................... 33 Demographics ................................................................................................................................................................................ 36 Employment History ...................................................................................................................................................................... 40 Income ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 42 Entering Assets .............................................................................................................................................................................. 45 Entering Liabilities ........................................................................................................................................................................ 47 Entering Credit Issues ................................................................................................................................................................... 49 Entering Non-Traditional Credit .................................................................................................................................................. 51 Case Documents ............................................................................................................................................................................ 54 Viewing a Case History ................................................................................................................................................................. 56


CHAPTER 4: ACTION PLANS & BUDGETS .................................................................................................................................. 57

ACTION PLANS ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 57 Working with Action Plans ........................................................................................................................................................... 57

CREATING A BUDGET ........................................................................................................................................................................... 60

CHAPTER 5: TIME MANAGEMENT ............................................................................................................................................... 66

APPOINTMENTS, NOTES & REMINDERS ................................................................................................................................................ 66 Setting Appointments..................................................................................................................................................................... 66 Managing Appointments from the Home Page ............................................................................................................................ 70 Creating Case Notes ...................................................................................................................................................................... 71 Creating Reminders ....................................................................................................................................................................... 73 Managing Reminders from the Home Page ................................................................................................................................. 74

CHAPTER 6: PRINTING WITHIN A CASE FILE .......................................................................................................................... 75

PRINTING CASE SPECIFIC DATA ........................................................................................................................................................... 75 Printing the Case Detail Report .................................................................................................................................................... 76 Printing the Case Status ................................................................................................................................................................ 77 Borrower’s Financial Statement ................................................................................................................................................... 78

CHAPTER 7: THE SEARCH FUNCTION......................................................................................................................................... 79

BASIC SEARCH FUNCTION .................................................................................................................................................................... 79 Using the Advanced Search Function .......................................................................................................................................... 79 Counselor Selection ....................................................................................................................................................................... 80

CHAPTER 8: THE EDUCATION MENU .......................................................................................................................................... 81

SCHEDULING A CLASS.......................................................................................................................................................................... 81 Class Calendar ............................................................................................................................................................................... 81

REGISTERING STUDENTS ...................................................................................................................................................................... 83 Registering a Student .................................................................................................................................................................... 83

USING THE CLASS ROSTER................................................................................................................................................................... 87 Creating Certificates of Completion ............................................................................................................................................. 89

CHAPTER 9: GRANTS AND INITIATIVES..................................................................................................................................... 92

SELECTING A FUNDING GRANT OR INITIATIVE ..................................................................................................................................... 92 Case Funding ................................................................................................................................................................................ 92 Funding Request ........................................................................................................................................................................... 93 Funding History ............................................................................................................................................................................ 94

CHAPTER 10: THE MY TOOLS MENU ........................................................................................................................................... 96

ORDERING A CREDIT REPORT .............................................................................................................................................................. 97 Requesting a Credit Report ........................................................................................................................................................... 97 Requesting a Re-Issue of a Credit Report ..................................................................................................................................... 99

USING THE AFFORDABILITY ANALYZER™

TOOL ................................................................................................................................ 101 RENT VS. OWN CALCULATOR ............................................................................................................................................................ 104 AMORTIZATION CALCULATOR ........................................................................................................................................................... 106 DEBT PAYOFF .................................................................................................................................................................................... 107 USING THE POWERPAY

™ DEBT MANAGEMENT TOOL ........................................................................................................................ 108

DOWNLOADING FORMS ...................................................................................................................................................................... 112 AGENCY LETTERS .............................................................................................................................................................................. 115

CHAPTER 11: CREATING REPORTS IN HCO ........................................................................................................................... 116

REPORT CATALOG ............................................................................................................................................................................. 116 STANDARD REPORT TEMPLATES ........................................................................................................................................................ 119 DESIGNING CUSTOM REPORTS ........................................................................................................................................................... 122 SAVED REPORTS ................................................................................................................................................................................ 126


CHAPTER 12: HUD-9902 REPORTING.......................................................................................................................................... 127

HUD REQUIRED CASE INFORMATION ................................................................................................................................................ 127 The Create New Case Screen ...................................................................................................................................................... 127 The Summary Screen .................................................................................................................................................................. 128 The Address Screen ..................................................................................................................................................................... 129 The Demographics Screen .......................................................................................................................................................... 130 The Employment History Screen ................................................................................................................................................ 131 The Case Funding Screen ........................................................................................................................................................... 132

ENTERING HUD-9902 SERVICES DATA ............................................................................................................................................. 134 ENTERING HUD DETAILS DATA ........................................................................................................................................................ 136 HUD SUBMISSION ALERTS ................................................................................................................................................................ 138 HUD SUBMISSION.............................................................................................................................................................................. 140 FORMER HUD-9902 REPORT ............................................................................................................................................................. 142

CHAPTER 13: ADVANCED FEATURES ........................................................................................................................................ 145

FINANCIAL WORKOUT TOOL.............................................................................................................................................................. 146 MORTGAGE READINESS ASSESSMENT ............................................................................................................................................... 150 1003 LOAN APPLICATION .................................................................................................................................................................. 152 AUTOMATED REFERRAL .................................................................................................................................................................... 153 VIEWING LOAN PRODUCTS ................................................................................................................................................................ 155

CHAPTER 14: ADMINISTRATION MENU ................................................................................................................................... 157

MAINTAINING YOUR COUNSELOR PROFILE ....................................................................................................................................... 157 IMPORTING A CASE FILE .................................................................................................................................................................... 158

APPENDIX I: HCO REGISTRATION ............................................................................................................................................. 159

UNDERSTANDING USER ROLES .......................................................................................................................................................... 159

GETTING STARTED ......................................................................................................................................................................... 160

HCO USER REGISTRATION ................................................................................................................................................................ 160

APPENDIX II: CHANGING YOUR PASSWORD ......................................................................................................................... 164

INDEX .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 167


© 2012 Fannie Mae. All rights reserved.

Desktop Originator® (DO®), Desktop Underwriter® (DU®), and Home Keeper® are registered trademarks of Fannie Mae. Home Counselor OnlineTM is a trademark of Fannie Mae. Microsoft® Word and Excel are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Adobe® Acrobat Reader® is a registered trademark of Adobe Corporation. PowerPayTM is a trademark of Utah State University.

HCO User Guide for Housing Counselors Page 6 of 168 July 2015

Chapter 1: Introduction

Who Should Use this Guide?

Whether you’re a housing counselor, an agency administrator, or a mortgage professional, this Home Counselor Online (HCO) user guide was designed with you in mind.

This guide provides step-by-step instructions to effectively use the many key features and tools in the HCO application.

If you are an agency administrator, refer to the Home Counselor Online User Guide for Agency Administrators for instructions on how to customize features to best meet your agency’s needs.

http://sharepoint/WINDOWS/temp/Data/Word/Drafts/Routed%20for%20Review/Final/Print%20Version/Final%20Print%20Version/User%20Guides/hcoadminguide.doc


What Can I Expect from this Guide?

The HCO User Guide for Housing Counselors provides an introduction to HCO. It focuses on the application’s key features and tools and provides assistance with accomplishing a given task.

The chapters in this user guide are designed to walk you through each tool in the order that you might use them, beginning with the first client appointment and ending with sending a client’s case file to a mortgage professional. Please note that this is not the required order – or even the recommended order – in which you should use the application. HCO is designed to be flexible allowing you to work within your agency’s counseling process.


What is Home Counselor Online?

Home Counselor Online is an online case file management system. In addition to client data management, the application enables you to assess clients' readiness for homeownership, helps your clients overcome barriers, and transmits your clients' data to preferred mortgage lenders.

HCO empowers housing educators and counselors with tools to:

Efficiently manage the client intake process

Track customers from intake through post-purchase counseling

Effectively manage Home-Buyer Education (HBE) programs

Quickly generate reports with a suite of standard reports and an easy-to-use custom report builder

Prepare required reports for HUD, NFMC, and other external agencies

Upload credit report data directly to the client’s case file

Create step-by-step action plans for your clients

Develop enhanced budgets to help your clients sustain homeownership

Assess the mortgage-readiness of your client

Compare loan products to help your client determine the best loan product fit

Transfer client case file data to trusted lending partners in a secure environment

Assist Spanish-speaking clients with bilingual calculators and worksheets


What Do I Need to Run HCO?

In order to use the application, you will need to make sure that your system’s hardware, software, and internet capability meet the technology requirements, as well as register as an HCO user.

TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS

Cut and Paste the following link in your Web browser to access a complete list of HCO system requirements: https://www.fanniemae.com/content/technology_requirements/technology-requirements.pdf.

USER REGISTRATION

The HCO registration process is your first step to becoming an approved user. Refer to the Appendix I section of this document for instructions on how to register for HCO.

APPLICATION ADMINISTRATION

Your agency administrator is responsible for the setup of the application features. This guide assumes that your agency administrator has completed the initial set up of the application.

NOTE: HCO is accessible via the internet 24 hours a day.

https://www.fanniemae.com/content/technology_requirements/technology-requirements.pdf


How Secure is HCO?

Agency data is stored in a centralized database inside Fannie Mae’s secure infrastructure. Access to case file data is tightly restricted. Only representatives of your counseling agency with the appropriate access level have access to information from your agency’s database.

NOTE: Fannie Mae is committed to the privacy of your clients’ information. In limited situations, Fannie Mae

accesses data to, among other things, test security, test software, troubleshoot, or produce summary reports

for operational statistics.

PASSWORD SECURITY

HCO is completely password protected. Users are given access only after their authority to access the application is verified. Each user is assigned a unique user ID and password. Users are required to enter their user ID and password to access any part of the application.

As an additional security measure, HCO will automatically log out after 30 minutes of inactivity. This prevents unauthorized persons access to data while a computer is idle or the user is away from their desk. The user receives a warning at 15 minutes of inactivity.

NOTE: Fannie Mae recommends that HCO users not share user IDs and passwords unless specifically

authorized to do so by an agency administrator.

SECURE DATA ARCHIVE

HCO data is backed up daily, and a copy of that data is saved in a replicated database in a separate location.

You do not need to archive client data on your computer; however, it is important to save data as each screen is completed by clicking the Save button. The application does not contain an auto-save feature.


What If I Need Additional Help?

The following resources are available to assist registered users of the HCO application.

RESOURCES PAGE

The main navigation bar includes a Resources menu option. Click Resources to access step guides and other reference material.

RECORDED TUTORIAL TRAINING

Learn at your own pace with our free, self-guided web-based tutorials.

To view a list of available tutorials by topic, visit the following Web site: https://www.fanniemae.com/singlefamily/home-counselor-online.

INFORMATION LINK

Many screens within HCO contain embedded information links ( ). Click on these links to access helpful information.

TELEPHONE SUPPORT

Fannie Mae’s Customer Contact Center offers assistance. The toll free number is 1-877-722-6757.

ONLINE HELP

HCO provides online Help to answer your questions. To access online help, click the Help link on the top right side of the screen.

https://www.fanniemae.com/singlefamily/home-counselor-online


Chapter 2: Getting Started

Accessing the HCO application

This chapter contains instructions on how to log on to HCO, navigate through the features and functions, and correctly log off the HCO application.

To log on to the HCO application, type https://www.fanniemae.com/singlefamily/index in your Web browser and click Go.

1. Click the Originating & Underwriting tab.

2. On the Originating & Underwriting page, click the Home Counselor Online button under Technology Applications & Tools.

https://www.fanniemae.com/singlefamily/index


3. From the Home Counselor Online page, click the Launch App button.

The HCO Log In page contains useful information, updated regularly, to ensure you have the latest application updates.

NOTE: For quick access to the HCO log-in page, add the following link to your Favorites in your Web

browser: https://hco.efanniemae.com/hco.

4. Type your user ID and password, and click on Go.

NOTE: Forgot your password? Click on Profile Access Manager to the right of the Log In box or call the

Customer Contact Center at 1-877-722-6757.

https://hco.efanniemae.com/hco


5. The HCO pop-up message displays if you do not have a pop-up blocker enabled on your internet browser. The pop-up message contains important information, such as system updates, training schedules, and helpful links.

6. After successfully logging into the application, the HCO Home page displays.

NOTE: After you have read the message, you may close the window by clicking on the ‘X’ box, or select one

of the buttons at the bottom of the page:


Navigating HCO’s Home Page

The five principle sections of the Home page are:

1. My Cases is a case file manager. It defaults to display cases created or updated in the last thirty days from last log in.

2. My Tools is a set of financial counseling assessment tools and calculators.

3. The Search and Advanced Search feature allows you to select criteria for custom case file searches.

4. My Appointments is a convenient appointment scheduler.

5. My Reminders is a tickler and task tracker feature.


Using Links and Navigation Bars

This section will describe navigation options from the Home page.

HCO LINKS

Click on the links located at the top right hand side of the page to access information about the applicat ion.

The following table describes the HCO links.

Link Name Description

Español Describes tools offered in Spanish.

Legal A legal disclosure about the HCO Web site.

Licensing

Bulletins

As found on the HCO eFannieMae.com Web page, the bulletins detail the terms and conditions per

the subscriber agreement.

Help Online answers, in English, regarding how to use HCO.

Ayuda Online answers, in Spanish, regarding how to use HCO.

Table 2.1 HCO Links

MAIN NAVIGATION TOOLBAR

The main navigation bar provides easy access to features and functionality within the application.

NOTE: After selecting an item from the main navigation toolbar you may notice that some menu items have

an arrow . The arrow indicates that sub-menu items exist. Click the arrow next to a feature’s name and

HCO displays a list of sub-topics from which to choose.


The following table describes the options available on the main navigation toolbar.

Link Name Click this Link to...

Home Return to the Home page from any HCO screen.

Education Display a list of tools designed to assist counselors in scheduling and tracking homeowner education

classes.

Reports Display a comprehensive Reports Catalog, Custom Reports, Saved Reports, as well as a list of

Standard Report options.

External

Reports

Create reports for HUD and National Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling (NFMC), if applicable for your

agency.

Administration Delete case files, import or export case files and databases, and manage your user profile.

Note: This menu option is primarily used by the agency administrator to set up HCO features and tools.

However, all counselors will be able to access certain functions for your specific cases.

Note: You will find complete instructions for the menu in the Home Counselor Online Use Guide for Agency

Administrators.

Resources Display a screen containing various resources and additional helpful step guides.

Table 2.2 Main Navigation Toolbar

NAVIGATION

HCO is designed for easy navigation. After clicking on a menu item from the Main Navigation toolbar the menu anchors to the left side of the screen.

NOTE: HCO uses its own built-in navigation system to advance from screen-to-screen. Do not use Back and

Forward on your browser’s menu. If you use your browser’s navigation system, you will receive an error

message that your session has expired. If this should happen, click Home on the main navigation toolbar.

NOTE: You can create a case file from tools on the My Tools menu, such as, Credit Report and the

Affordability Analyzer.


MY TOOLS

My Tools (or Tools) is a set of helpful financial assessment tools and calculators. The tools menu remains accessible on the right side of the screen.

NOTE: An item from the MY Tools menu can be accessed within or prior to creating a case file. Opening a

case file prior to accessing the tools allows the user to link the data from a client’s case file with the

calculator or tool.

The table below describes each tool on the menu My Tools menu.

My

Tools

Description

With the Credit Report tool, you can request a client’s credit report, or a reissue of a credit report, from

several credit information providers, as listed on https://www.fanniemae.com/singlefamily/credit-information-

providers.

The Affordability Analyzer enables you to explore three different scenarios to determine affordability:

1) How much house can the client afford?

2) Can the client afford a house that costs $_______?

3) How much house can the client afford with a monthly payment of $______?

The analysis gives the client an idea of what they can afford considering income, liabilities, and available

funds.

The Rent vs. Own calculator assists you in showing clients a cost comparison between renting and owning

a home.

The Amortization calculator displays a loan amortization schedule of principal and interest payments for

several different types of mortgages.

The Debt Payoff calculator enables you to calculate the payments remaining on a loan based on the interest

rate, current balance, and monthly payment.

PowerPay is a widely used debt management tool that allows you to create optimized debt repayment

scenarios for clients.

Note: Open within an existing case only.

The Download Forms feature provides a list of downloadable templates that you can use to collect client

information offline, create budgets, and credit report authorizations.

Agency Letters stores form letters that your agency administrator created.

Table 2.3 – My Tools Menu

Entering Data

Data entry fields are designed to simplify entering numeric data such as dates, telephone numbers, and Social Security numbers. For example, currency amounts do not require a dollar sign and percentages do not require a percent sign. If you enter data in an incorrect format a red error message will display.

https://www.fanniemae.com/singlefamily/credit-information-providers



IDENTIFYING ICONS, BUTTONS, AND LINKS

HCO uses icons, buttons, and links to help simplify navigation. The following table shows some frequently used icons, buttons, and links.

Icon/Button/Link Use

This globe indicates that Spanish text may be viewed or printed for a topic when you click En

Español.

This x box is located on the top right of the case file screen and is used to navigate to the

previous screen.

An ‘H’ indicates that the field is required by HUD.

The left arrow indicates that a sub-menu of selectable items is available.

An arrow pointing downward indicates that a related dropdown menu of selectable items is

available.

This plus sign indicates that there is a sub-menu associated with the topic.

This minus symbol indicates that there are no sub-menus associated with this topic.

Advances to the next page.

Performs and analysis on the data and calculates a result.

Click to Print.

Click to record changes on the current screen.

Click the Log Out button to exit HCO.

Select In English to display screen text in English.

Select to display screen text in Spanish.

Click to print a report in Spanish.

Click to change selection criteria.

Click to edit the data.

Click to delete the data.

Click for more information on creating scenarios.

Click to restore previous values.

Select to view help text in English (Help) or Spanish (Ayuda).


Icon/Button/Link Use

Click to view additional helpful information.

Table 2.1 - Icons, Buttons, and Links

TERMS AND DEFINITIONS

The table below lists frequently used terms found throughout this guide.

Term Usage

Agency A term used to describe counseling organizations, community-based organizations, and

mortgage professionals.

Counseling

Organization

Organization that educates members of the community in the homeownership process.

Home Equity

Conversion Mortgage

(HECM)

Federally insured, national HUD reverse mortgage product. The HECM HUD-insured reverse

mortgage can be used by senior homeowners, age 62 and older, to convert the equity in their

home into income to be repaid when they no longer occupy the home.

Homebuyer Education

(HBE)

Classes designed to educate clients about home buying and homeownership.

Mortgage Professional Any person or entity whose business is providing home mortgage financing to individuals?

Picklist A menu of selectable items.

Power Payments Rollover payments made to quickly decrease the amount of debt.

Profile Access

Manager

A Fannie Mae application that allows you to reset your password.

Table 2.2 Terms and Definitions


Logging Out of HCO

It is strongly recommended that users log out of HCO when not actively using the application. To log out of HCO, complete the following steps:

1. Click the Log Out button at the top right of the Home page.

2. To close the browser, click File on the Internet browser menu, and then click Close.

NOTE: HCO will automatically time out after 30 minutes of inactivity. You will be given a pop-up warning at

15 minutes of inactivity, and logged off after 30 minutes. This action prevents unauthorized access to data

while a computer is idle.


Chapter 3: Working with Case Files

What is a Case File?

The primary goal of the HCO application is to help counselors work more efficiently with clients and to

document and record the services they provide. In this chapter you will learn how to create and work with client case files.

There are six paths available to create a case file in HCO that will be discussed in this document. However,

this chapter will focus on creating a case file from the Home page. Your agency administrator will help you determine which process you should use in a given scenario.

NOTE: In addition to creating a case file from the Home page, you can create a case file from the Education

menu, the Credit Report tool, the Affordability Analyzer, and uploading a universal mortgage application

(Form 1003) or an offline worksheet.

HCO allows housing counselors to create an online case file for each client or household. A case file is an electronic record of the information gathered through the counseling process, and may include financial, demographic, and contact data.

NOTE: To get to the Home page from anywhere in the HCO application, click Home on the main navigation

toolbar.


Case File Management

CREATING A NEW CASE FILE

The following steps will guide you through creating a case file using the Create New Case button on the Home page.

1. From the Home page, click Create New Case.

2. Enter the information as described in table 3.1 and click Save.

NOTE: If a field is required by HUD, it is labeled with an H ( ).

NOTE: Only four data fields are required by the HCO Application to initialize a new case file: Initial Contact

Date, Counseling Type, First Name and Last Name. Required fields are marked with an asterisk.


The following describes data elements requested

Field Description

Case Number The screen displays a systematically generated Case Number that increments per each case file

entered within your agency automatically. The case number can be overwritten with any alphanumeric

sequence, not to exceed 15 characters. Once the case file is saved, the Case Number will be

accessible in the Case Summary page.

Initial Contact

Date

This is the date the client first came to your agency for counseling, or when the counseling activity

began. The date can be overwritten, but it must be a valid date or an error message will display when

you try to save the page. Once the case file is created, the Initial Contact Date will be stored in the

Summary page.

Counseling

Type

The Counseling Type is required. The Counseling Type is a dropdown field for counselor to select

the one option that best describes the area of counseling being sought by client. You will not be able to save the record without this field being populated. If you leave it blank and click Save you will

get a system generated error message. Once saved, the Counseling Type will be stored on the

Summary Information page.

Last Name The client’s Last Name is required. You will not be able to save the record without this field being populated. If you leave it blank and click Save you will get a system generated error message. Once

saved, the Last Name will be stored in the Contact Information page.

First Name The client’s First Name is required. You will not be able to save the record without this field being populated. If you leave it blank and click Save you will get a system generated error message. Once

saved, the First Name will be stored in the Contact Information page.

Middle Name You can enter the complete Middle Name or an initial. This information is not required. Once saved,

the Middle Name will be stored in the Contact Information page.

Suffix The suffix is not a required field. Some examples of a suffix are: Mr., Mrs., Ms., Sr., Jr., Dr., Esq., etc.

Date of Birth The Date of Birth is not required. Once you save the record, the Date of Birth will be stored on the

Demographics screen.

Social Security

Number

The Social Security number (SSN) is not required; however, if you plan to pull a credit report using the

HCO tool, you will need to enter a valid SSN. Once the case file is saved, the SSN will be stored in the

Contact Information screen.

Once you pull a credit report for this client, you will no longer be able to modify this field; therefore,

providing a consistent means of reconciling the credit report pulled with the information from the credit

service provider.

Home Phone Home Phone is not a required field. Once you save the record the Home Phone information will be

located on the Contact Information screen.

Work Phone Work Phone is not a required field. Once you save the record the Work Phone information will be

located on the Contact Information screen.

Cellular Phone

Number

Cellular Phone Number is not a required field. Once you save the record, the Cellular Phone Number

will be located on the Contact Information screen.

Preferred

Contact Type

Preferred Contact Type contains a drop down menu of selectable items, including: Home Phone, Work

Phone, Cell Phone, and E-mail. The Preferred Contact Type you select will determine what is

displayed on the heading of each page within the Client Case file and Home Page for quick access.

Once saved, the Preferred Contact Type is located on the Contact Information screen.


Field Description

E-mail The E-mail address is not a required field. By collecting an e-mail address, you can economize

resources by sending communications through e-mail rather than paying postage. Once you save the

record, the e-mail address will be located on the Contact Information screen.

Street Address The Street Address is not a required field. Once you save the record, the Street Address is located on

the Address screen in the Client Intake menu.

Street Address

2

Street Address 2 is not a required field and is often used for P.O. box, routes, apartments, or suite

numbers. Once you save the record, Street Address 2 will be located on the Address screen in the

Client Intake menu.

City City is not a required field. Once you save the record, the City will be located on the Address screen in

the Client Intake menu.

State State is not a required field. Once you save the record, the State will be located on the Address screen

in the Client Intake menu.

Rural Area

Status

Rural Area Status is not a required field. Click on the down arrow to display the applicable choices;

such as household lives in a rural area, household does not live in a rural area, or chose not to

respond. Once you save the record, the Rural Area Status will be located on the Address screen in the

Client Intake menu.

Zip Code Zip Code is not a required field. Once you save the record, the Zip Code will be located on the

Address screen in the Client Intake menu.

County County is not a required field. Once you save the record, the County will be located on the Address

screen in the Client Intake menu.

Residency

Status

Residency Status is not a required field. Click on the down arrow to display the choices: Rent, Own, or

Other. A common use of “Other” is when the client lives with parents and does not pay rent. Once you

save the record, you can locate the Residency Status on the Address History screen found on the

Client Intake menu.

Length of

Occupancy

Length of Occupancy is not a required field and is used to record the length of time in months and

years the client can claim that address. Once you save the record, the field will be located on the

Address screen in the Client Intake menu.

Census Tract The census tract number is a code assigned to a geographic area. The Web site www.census.gov has

a listing of these codes. The number consists of the following:

State Postal Abbreviation - 2 characters

FIPS State Code - 2 characters

FIPS County Code - 3 characters

NFMC Client The NFMC Client checkbox is relevant only to agencies who participate in an NFMC Program. If your

agency does not participate, you will not see this field.

Table 3.1 – Create New Case

3. Enter Case Financial Summary information at the bottom of the New Case File page. The Case Financial Summary information stores estimates the client supplies prior to verification. Once you receive verified financial information the fields will be overwritten with updated information entered in the Income, Liabilities, and Assets screens in the Client Intake menu.

http://www.census.gov/



The table below describes the fields in the Case Financial Summary.

Field Description

Estimated Monthly

Income

Estimated Monthly Income is not a required field. Once you save the record, the field will be

located on the case Summary screen.

Estimated Monthly

Liabilities

Estimated Monthly Liabilities is not a required field. Once you save the record, the field will be


Estimated Available

Funds

Estimated Available Funds is not a required field. Once you save the record, the field will be


Table 3.2 – Case Financial Summary

4. Click Save to record your entry and continue entering data for the client, Save and Add Another Case to record your entry and create a new case file, Save and Close to record your entry and return to the Home page, or Cancel to exit the page without saving and return to the Home page.


UPDATING CONTACT INFORMATION

The Contact Information screen stores current contact information.

1. To include an additional client on the case file, such as another family member, click Add Client to open the Contact Details page.

2. You will notice one additional field when more than one client is listed within a case file, a check box to indicate that this is the primary client

NOTE: The NFMC Client checkbox is relevant only to agencies who participate in an NFMC Program. If your

agency does not participate, you will not see this field.


3. If there is more than one client in a case file, the Contact Information summary will display the additional client names.

NOTE: In the example above, both Contacts are displayed in the heading. Now that there is more than one

contact included in the case file, the Primary Contact column displays.

NOTE: You can delete the non-primary contact’s record but not the primary contact. Since Client Test Case

4 is the Primary Contact, the record would have to be deleted from the Administration menu. Visit

Administration for Counselors for more information.

COMPLETING A CASE SUMMARY

A case Summary provides an overview of the case, documenting the client’s objective for counseling, as well as the case status, and how the client was referred to your agency.

1. To access the case Summary from the Home page, click on the client’s name.

2. Click Summary in the Case File menu.


3. Enter information as described on table 3.3.

The following table describes the fields in the Summary screen. After entering the information, click Save to record your changes.

Field Description

Case Number The Case Number is the first entry field on the Summary screen. You can modify the case

number with any alphanumeric sequence, not to exceed 15 characters.

Case File Unique ID This case file identification is system generate and cannot be modified. It is a unique number

across all HCO case files.

Case Status Click on the down arrow to display the list of Case Statuses that your agency administrator

authorized your agency to use. You may select only one line item from the menu by scrolling

down the list and clicking on the menu item. You will update the case status as your client

progresses through the counseling process.

Mortgage Readiness A widely used industry concept to determine the mortgage readiness. This data can be useful

when scheduling classes. The counselor and client would make a determination together as to

what tier would apply. Click on the down arrow to display the list and click on the item that best

fits the client’s mortgage readiness.

Agency Referral

Source

Click on the down arrow to display the list of Agency Referral Sources that your agency

administrator authorized your agency to use. You may select only one line item from the menu

by scrolling down the list and clicking on the menu item. This is important information for your

agency as it could be used to determine the best use of your resources on future client

outreach and advertising campaigns.


Field Description

HUD Referral Source HUD Referral Source is used by HUD certified counseling agencies to monitor what HUD tools

are being used to locate a housing counseling agency. Click on the down arrow to display the

list of applicable sources. You may select only one line item from the menu by scrolling down

the list and clicking on the menu item.

Counseling Outcome Click on the down arrow to display the list of Counseling Outcomes. You may select only one

line item from the menu by scrolling down the list and clicking on the menu item. This is

important information for your agency and should be the final step before you and your client

terminate the counseling sessions.

Counseling Type Counseling Type is required for all case files as of December 15, 2008. For cases created prior

to that date, the Counseling Type will need to be updated if the Summary record is accessed,

otherwise it will remain as a null value. Click on the down arrow to display the list of Counseling

Types. You may select only one line item from the menu by scrolling down the list and clicking

on the menu item.

Ward For governing jurisdictions that have a Ward, such as New Orleans, click on the down arrow to

display the list of wards. You may select only one line item from the menu by scrolling down the

list and clicking on the menu item.

Authorization to obtain

& review credit report

Click on the checkbox to indicate that the client has signed your agency’s form for authorizing

you to pull a credit report. If this checkbox is left blank, you will get an error message if you try

to request a credit report for this client.

Authorization to share

information with

potential lenders

Click on the checkbox to indicate that the client has signed your agency’s form for authorizing

you to speak with their lender/servicer on their behalf. This form is important for foreclosure

prevention and should include a line item for authorization to share information with the

investor and mortgage insurance (MI) company on the loan in case you need additional

approvals.

Is a member of the

household 62 or over

This indicator should be checked if you will be counseling on Reverse Mortgages.

Inactive Click on the checkbox to indicate that the case file is Inactive. Once this box is checked the

case file will no longer appear on the Home page or in reports, unless requested. This helps to

eliminate the multipage reports when the case file is not in an active status. You may also want

to indicate that the case file is inactive in the Case Status field.

DO/DU Casefile ID The DO/DU Casefile ID numbers are for agencies or organizations that have an account in

Desktop Originator or Desktop Underwriter. It is not a modifiable data element.

Create Date Create Date is a system generated date and is not modifiable. It is set by the date when the

case file was created. You can use the Create Date field when searching for cases or running

reports.

Creation Type Creation Type is a system generated field and can not be modified. The field indicates what

tool was used to create the case file, such as: New Case Entry, Class Registration, Credit

Report, Offline Worksheet Import, 1003 Import, Affordability Analyzer, and Reverse Mortgage

Tool.

Initial Contact Date Initial Contact Date is a required field in HCO and is the date that the client first made contact

with your agency. It could represent the date the client attended one of your home-buyer

classes or the date of their first appointment.


Field Description

Date Counseling

Terminated

Once the counseling objective is considered complete or inactive, enter that date as the date

counseling was terminated. In addition, mark the Inactive checkbox.

Reason for

Termination

Click on the down arrow to display the list of Termination Reasons. You may select only one

line item from the menu by scrolling down the list and clicking on the menu item. This should be

one of the last case file activity items to be completed before making the case file inactive.

Last Modified Date Last Modified Date is a system generated date and is not modifiable. It is set by the date the

case was last accessed or updated. As a default setting, the Home page will display all cases

updated in the past 30 days. You can use the Last Modified date for searching cases or

running reports.

Counselor The Counselor name is not a modifiable data element and will display the name of the

Counselor currently assigned to the case file.

Estimated Monthly

Income

Once you enter an amount on the Income page within the Client Intake menu, this field will be

updated to reflect the same value – the Estimated Monthly Income field would be a display field

only and any updates will be made on the Income screen. Income displays on the heading of

each page within a Case File.

Estimated Monthly

Liabilities

Once you enter an amount on the Liabilities page within the Client Intake menu, this field will

be updated to reflect the new value and can only be modified in the Liabilities screen. The total

liabilities displays at the heading of each page within a Case File in the “Debt” column.

Estimated Available

Funds

Once you enter an amount on the Assets page within the Client Intake menu in the field titled

“Available Funds”, this field will be updated to reflect the same value. The total funds displays

at the heading of each page within a Case File in the “Funds” column.

HUD AMI Bracket Enter a value in the HUD AMI Bracket field or click on the link to access a table to lookup the

HUD AMI Bracket by number of family members, state, and city. The source of this information

is HUD.

Table 3.3 Case File Summary

NOTE: You can modify the case number or initial contact date in the Summary page.

NOTE: Counseling Type is a required field as of the 8.8 Release (December 15, 2008). For cases that

existed prior to that date, the information will not be requested unless the Summary page is accessed.


CONDUCTING A CLIENT INTAKE

The Client Intake menu expands to display a sub-menu with access to pages such as address history, client demographics, employment, income, liabilities, assets, credit issues, and non-traditional credit.

To expand the menu, click on Client Intake.

NOTE: You are not required to enter data in all the pages of the client intake. A discussion with your agency

administrator will determine what fields are required by your agency.

BUILDING AN ADDRESS HISTORY

Creating an address history for each client in the case file is necessary for completing verification of client supplied data. HCO looks for at least two years of history for each client.

The following steps demonstrate how to create and maintain the Address History.

1. Click on Address in the Client Intake menu.

NOTE: If this is the first time accessing the Address page and you did not enter an address on the Create

New Case screen, you will get a blank page with a comment that “No current address or address history”

exists for the client. Follow the instructions below to include an Address in the client’s record.

2. To add a new address, click on the Add Address button to display the Client Address Details.


3. Enter the information as described in table 3.4 and click Save to record your changes. To Edit or Delete a record, go to step 4 and 5.

The following table describes the fields in the Client Address Details page.

Field Description

Clients If there is more than one client on the case file, you will be requested to click on the checkbox next to

the name(s) of the people who reside, or resided, at the address.

If there is only one client in the case file, the system assumes that the address is for the primary client

and the Client field will not display.

Current

Address

If the new address is their current address, click on the checkbox Current Address. For cases with

more than one client, you will need to indicate which client(s) reside(s)(d) at that address.

Street Address Enter the Street Address.

Street Address

2

Street Address 2 is not a required field and is often used for P.O. Box, routes, apartment numbers, etc.

City Enter the City.

State Enter the State.


Field Description

Zip Code Enter the Zip Code as supplied by your client.

County Enter the county as supplied by your client.

Colonias

Resident

Colonias Resident is a HUD term for certain towns on the border between Mexico and the United

States. Click on the checkbox if applicable to the address. Please see the HUD Web site at

www.hud.gov for more information.

Residency

Status

Click on the down arrow to display the applicable choices; such as rent, own, or other. An example of a

use for “Other” might be that the client was living with parents and did not pay rent.

Length of

Occupancy

Enter the years and or months the client reside (s) (d) at the address.

Census Tract The census tract number is a code assigned to a geographic area. The Web site www.census.gov has

a listing of these codes. The number consists of the following:

State Postal Abbreviation - 2 characters

FIPS State Code - 2 characters

FIPS County Code - 3 characters

Rural Area

Status

Click on the down arrow to display the applicable choices; such as household lives in a rural area,

household does not live in a rural area, or chose not to respond.

Table 3.4 - Address

4. If an address record already exists for clients and you want to view or edit the details, click on Edit in the action column to display the Address History Details page.

NOTE: If the client’s Length of Occupancy is less than two years a message displays, however, it will not

prevent you from having an address history of less than two years.

5. To remove an address from the Address History page, click Delete on the corresponding line item.

6. To record your changes, click Save.

7. Select an option from the case file menu or click Home to return to the HCO Home page.

NOTE: Make it a habit to click the Save key to avoid losing data if the application is idle for more than 30

minutes.

http://www.hud.gov/

http://www.census.gov/


DEMOGRAPHICS

The Demographics screen stores information that HUD uses to help ensure that home ownership is accessible to all U.S. residents.

1. Click Demographics in the Client Intake menu.

2. Each client in the case file will have a corresponding Client Demographics record. Click Edit in the Action column to display the Client Demographics Details page.

3. Enter the information as described in table 3.5 and click Save to record your changes, or Cancel and return to the Case File menu.



The following table lists the data requested on the Client Demographics Detail page. Check with you agency administrator to see what information is required by your reporting organization.

Field Description

Race Click on one or more Race indicator as applicable.

Ethnicity Type Code Click on the down arrow to display the selectable items from the list. Select one of the following

two options: “Hispanic or Latino” or “Non Hispanic or Latino.”

Date of Birth Enter a valid date of birth for each client.

Number of

Dependents

Enter the number of dependents – the number of people that financially depend on the client.

An error message will display if you do not enter a numerical value.

Household Size Enter the number of people that reside in the household. You can leave the field blank;

however, an error message will display if you do not enter a valid numerical value.

Marital Status Click on the down arrow to display the list of acceptable marital status options, such as:

married, separated, unmarried, widowed, divorced, or choose not to respond.

Gender Click on the down arrow to display the male or female gender options.

Citizenship Click on the down arrow to display the list of selectable citizenship options; such as, Non-

Resident Alien, Permanent Resident Alien, or U.S. Citizen.

Country of Origin Click on the down arrow to select a country of origin from the menu.

Preferred Language Click on the down arrow to select a preferred language from the menu.

English Proficiency

Status

Click on the down arrow to display the list of acceptable english proficiency status options, such

as: Household is limited English proficient, Household is not limited English proficient, or

choose not to respond.

Check if Foreign-Born Click on the checkbox to indicate that the client was born outside the U.S.

Client Type Click on the down arrow to display the list of selectable client types such as: Homeless,

Homeowner (Mortgage Paid off), Mortgagor, Potential Buyer, Potential Renter, Renter, and

Other.

Disabled Click on the checkbox to indicate that the client is disabled. For agencies reporting to HUD, you

are requested to indicate if the client is Disabled.

Highest Education

Level

Click on the down arrow to select the Highest Education Level achieved by the client.

Victim of

Discrimination

Click on the checkbox to indicate that the client is getting housing counseling because they

advised they were a victim of discrimination.

For agencies reporting to HUD, you are requested to indicate when applicable.

Victim of Predatory

Lending

Click on the checkbox to indicate that the client advised that he/she was a victim of predatory

lending.


HECM Certificate Click on the checkbox if the client received a HECM Certificate indicating that they have

received counseling for the HECM Reverse Mortgage product.



Field Description

HECM Issue Date If the client received a HECM certificate, enter the date the certificate was issued..


HECM Expiration

Date

If the client received a HECM certificate, enter the date the certificate expires.


HECM Certificate ID If the client received a HECM certificate, enter the certificate’s identifier information.


First Time Home

Buyer

Click on the checkbox to indicate if the client is seeking to be a First Time Homebuyer.

Female Head of

Household

Click on the checkbox to indicate if the female client is the head of household, as defined by the

IRS.

US Veteran Click on the checkbox to indicate if the client is a veteran of the U.S. military.

Single Head of

Household

Click on the checkbox to indicate if the client is the head of household, and is the sole financial

contributor as defined by the IRS.

Owned Home in Last

Three Years

Click on the checkbox to indicate if the client has been a homeowner in the past three years.

Table 3.5 – Demographics

4. To record your changes, click Save.

5. Select an option from the case file menu, or click Home to return to the HCO Home page.

NOTE: Although you can edit a demographic record for your client, you will not be able to delete a record.

To delete a client that is not a primary client within a case file, go to the Contact Information screen and click

Delete next to the client name. To delete the primary client record, you will need to go to the Administration

menu and select Delete Cases. Visit Administration for Counselors for more information.


EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

Creating an employment history for each client in the case file is necessary for completing verification of client supplied data. The following steps demonstrate how to create and maintain employment history:

1. Click Employment in the Client Intake menu.

2. To add a new employment record for one of your clients, click on Add Employment to display the Employment History details screen.


3. Enter the information as described in table 3.6 and click Save to record your changes, or Cancel to exit and return to the case file menu. To Edit or Delete a record, go to step 4 and 5.

The following table lists the data requested on the Employer Details page:

Field Description

Clients If there is more than one client on the case file, you will be requested to click on the checkbox next

to the client for whom the Employment record applies.

If only one client is listed in the case file, the record will be for the primary client.

Employer Enter the full name of the employer.

Street Address 1 Enter the street address of the employer.

Street Address 2 Street Address 2 is not a required field and is often used for P.O. Box numbers, routes, apartment

numbers, etc.

City Enter the employer’s city.

State Enter the employer’s state.

Zip Code Zip Code of the employer’s location.

Contact Phone Contact phone number of the employer.

Position / Title The most recent position or title the client held while employed.

Start Date The date the client began working with the employer.

End Date The date the client terminated employment with the employer. If this is the current position, the end

date will be blank.

Self-Employed Click on the checkbox if the client is self-employed.


Field Description

Farm Worker Click on the checkbox if the client is a farm worker.

Table 3.6 – Employment

4. If an Employment record already exists for the client and you want to view or edit the details, click Edit in the action column.

5. To remove a record from the Employment History page, click Delete on the corresponding line item.

6. Select an option from the case file menu, or click Home to return to the Home page.

INCOME

Although you may have entered an income estimate on the Create New Case page or Summary screen, what you enter on the Income screen will overwrite these estimates.

1. Click on Income in the Client Intake menu.

2. To add a new income record for one of the clients in the case file, click on the Add Income button to display the Income Information Details page. To Edit or Delete, go to step 4 and 5.


3. Enter the information as described in table 3.7 and click Save to record changes or Cancel to return to the Case File menu without saving your changes.

The following table lists the data requested on the Income Information Details page.

Field Description

Clients If there is more than one client on the case file, you will be requested to click on the checkbox next to

the client for whom the income information record applies. You can select multiple clients. If only one

client is in the case file, the record will be for the primary client.

Income Type Click on the down arrow to select an Income Type from the list.

Income Amount Enter a valid income amount. It is not necessary to enter a $ or .00.

Pay Frequency Click on the down arrow to display the list of selectable items. Click on the pay frequency that applies,

such as: Bi-Weekly, Hourly, Monthly, Semi-Monthly, Weekly, and Yearly.

Table 3.7 Income


4. If an Income record already exists for the client and you want to view or edit the details, click Edit in the Action column.

NOTE: Notice on the image below that the total Income for all clients in the case file displays on the Income

summary page, showing both the Monthly and Annual salary. Also, the heading displayed within the case file

reflects the new income total.

5. To remove an income record from the income summary page, click Delete on the corresponding line item.



ENTERING ASSETS

Although you may have entered an estimate of your client’s available funds on the Create New Case page or Summary screen, what you enter on the Asset screen will overwrite these estimates.

1. To begin, click on Assets in the Client Intake menu.

2. To add a new Asset record for one of the clients in the case file, click on Add Asset to display the Asset Information Details page. To Edit or Delete a record, go to step 4 and 5.



The following table lists the data requested on the page:

Field Description

Clients If there is more than one client on the case file, you will be requested to click on the checkbox next to the

client for whom the asset information record applies. You can select one or all clients within the case file.

If only one client is in the case file, the record will be for the primary client.

Asset Type Click on the down arrow to select an Asset Type from the list.

Institution Enter the Institution name of the entity that holds or manages the client’s asset, such as a bank or money

market fund, if applicable.

Account

Number

Enter an Account Number if you need to verify the asset.

Total Asset

Value

Enter a valid Total Asset Value

Available

Funds

Enter the Available Funds amount. If the client holds a Certificate of Deposit (CD) and it doesn’t mature

for a year or more, the client only has access to a partial amount of the funds.

Table 3.8 – Assets

NOTE: Notice on the image below that the total assets for the client(s) displays on the Asset summary page,

showing the Asset Type, Asset Value and Available Funds. Also, the heading displayed within the case file

reflects the new total Funds available.

4. If an Asset record already exists for this client and you want to view or edit the details, click Edit in the action column.

5. To remove an Asset record from the Asset Summary page, click Delete on the corresponding line item.



NOTE: The total assets will be considered when using the Mortgage Readiness Assessment tool.

ENTERING LIABILITIES

Capturing a true picture of a client’s liabilities is a key component for counseling a client on the path to becoming and sustaining successful homeownership.

Follow the instruction below to manually enter liabilities, or if you pull a credit report, you can auto-populate the liabilities page with details from the credit report. See Using HCO Financial Counseling Tools.

1. Click on Liabilities in the Client Intake menu.

2. To add a new liability/debt record for one of the clients in the case file, click Add Liability to display the Liability Information Details page. To Edit or Delete a record, go to step 4 and 5.

NOTE: The total Liabilities for the client(s) displays on the Liabilities summary page, showing the

Outstanding Balance, Monthly Payment, and Status. The heading displayed within the case file reflects the

new total Debt.



The following table lists the data requested on the Liability Information Detail page.

Field Description

Clients If there is more than one client on the case file, you will be requested to click on the checkbox

next to the client for whom the liability information record applies. You can select one or all clients

within the case file. If only one client is in the case file, the record will be for the primary client.

Liability Type Click on the down arrow to select a Liability Type from the list, such as: Credit Line/ HELOC,

Installment Loan, Lease Payments, Liens, Medical Bills, Mortgage, 30 Days Charge Account,

Revolving Credit Account, Taxes, or Other.

Institution Enter the institution name of the entity that holds or manages the debt, such as a bank, credit

card, or loan servicer.

Account Number Enter an Account Number, especially if you need to verify the debt.

Outstanding

Balance

Enter the balance of the entire debt currently outstanding.

Monthly Payment Enter the Monthly Payment amount.

Status Click on the down arrow to select a Status from the drop down list, such as, Current, Delinquent,

or In Collection.

Months Remaining Enter the number of Months Remaining to cure the outstanding balance.

Date Account

Opened

A valid date must be entered in the date account was opened.


Field Description

Credit Limit / High

Balance

In the example of a credit card account, enter the credit limit or the highest balance amount per

the terms of the creditor.

Current Past Due

Amount

If the account is delinquent, enter a valid amount that is currently past due or delinquent.

Table 3.9 Liabilities

4. If a Liability record already exists for this client and you want to view or edit the details, click Edit in the action column.

5. To remove a Liability record from the Liabilities summary page, click Delete on the corresponding line item.


NOTE: Although you may have entered an estimate of your clients Debt on the Create New Case page or

Summary screen, what you enter on the Liabilities screen will overwrite these estimates.

ENTERING CREDIT ISSUES

Capturing a true picture of a client’s Liabilities and Credit Issues is a key component for counseling a client on the path to becoming and sustaining successful homeownership.

Follow the instructions below to manually enter Credit Issues, or if you pull a credit report, you can auto-populate the Credit Issues page with detail from the credit report.

1. Click on Credit Issues in the Client Intake menu.

2. To add a new Credit Issue for one of the clients in the case file, click on Add Credit Issue to display the Credit Issue Details page. To Edit or Delete a record, go to step 4 and 5.



The following table lists data as requested on the Credit Issue page:

Field Description

Clients If there is more than one client on the case file, you will be requested to click on the checkbox next to the

client for whom the credit issue record applies. You can select one or all clients within the case file. If only

one client is in the case file, the record will be for the primary client.

Type Click on the down arrow to select a credit type from the drop down list, such as Lien, Judgment,

Bankruptcy, etc.

Date

Occurred

Enter a valid date format for the documented date the credit issue occurred. This would be the official date

as noted by the creditor.

Date

Resolved

Enter a valid date format for the date that the issue was resolved, if in fact there was a resolution.

Status Click on the down arrow to select a Status for the credit issue. Only one status can be selected at a time

and could change over the course of counseling. Some examples are Pending, Satisfied, Settled, etc.

Amount The total amount as documented by the creditor.

Table 3.10 – Credit Issues


4. If a Credit Issue record already exists for the client and you want to view or edit the details, click Edit in the action column.

5. To remove a Credit Issue record from the Credit Issues page, click Delete on the corresponding line item.


ENTERING NON-TRADITIONAL CREDIT

If your client is unbanked, has not established traditional credit, or perhaps just prefers to pay in cash for certain obligations, recording non-traditional credit information can be useful to verify that the client meets their financial obligations in a timely manner.

Follow the instructions below to enter Non-Traditional Credit.

1. Click on Non-Traditional Credit in the Client Intake menu.

NOTE: Non-Traditional credit items in the details screen were selected by your Agency Administrator.

Please see your HCO administrator if you wish to add an item to the drop down list.

2. To add a new Non-Traditional Credit record for one of the clients in the case file, click on Add Non-Traditional Credit to display the Non-Traditional Credit Details page. For instructions on Editing or Deleting a record, go to step 4 and 5.



The following table lists the data requested on the Non-Traditional Credit page:

Field Description


to the client for whom the non-traditional credit record applies. You can select one or all clients

within the case file.

If only one client is in the case file, the record will be for the primary client.

Creditor Name The Creditor Name is a required field and must be populated.

Account Number Enter the Account Number, if applicable.


Field Description

Creditor Phone

Number

Phone number of creditor.

Web Site

Address

Web site address of creditor, if applicable.

Type Click on the down arrow to display the list of non-traditional credit types. Some of the possible types

are Pager, Car Loan, Rent, Child Care, Union Dues, etc.

You can select only one entry per non-traditional credit record. If the client has multiple non-

traditional credit items, add a new Non-Traditional Credit record after the current record is completed

and saved. Type is a required field for the Non-Traditional Credit Details page and is administered

by your HCO Admin.

As of Date Enter a valid date to represent the date the Non-Traditional Credit item was entered in HCO or that

the client brought the validation documents to your attention.

Payment

Frequency

Click on the down arrow to display the list of allowable payment frequencies; such as: Weekly, Bi-

Weekly, Monthly, Semi-Yearly, etc.

Date Opened The date the account was opened to help support the client’s willingness to satisfy financial

obligations in a timely manner.

Date Closed The date the account was closed, if applicable.

Account Status Click on the drop down arrow to choose from the selectable items. The options are: Always Paid By

Due Date, Previous Partial Payments, and Previous Payments After Due Date.

Verification Type Click on the down arrow to choose from a list the verification types that best represents the method

of validating the non-traditional credit item.

Documentation

Provided

Click the box to state that you have witnessed, and perhaps have hard copy proof, that the client has

provided acceptable documentation.

Highest Balance The highest balance the client had on this account.

Outstanding

Balance

What is owed on this account as of the “As of Date.”

Average

Payment

The average amount of the payment.

Loan Term

(Months)

The number of months remaining to satisfy the obligation, if applicable.

Delinquency

History

Create a delinquency history including the Amount Due, Amount Paid, Due Date, and Paid Date;

that can be printed out and serve as a credit report of sorts.

Table 3.11 – Non-Traditional Credit Items


4. If a Non-Traditional Credit record already exists for this client and you would like to view or edit the details, click Edit in the action column.

5. To remove a Non-Traditional Credit Detail record from the Non-Traditional Credit page, click Delete on the corresponding line item.

6. Click Print for a hardcopy of the non-traditional credit entries.


CASE DOCUMENTS

Follow the instructions below to attach documents images to the case file.

1. Click on Case Documents in the Client File menu.


2. To add a new Case Document to the case file, click on Add Document button to begin.

3. Click Browse to locate the document on your computer hard drive. Notice the allowable documents types, including: CSV, DOC, GIF, JPG, PDF, PNG, TXT, XLS and ZIP.

4. Click on the Subject down arrow to select a document subject. There are 32 document subject types to choose from. This is a required field.

5. Enter a description or note in the Notes field provided for future reference.

6. Click on the Upload File button or Cancel to return to the Case File menu without uploading the document.

7. The Case Documents Summary Screen displays the uploaded document(s). You can access the

content of a document by clicking on the document name link or Edit to view or modify a document’s Subject or Notes fields . To remove the document, click on Delete.


VIEWING A CASE HISTORY

The Case History screen gives an overview of case file activity. It displays the date a case file was created, the date a budget was established, credit pulls, and other important events. Click on Case History in the Case File menu to display an online history of events, including a date/time stamp.

NOTE: If the case file was previously assigned to another counselor, use the Case History to determine

what actions have taken place. This will provide seamless customer support and efficient time management.


Chapter 4: Action Plans & Budgets

Action Plans

Creating an action plan allows you and your client an opportunity to identify barriers to homeownership and steps that your client can take to overcome these barriers within a specified period of time.

Once you’ve recorded action plans for a number of clients, you can generate an action plan report which creates a high level picture of the challenges your clients face, and can serve to forecast the education needs

of your client base. Refer to Using HCO Reporting Features for information on running an action plan report in HCO.

WORKING WITH ACTION PLANS

Follow the steps below to create an action plan:

1. To access the Budget feature from the Home page, click on the client’s name.

2. From the Home page, click Action Plan on the Case File menu.

3. Click on Add Barrier to create an Action Plan.


4. Enter the details regarding the barrier and click Save to record your changes, or Cancel to return to the Case File menu without saving your changes.

The following table lists the fields in the Action Plan Barrier Details screen.

Field Description

Barrier Type Click on the down arrow to display the barrier types as selected by your HCO administrator.

Choose an item by clicking once on the item.

Resolved Once the barrier has been resolved, click the checkbox.

Actual Start Date Type the date that the client will begin to take action to remove the barrier defined in the field

above.

Expected Duration Type the length of time expected to remove the barrier.

Actual End Date Type the date that the barrier is actually removed.

Recommended

Action

Enter a recommended action the client must take.

Action Details Type the steps to accomplish the recommended action.

Table 4.1 – Action Plan

5. To add a comment regarding the overall Action Plan, click Edit Comment.


6. After you have finished entering your comment regarding the action plan, click Save to record your changes.

7. To edit or modify an existing action plan item, click Edit to open the record. You’ll need to open the item when the client completed the action item, marking it resolved.

8. Click Delete to erase or remove the action item and return to the Case file menu.

9. Print an Action Plan report for your client by clicking on the Print button (or Print In Spanish). All action items in the Action Plan will print as well as the comment. The report has a signature line where the client confirms their commitment to completing the items in the action plan report.


Creating a Budget

Create a custom budget to meet your client’s specific needs. In addition, your agency administrator can create

multiple budget templates to reflect standardized budgets for your client base. Once the budget is created, enter actual monthly income and debts and run the budget analyzer to show a graphical view of the variance between the client’s budget and actual monthly income and debt.

NOTE: The agency administrator can create master budget template(s) for the agency.

Follow the steps below to create a budget:

To access the Budget feature from the Home page, click on the client’s name.

Click Budget on the Case File menu.

1. Click on the Add Budget button to create a new budget for your client.

NOTE: You can create multiple budgets. For example, if you want a show a budget as a homeowner in

comparison to renting a home create each budget to show the difference using standard templates.

2. If you want to build your own budget (not using an existing template), click Do Not Use a Template, as shown below (the default setting). Otherwise, click on the Select a Template option to use an existing template.


3. Next, select the Weekly option to create a week-by-week budget, or keep the default setting Monthly and click Continue, or Cancel to return to the Case File menu. Go to step 8 if you are creating a budget without using a template, otherwise continue to Step 7.

NOTE: If income or liability data was entered in the client intake area, a Populate Budget option allows you

to include it in the budget as income and expense items – without having to re-enter the data. When you put

a check in the Include checkbox, HCO will automatically pull the appropriate case file information into the

budget template. You can add additional data by clicking Continue to add income and expenses not

included in the client intake pages.

4. To create a budget using an existing template, click on the Select a Template indicator. Click on the down arrow and select a template from the list.

5. To add income items to your budget, select Add Income. Click on the down arrow to select income items from the drop down list. You can add a description on the line below and an income value to the right.

6. Or, enter the monthly/weekly income amount next to the Type/Description that displays. You can

change the Income Type and overwrite the description to best fit the true income of your client. If the income type is fixed, enter the amount in the space provided.

7. To include a new expense, click on the Add Expense button. Click on the drop down arrow to display a list of expense items, and click on the desired item.


8. Click on the sub-expense item down arrow located to the right of the expense description, if available, and select from the list.

9. Click on the expense category down arrow, and select Fixed, Flexible, or Luxury from the list.

10. Add a description for clarity. If the amount is fixed, enter the expense dollar amount. Otherwise, leave the total blank.

NOTE: Notice that once the budget is created, the summary page displays the Total Income, Total Expense,

and the Surplus or Shortfall, whichever applies. The shortfall will appear in parenthesis.

11. You can change the expense type, sub-type, category, or overwrite the description, and enter an expense amount. The line item can be deleted by clicking Delete in the action column.


12. Click Save and Close to return to the Budget menu, Print to print the budget for your client, Export Spreadsheet to save a copy to your hard drive and Save to record changes and continue working on your client’s budget.

13. To help your client work with a budget and get an actual or true look at their expenses, request that

they bring in one or more months of their bills. Click on Budget from the Case File menu, click Edit of an existing Budget item, and then click Actuals from the Case File Budget menu.

14. The page will default to the current month. You can enter the information for the current month, or simply overwrite the current date to enter the actual income and expenses.


15. Enter the actual Income and Expense and click Save.

NOTE: In order for the Actuals or Analysis options to appear in the Case File menu, you must have at least

one budget created for the client.

16. Click Print for a hardcopy of the Actuals entered.

17. To run an Analysis of the budget to Actual income and expenses, click on Budget from the Case

File menu. Click Edit of an existing budget item then click on Analysis from the Case File Budget menu.

18. You can analyze Income or Expense in Bar Chart or Pie Chart format.


19. If you select Expense, select one or All Expense Types.

20. Click on Analyze to display the pie chart graph of the variance of Budget to Actuals.

21. Click Print for a PDF copy of the Analysis.


Chapter 5: Time Management

Appointments, Notes & Reminders

HCO time tracking tools can help you efficiently manage your client case load. Appointment scheduler, reminders, and case notes keep you organized throughout the counseling process.

SETTING APPOINTMENTS

Use the following steps as a guide for scheduling appointments in the HCO application.

1. From the Home page, click on the name of the client.

2. Click the Appointments menu option located on the Case File menu.

3. To create a new appointment, click Add Appointment to display the Appointments Details page.

After entering the appointment details, click Save to record your changes. To Edit or Delete a record, go to step 5 or 6.


4. Enter the information as described in table 5.1.

The following table lists the data requested on the Appointments page. Check with you agency administrator to see what information is required by your reporting organization.

Field Description


to the client(s) who you are expecting to attend. You can select multiple clients.

Session The number of appointments will be updated by the system. This field is display only and cannot be

edited.

Date The Date of the appointment is a required field and will determine when the appointment will display

on the Home page.

Start Time Enter the time the appointment is scheduled to begin.

Duration Enter the appointment duration by clicking on the down arrow and select the number of hours. Click

on the down arrow to select the number of minutes for the meeting. You can schedule increments of

five minutes.

Type Click on the down arrow to display the selectable appointment types, which are: Face-to-face

Session, Phone Conversation, or Case Management Activity. The time you spend updating the

client’s case file can be calculated by using this feature. The meeting type is a required field.

Included Energy

Star Counseling

ENERGY STAR was introduced in 1992 as a voluntary labeling program designed to identify and

promote energy-efficient products in order to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

Billable Click on the checkbox to indicate that the appointment is a billable event as specified by your HCO

agency administrator.


Field Description

Attended Click on the checkbox to indicate that the client kept their scheduled appointment. If your agency is

participating in the NFMC program, you will have to click on the Attended indicator before your

hours are calculated.

Payment Amount The dollar amount of the payment as instructed by your Agency Administrator.

Payment Status The Payment Status of the amount due as instructed by your Agency Administrator.

Counseling Level Select Level 1, 2, or 3. This field is available only to clients of an NFMC participating agency.

Counseling Need Click on the drop down arrow to select the item that best describes the counseling need.

Notes A text field to enter any notes regarding the meeting or its outcome – such as the location and if an

interpreter must be present.

Table 5.1 Appointments

NOTE: Counseling Level is relevant only to agencies who participate in an NFMC Program. If your agency

does not participate, you will not see this field.

NOTE: Payment Amount and Payment status if only relevant to agencies who have active “Funding”

relationships as setup by your Agency Adminstrator If your agency does not participate, you will not see

these 2 fields.

NOTE: The Counseling Need values match those of the HUD-9902 services. By choosing the correct topic,

it allows an agency to do additional reporting based upon hours spent on a particular counseling need.

5. To edit an existing appointment, click Appointments from the Case File menu and Edit in the Action column.

NOTE: Payment Amount and Payment Status will only display if your agency administrator has entered a

funding source covering the date as entered in the Appointment Date field.

6. To delete an appointment, click Delete in the Action column.

7. Click Print to produce a PDF report of your appointment(s).


8. Click Funding Report in the Action column for a hardcopy of the invoiced amount for the session.

9. After each action in steps 3 through 6, an appointment details summary appears, listing your actions.

NOTE: Notice the total time spent on counseling activity is displayed on the appointments summary page.


MANAGING APPOINTMENTS FROM THE HOME PAGE

This section covers accessing and managing your appointments directly from the Home page.

1. On the Home page, locate My Appointments at the bottom left of your screen. Click on the client’s name.

NOTE: The default setting displays the appointments for the current day. To change the list of appointments

that displays, click the down arrow, select an alternative timeframe; such as, “tomorrow”, “next week”, “last

week”, and then click Go.

2. All appointments for the client will display in a summary screen in date order, sorted descending. From here you have the option to print the appointment schedule, edit, delete, or add a new appointment.

NOTE: Click on the X in the top right corner of the Appointments screen to return to the Home page or click

Home on the main navigation toolbar.


CREATING CASE NOTES

HCO allows you to add, edit, or delete case notes from within a case file. You can create a case note using the following steps.

1. From the Home page, click on the client’s name.

2. Click Notes on the Case File menu.

3. Click Add Note to add a case note to the client’s case file.

NOTE: Click the Edit or Delete link next to the appropriate note to modify or delete a case note that is

already associated with the client’s case file.


4. Enter the date in the Note Date field and select the Note Type from the drop down arrow selection box. Complete the screen by entering the duration in five-minute increments, check the Billable box if applicable, enter a complete description of the note, specify funding details**, if applicable and click Save to record your entry or Cancel to clear the note.

** Your agency administrator is responsible for setting up funding sources and initiatives. See the Home Counselor Online User Guide for Agency Administrators for instructions on setting up funding sources and housing initiatives

5. To print case notes, click Print from the Case Notes summary screen.

NOTE: You can select clients, based on keywords entered in Appointment and Note details when searching

for a client.

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CREATING REMINDERS

Use My Reminders to keep track of to-do items in client case files or any related time-sensitive task. The following steps will walk you through the steps required for creating a reminder:

1. From the Home page, click on the name of the client.

2. Click the Reminders menu option located on the Case File menu.

3. To create a new reminder, click on Add Reminder to display the Reminder Details page.

4. Enter the information as described in table 6.2 and click Save to record your entry. To Edit or Delete a record, go to step 4 or 5.


The following table lists the data requested on the Reminders page.

Term Definition

Completed Click on the checkbox to indicate that the reminder objective has been fulfilled.

Reminder Date The Date you want to be reminded on the Home page. This is a required field on the Reminders page.

Description The notes, details, and/or purpose of the reminder.

Table 5.2 – Reminders

5. To edit a reminder, click Reminders and then click Edit in the Action column.

6. To delete a reminder, click Delete in the Action column.

MANAGING REMINDERS FROM THE HOME PAGE

For easy access to your reminders, the item will appear on the Home page on the date entered in the reminders details page.

1. From the Home page, locate My Reminders at the bottom right of your screen. Click on the client’s name.

NOTE: The default setting displays the reminders for the current day. To change the list of reminders that

displays, click the down arrow, select an alternative timeframe; such as, “tomorrow”, “next week”, “last

week,” and then click Go.

2. All reminders for the client will display in a summary screen in date order, sorted descending. From here you have the option to edit, delete, or add a new reminder.

NOTE: Click Edit to mark the Reminder complete.


Chapter 6: Printing within a Case file

Printing Case Specific Data

From within the case file menu, you have the option to print client specific reports such as Case Detail, Case Summary, or a complete Financial Statement with data you collected during your counseling session(s).

1. Starting from the Home page, click the client’s name link to open the client’s case file.

2. Click Print on the Case File menu to view the sub-menu selections.

3. Select a sub-topic from the Print menu. Table 6.1 below gives a description of each of the reports in the Print menu within the case file menu.

Click... To print...

Case Detail The most comprehensive and detailed report on an individual case file. You have the option of

including all information from the case file manager screens in this report by clicking the checkbox.

Case Status The Case Status report is designed to give the client(s) an overview of their information and counseling

history.

Financial

Statement

The Borrower Financial Statement, also referred to as a 1020, shows the complete financial status.

A servicer may use this form to obtain basic financial information from a borrower in order to determine

whether the borrower is eligible for a loss mitigation alternative.

Table 6.1 Print


PRINTING THE CASE DETAIL REPORT

The following steps walk through the process of printing a Case Detail report from the Case File menu.

1. To print the Case Detail report, click Case Detail on the Print menu.

2. Deselect any items you do not want to appear in the Case Detail report, and click Run and View Report.

NOTE: As a default all sections of the report will print

3. Click Open to display the Case Detail Report.

4. Click the Print icon on your browser toolbar to print the document.

NOTE: To print a case detail report for multiple clients, use the Reports option on the Main Navigation

toolbar on the Home page.


PRINTING THE CASE STATUS

1. To print the Case Status report, click Case Status on the Print menu.

2. Click Run and View Report.

3. The Case Status Report prints in PDF format with a complete picture of the counseling activities to date for the client.


BORROWER’S FINANCIAL STATEMENT

The Borrower’s Financial Statement (Form 1020) is used to document the current financial position of your client. It can be used by servicers to determine whether the borrower is eligible for a loss mitigation alternative.

The following describes the steps to print Form 1020:

1. Click on a client’s name from the Home page.

2. Click Print on the Case File menu and select Financial Statement.

3. Enter the property address, borrower information, assets and liabilities.

4. Click on the Generate Financial Statement 1020 to product the form in PDF format.


Chapter 7: The Search Function

Basic Search Function

Use the search features on the Home page to locate an existing client case file.

1. Locate the Search pane mid-page on the Home page and click on the down arrow to display the standard selection criteria.

2. Select an item in the drop down window by clicking on the item.

3. Enter your search specification and click Go.

4. The results display in the My Cases section of the Home page.

USING THE ADVANCED SEARCH FUNCTION

The Advanced Search function is an expansive selection criteria feature to allow you to select a case(s) from multiple criteria. Follow the steps below to develop custom selection criteria for displaying client case files.

1. Locate the Advanced Search link mid-page on the Home page and click on the link to display the custom selection criteria.


2. Create custom criteria by entering the data to search in the corresponding area provided. Enter

additional criteria by clicking on the ‘+’ and clicking on the item. Each combination will limit your expected results. Click Search to run the query.

3. The results will display in the My Cases section of the Home page.

COUNSELOR SELECTION

If you have the user role of CounselorPlus or Administrator (see Appendix I for a description of user roles), you will have an additional search item Assigned to located mid-way down the Home page.

1. To select case files of other counselors in your agency, click the down arrow next to Assigned to.

2. Select an item from the drop down list by clicking on the item. Select ‘Any’ to view all case files in your agency.


Chapter 8: The Education Menu

Scheduling a Class

HCO provides tools that allow you to schedule classes, enroll clients for classes, and create certificates of completion, as well as track what courses a client has scheduled and completed.

CLASS CALENDAR

1. To schedule a class, click Education on the main navigation toolbar and click Class Calendar.

2. The Class Calendar displays in Calendar View. Click the Schedule Class button or click on the calendar on the date you want to schedule the class.

NOTE: A Class Calendar can also be viewed in Table view. This view provides the ability to unschedule a

class.


3. Complete the fields as described in table 8.1 and click Save.

The following table describes the fields on the Class Details page

Field Description

Class ID The Class ID is read-only. The system will automatically create a unique class id for every

class the agency creates.

Class Title Click on the down arrow to display the class titles as created in the class set up process.

Class Date The date the class will be held, or the first date of the series of classes for a recurring class

schedule.

Start Time The time that your class begins instruction.

Instructor The name of the class instructor. Click on one or more instructors from the list as displayed.

To add another instructor, use the set up process.

Location The location of the class. Click on the down arrow to display the class location as entered in

the set up process.

Recurring Class Indicates whether or not the class re-occurs on a regular basis. When you click the Recurring

Class checkbox the Recurring Pattern and Number of Occurrences fields will display.

Recurrence Pattern Indicate if the reoccurrence is weekly or monthly?

Number of Occurrences Enter the number of occurrences.

Funding Details Click on the Funding Grant and Initiative down arrows to display the Funding Grants and

Initiatives already setup by your Agency Adminstrator for use.

Note: Your agency administrator is responsible for setting up funding grants and initiatives.

Once your agency sets up and saves any new active items, the appropriate dropdown list

options will automatically update to include the new entries.

Table 8.1 – Schedule a Class


4. The Class Calendar displays the newly scheduled class.

5. To edit a class, simply click on the class name in the calendar and the Class Details screen will display.

6. To delete/unschedule a class, you must be in Table View. Click Unschedule in the Action column. A confirmation message displays. To continue, click OK.

Registering Students

You can register students from the Education menu or within a client case file. This section will describe registering a student through the Education menu.

REGISTERING A STUDENT

1. From the Home page, click once on the Education menu on the main navigation toolbar to display the sub-menu items. Select Register Student.

2. Select the class on the Class Offerings page or click on the drop down arrow to select a class offered in the time period other than the default “Next Two Weeks” and make your selection by clicking on the period as displayed.


3. Enter the Last Name and First Name of the student, click Next.

4. If the name of the client is already in the database, the name will display with the address and preferred contact information. You can select the client as listed, or click on the indicator next to Do not associate this registration with any of these cases to create a new case file.

NOTE: Click on the View link to display the Roster for the selected class.

NOTE: You will also be able to enroll a client from within the client case file by clicking on the client’s name

on the Home page, and selecting Classes on the Case File menu and follow the prompts to execute

successfully.


Enter the information as described in table 8.2, click Next.

The following table describes the fields on the Register Student page.

Field Description

Middle Name Enter the Middle Name or initial.

Street Address The Street Address is not a required field.

Street Address 2 Street Address 2 is not a required field and is often used for P.O. Box numbers.

City City is not a required field.

State State is not a required field.

Zip Code Zip Code is not a required field.

Rural Area Status Rural Area Status is not a required field. Click on the down arrow to display the applicable

choices; such as household lives in a rural area, household does not live in a rural area, or chose

not to respond.


Field Description

Home Phone Home Phone is not a required field.

Work Phone Work Phone is not a required field.

E-mail Address The E-mail address is not a required field. By collecting an e-mail address, you can save your

office money and resources by sending communications through e-mail rather than postage. The

E-mail address will be located on the Contact Information screen.

Counseling Type The Counseling Type is required. The Counseling Type is a dropdown field for counselor to

select the one option that best describes the area of counseling being sought by client. You will

not be able to save the record without this field being populated. If you leave it blank and click Save you will get a system generated error message.

Create New Case Check this box to create a case file. The following field will display if Create New Case is

selected.

Counselor Select a Counselor from the drop down list.

Fee Charged Fee Charged is not a required field. If applicable, enter the dollar value of amt charged to the

client. If the Fee Charged is entered, the No Fee Charged indicator must not be checked. You will

not be able to save the record if both fields are populated. If you click Save you will get a system

generated error message.

No Fee Charged No Fee Charged is not a required Click on the checkbox to indicate if no fee was charged to the

client. If the No Fee Charge is checked, the Fee Charged field must not be populated.. You will

not be able to save the record if both fields are populated. If you click Save you will get a system

generated error message

Referral Source Click on the down arrow to display the list of Agency Referral Sources that your agency

administrator authorized your agency to use. You may select only one line item from the menu by

scrolling down the list and clicking on the menu item. This is important information for your agency

as it could be used to determine the best use of your resources on future client outreach and

advertising events.

First Time Home

Buyer

Click on the checkbox to indicate if the client is seeking to be a First Time Homebuyer.

Ethnicty of Client Ethnicty of Client is not a required field. Click on the down arrow to display the applicable choices;

such as Hispanic, not Hispanic, and chose not to respond.

Race of Client Race of Client is not a required field. Click on the down arrow to view the applicable choices as

defined by HUD.

English Proficiency

Status

English Proficiency Status is not a required field. Click on the down arrow to display the list of

acceptable choices; such as: Household is limited English proficient, Household is not limited

English proficient, or choose not to respond.

Create HUD-9902

(Section 8)

The Create HUD-9902 (Section 8) is not a required field. If the the newly registered indidividual is

not already a client of the agency, then checking this box is not necessary. You will not be able to

Save the record if this checkbox field is clicked. Attendee information will be tracked separately

for HUD, if a case is not created Attendee information will be tracked separately for HUD.

Otherwise class information wll come from the client’s case.

Table 8.2 – Register Student


5. The Student Registration summary screen displays with the new enrollment count in the Enrollment column. Click Select Class to view the list of agency classes within desired timeframes as in step 2 above, of or Enroll Another to register another attendee for the current class.

Using the Class Roster

Use the class roster to track student attendance and print a certificate of completion.

1. From the Home page, click Education on the main navigation toolbar and select Class Rosters.

NOTE: You can enroll a student from the Class Roster screen by clicking the Add Student button and

following the steps for registering a student.

2. Click Select next to the class line item or click on the down arrow to view classes scheduled in a period other than the Next Two Weeks (default), and then click Next.


3. The Class Roster displays listing each student enrolled in the class. Indicate which students completed the class by clicking next to the students name in the Attended column or click Drop to remove the student from the class roster.

In addition, click on the links provided to Print Roster, Print Mailing Labels, Print Class Confirmation, Generate Certificates, or Generate Letter.

4. Click Print Roster at the bottom of the screen to print a class roster.


CREATING CERTIFICATES OF COMPLETION

The following describes the steps necessary to print certificates of completion from the Education menu.

1. Click Education on the Main Navigation toolbar, and then click Class Rosters.

2. Select a class on the Class Roster screen. Click Next.

3. Click the Attended checkbox next to the client’s name.

NOTE: Once you have indicated that the client has attended a particular class, HCO gives you the option of

generating a certificate of completion.


4. Click the Generate Certificate link.

NOTE: The custom certificates are created by your HCO Administration.

5. Click on the down arrow to select a certificate. Click Next.

6. Modify the certificate by entering information described in table 8.3, then click Generate to print the certificates, or Return to Roster to cancel your request.

Field Description

Certificate

Name

The Name of the certificate is auto-populated from the previous screen.

Certificate

Image

The agncy image or logo you would like to appear on the certificate. Click on the down arrow to make

your selection.

Certificate Title Enter the principle objective, such as “Certificate of Achievement”.

Certificate

Subtitle

Enter the certificate subtitle, such as “Awarded to.”


Field Description

Authorizing

Official

The name of the person who authorized the certificate, such as the instructor or Executive Director of

your agency.

Certificate Text Enter, in detail, the student’s achievement in this course. An example would be “For the successful

completion of Debt Management 101 in February 2009.”

Table 8.3 Generate a Certificate

7. The certificate prints with the name of the student and the details of the course.

8. Click File, and then click Print to print the certificate.

9. Click the Close button on the top right of the screen to close the certificate to return HCO application.


Chapter 9: Grants and Initiatives

In this chapter you will learn how to select a funding source or initiative for a case file. The Case Funding menu items appear on the left side of your screen after you open a client’s case file.

These screens enable you to associate one or more funding sources – Grants or Housing Initiatives – to a particular case.

NOTE: Your agency administrator is responsible for setting up funding sources and initiatives. See the

Home Counselor Online User Guide for Agency Administrators for instructions on setting up funding sources

and housing initiatives.

Selecting a Funding Grant or Initiative

The following instructions assist you in linking a case file to a funding source or initiative.

CASE FUNDING


2. Click Case Funding on the Case File menu.

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3. Select the Grant or Initiative by clicking on one or more items displayed in both the Grants and Housing Initiative section.

4. Click Save to record your changes.

NOTE: Recording the Grants and Initiatives associated with a case file is very important for agency reporting

and managing funding, or special grant initiatives.

FUNDING REQUEST

Use the Funding Request menu item to submit a request to an external agency.

1. Open a case file from the Home page, by clicking on the client’s name.

2. If your agency Administrator entered a funding relationship, you will be able to request funding from the Case File menu. Click Agency Relationships and Funding Requests.


3. Click Request Funding.

4. Click on the down arrow to select an agency from the list. Click Save to submit the request.

5. The Funding Agency will receive an e-mail alerting that a funding request has been submitted for approval.

6. The funding request is now associated with this case file. To remove this request from this agency, click Drop.

NOTE: The Funding Request function is used to notify the funding source when funding is being requested

so they can manage the program effectively. They will be able to click on confirm or deny and giving the

counselor immediate feedback.

FUNDING HISTORY

1. The funding request will now appear in the agency relationships History page. To display the case funding history, click on History in the Agency Relationships menu.


2. The History displays the Requested Funding event, as well as other agency relationship events, such as case file sharing.

3. To return to the initial page, click Home or any menu item to continue working within the case file.


Chapter 10: The My Tools Menu

The tools and calculators in the My Tools menu were designed to help you serve your clients in obtaining the dream of becoming a successful homeowner, as well as sustain homeownership.

The table below provides a list of tools in the order they appear in the menu.

Tool Description

Request a credit report from a credit services provider of your choice.

Help your client determine an affordable property based on their current financial position.

A tool designed for clients that are currently renting, yet are considering becoming a

homeowner.

Assist your client(s) in understanding the amortization of a single mortgage, or up to three

notes overtime.

A calculator to demonstrate the true cost of debt.

An advanced debt reduction calculator.

Forms commonly used to counsel clients in the homeownership education process, as well as

an offline worksheet for client intake.

Templates of letters created by the agency administrator for common client communications.


Ordering a Credit Report

To order credit reports using the HCO application, the agency must first set up an account with a credit information provider. A list of credit information providers and contact information can be found on https://www.fanniemae.com/singlefamily/index. For a direct link, enter the following URL on your internet browser address line: https://www.fanniemae.com/singlefamily/credit-information-providers.

When you pull a credit report using the HCO application, the data from the client’s credit report can be auto-populated in the case file liability and credit issues section and passed through to other tools that use financials.

Your agency administrator will instruct you when in the counseling process you will request the credit report. If it is the first step in the process, you can create a case file through the My Tools credit report menu. Otherwise, you will create a case file first, then once inside the case file, click on the Credit Report icon.

NOTE: For the protection of your agency, you are required to have the client sign a Credit Report

Authorization and Privacy Disclosure Form. If your agency does not have a form, HCO provides a generic

form on the Download Forms page.

NOTE: If a case file was created through a process other than the Credit Report tool, you will want to access

the case file first, click on the Credit Report icon to ensure that you do not create a duplicate case file for the

client.

NOTE: To avoid creating a duplicate case file, it is a good practice to use the Search function on the Home

page to determine if the client has an existing case file. See Chapter 7: The Search Function.

REQUESTING A CREDIT REPORT

The following steps describe the process of requesting a Credit Report within a client’s case file.


2. Click the Credit Report icon in the Tools menu.

3. Click Order Individual Credit, or if there is more than one client in the case file, you have the option of choosing Order Joint Credit to order a credit report for prospective co-borrowers.

NOTE: If only one client is listed within the case file only the Order Individual Credit option will be

displayed. However, if more than one client is to be included in the case file and they share a credit history,

such as a married couple, select Order Joint Credit.




4. Click on the New Credit checkbox, or go to Requesting a Re-issue of a Credit Report in the following section.

5. Click on the down arrow to select the credit agency. Enter the credit account password and re-type the password for verification.

NOTE: Prior to clicking the Order Credit button, you are required to verify that you have a signed

Authorization to obtain and review credit reports.

6. Click on the down arrow to display the available Report Source types:

NOTE: Your credit information account service (product options) is between you and your credit information

provider. Your agency administrator will advise you as to what Report Source is required for the counseling

type.

7. Click on Order Credit to submit your request to the credit information provider.


8. The Credit Reports page displays with the newly pulled credit report.

9. To view the credit report, click the View link.

NOTE: All credit reports pulled for the client through HCO will display in descending order by date.

NOTE: Once you pull a credit report for a client, you cannot edit the Social Security number (SSN) on the

Contact Information screen to ensure that you can reconcile the credit pull with the invoice from the credit

information provider.

REQUESTING A RE-ISSUE OF A CREDIT REPORT

You may consider requesting a reissue of a previously pulled credit report when a client who has come to you with a recently issued credit report from a credit information provider that your agency has an account.


2. Click the Credit Report icon in the Tools menu.

3. Click Order Individual Credit, or if there is more than one client in the case file, you have the option of choosing Order Joint Credit to order a credit report for prospective co-borrowers.

NOTE: If one client is listed within the case file, only the Order Individual Credit option will be displayed.

However, if more than one client is to be included in the case file and they share a credit history, such as a

married couple, select Order Joint Credit.

4. Click on the Re-Issue Credit checkbox, or go to Requesting a Credit Report in the previous section.


5. Click on the down arrow to select the credit agency, enter the credit account password and re-type the password for verification.

6. Enter the Reference Number exactly as it appears on the official credit report, and confirm entry on the following line.

NOTE: If you mistype the reference number, or if you exceed the time allowed for a re-issue, your agency

can get charged for a new credit pull. You may want to speak with your credit information provider account

representative to understand their contract terms.

7. Click Order Credit to submit your request to the credit information provider.

8. The Credit Reports page displays with the newly pulled credit report.

9. To view the credit report, click the View link.


Using the Affordability Analyzer™ Tool

Use the Affordability Analyzer tool to help your client determine the purchase price that is “affordable” based on

their household income, and funds available at closing. This is a good first step in choosing a home, or neighborhood, when considering the prospect of becoming a future homeowner.

NOTE: If you use the Affordability Analyzer as the first step in the counseling process, you can create a new

client case file within the tool.

You can choose to analyze a client’s financial choices by selecting one of three options:

How much house can you afford...?

Can you afford a house that costs...?

How much house can you afford with a monthly payment of...?

1. Click one of the Affordability Analyzer icon on the Tools menu on the right side of the screen.

2. Select one of the scenarios as shown below.

3. Go to the Financial Summary section and type the client’s total annual income, available funds, and monthly expenses.

NOTE: The information in the Financial Summary section pre-populates with your client’s information when

working within a case file and entered verified or stated income, debt and funds available.


4. Enter the information as requested in the Loan Characteristics section.

5. Go to the Other Factors section and complete the fields, if appropriate.

NOTE: The Affordability Analyzer does not consider credit scores in the analysis.

NOTE: To create a new case file, click Save Scenario if you entered the Affordability Analyzer outside a

case file. You will be prompted to enter the name of the client.


6. Click Analyze. The Analysis Results screen for the scenario you selected displays.

7. Click Save Scenario. Type the name you want to assign to the scenario in the Scenario Name field, and then click Save.

8. Select Change Parameters to change the scenario. Select Print for a hardcopy or Save Scenario to save the analyzed data.

9. A link to the saved scenario appears at the bottom of the page. Click the Scenario Name link to display the scenario or the Delete link in the Action column to delete the scenario.

NOTE: All saved Affordability Analyzer scenarios are recorded with the associated case file and can be

viewed at any time.

NOTE: Changes made in the Affordability Analyzer do not affect Client Intake data on the case file.

NOTE: The results of the Affordability Analyzer can be printed in English or Spanish.


Rent vs. Own Calculator

The Rent vs. Own calculator is a tool to help your client understand the costs associated with purchasing a home, and opens the framework for a discussion on home equity.

1. To open the calculator within a client’s case file, click the client’s name on the Home page.

2. Click the Rent vs. Own calculator icon on the My Tools menu.

3. Type the monthly rent amount, approximate purchase price, cash on hand, loan characteristics, as well as other factors which may apply, and click Calculate.


4. The result will be a graphic, printable screen appropriate for discussing the closing process, home equity, as well as PITI.

5. Print a copy of the results for your client in English or Spanish.


Amortization Calculator

The Amortization calculator provides your client a repayment schedule on a home throughout the life of the loan and can include up to three mortgage notes.

Use the down arrow to display the Loan Amortization Type, enter the Loan Amount, Amortization Term, and Initial Interest Rate. Click on the Amortization Schedule Calculator to display the calculator import page.

1. Enter the data as requested.

2. The printable table shows the Amortization Summary, as well as an Expanded or Collapsed Schedule.


Debt Payoff

The Debt Payoff tool calculates the amount of time it will take to pay off a debt/liability given an interest rate and monthly payments.

1. Click once on the Debt Payoff calculator icon

2. Enter the interest rate, current balance, and monthly payment and click the Calculate button to display the results.

NOTE: Toggle between English and Spanish by clicking the language selection button at the top right side of

the page.


Using the PowerPay™ Debt Management Tool

Use the PowerPay debt reduction calculator to assist a client with building debt repayment plan. PowerPay runs four scenarios in which rollover payments are applied according to the following priorities:

Pay off debt with the highest interest rates first

Pay off debt with the lowest balance

Pay off debt with the shortest term

Pay off debts in the order they were entered

NOTE: PowerPay allows you to show your client’s potential interest savings and a timeline for becoming

debt free.

NOTE: PowerPay calculations are based on the following assumptions:

Clients will not create new debt

Client commits to budgeting a consistent amount monthly to pay down debt

As existing debts are paid off, the monies are used to pay off remaining debt. This is power payment!

Use the following steps to use the PowerPay debt reduction tool:

1. From the Home page click on the client’s name.

2. Click the PowerPay icon on the Tools menu.

NOTE: You must be inside a case file to access the PowerPay tool.

3. If this is the first time accessing the PowerPay tool for this client, and you entered Liabilities in the Client Intake screens, then you can select Import Liabilities to use the previously entered data.


4. Click on Add Creditor to display the Creditor Details screen.

5. Enter the Creditor Name, Current Balance, Monthly Payment, APR% and indicate that the debt should be used in the analysis, then click Save.

6. The calculator takes into account the sequence the Creditor was entered. To change the sequence of the items, click Edit.

NOTE: Additional information on the PowerPay tool can be found on www.powerpay.org.

7. Click on the down arrow of the Seq # field, and select the order that this entry should be considered and click Save to record the change.

8. After completely entering the clients creditors to be included in the analysis, click on the Analyze button.

http://www.powerpay.org/


9. The Payoff Sequences Summary screen displays the payoff duration, debt cost, and interest amount based on the sequence selected in step 7.

NOTE: To include additional creditors or change the monthly payment amount, click Change Parameters.

10. Click the Payoff Chart button to display the amount of money saved and the time necessary to repay the debt for each of the repayment scenarios.

11. Click the Print Summary button to print a summary report.

Or, click Export Calendar in the Action column to print the detailed schedule in Excel without Power Payments.


12. Click on the Repayment Schedule link in the Action column to display the schedule.

13. Click Make Additional Payment on the Creditors screen to add additional payment toward paying off the debt, such as a bonus, overtime, or the income tax reimbursement.

14. Select a Payment Type from the drop down menu, enter a Payment Start Date, Payment Amount, and click Save.


Downloading Forms

The My Tools menu contains a Download Forms option where you can access Budget (Cash Flow) forms, Credit Report Authorization forms, Client Intake, and an Offline Worksheet.

1. Click the Download Forms button on My Tools.

2. Click the link of the form that you want to download.

NOTE: The offline worksheet is available in English and Spanish.


3. The available forms are as follows:

Budget (Cash Flow) Form

Credit Report Authorization and Privacy Disclosure Form for Non-Lenders

A generic Client Intake form.


Offline Worksheet

NOTE: To save the form to your local hard drive, click File and Save on the main menu.

NOTE: Complete the required fields (Last Name and First Name). Click the Generate File for Upload

button. In the Administration menu, select import case file. Select the Offline worksheet. The case file will be

stored on your c drive in a file “HCO Upload Files”.

NOTE: Several of the HUD required fields are not captured on this form. Additional data entry will be

required to satisfy HUD’s requirements.


Agency Letters

Agency Letters stores form letters that your agency administrator created.

1. Click the Agencyy Letters icon.

2. Click the down arrow to select the letter to generate.

3. Use the report criteria section to indicate any case parameters to be used to produce the results. Either click the Run and View Report to run the report and view output results immediately or the Run, Save and Viea Later to place output result into your online Saved Repository


Chapter 11: Creating Reports in HCO

The Report menu on the Main Navigation toolbar contains Standard reports created by the HCO Team, or you have the option to design custom reports for your agency.

Report Catalog

Use the Report Catalog to identify, view, select, and generate reports. The Report Catalog provides descriptions of the Standard reports as well as a link to view a sample of the report, and access a step guide.

1. Click Reports on the Main Navigation toolbar, and select Report Catalog.

2. The Report Catalog screen displays Custom Reports, Saved Reports, and begins listing the standard report templates by Report Name.


The following is a list of standard report templates with a description as they appear in the Report Catalog.

Report Category Report Name Description

Agency Management Action Plan A high level picture of the barriers to homeownership your clients are

facing.

Case Transfer

History

Designed to track the history of case files you have transferred to another

agency.

Activity Details A complete picture showing client services and grants and initiaties billed.

Client List Provides you with the ability to generate a list of clients with contact

information.

Counseling

Summary

Provides a snapshot of the status, type, and outcome of your clients, as

well as where your clients fall in the mortgage readiness process.

Referral Source Helps you identify what marketing outreach is bringing you the most

clients.

Classes Student Enrollment Gives you the ability to track enrollments, attendance, and no-shows

across scheduled classes or workshops. You can run this report for a

range of class or workshop dates.

Scheduled Classes Helps you find out all upcoming scheduled classes or workshops. You

can run this report for a range of class or workshop dates and you can

also choose whether you want to include directions for the location.

Client Case Detail A complete picture of the personal, demographic, financial, and credit

information currently available on selected cases. You can choose

whether you want to include all the data about your client or select just

certain criteria.

Credit Credit Report

Activity

An Agency level report listing credit reports that have been requested

over a particular time period. With this report you'll be able to group your

credit report activity by individual counselors, case files, or agencies.

Then you can use the report format you've chosen to cross reference

your billing statement from the credit agency or agencies you work with.

Home Purchase Client Home

Purchase

This report displays relevant Home Purchase and Home Finance

information. Use this report to track which clients have achieved

homeownership, what kind of loan assistance they received, and when

each step of the closing/borrowing process took place.

Housing Counseling

Customer Status

This report matches HUD 9902 data with homeownership data. Use this

report to track which clients have achieved homeownership and what

kind of loan and assistance they received.

Home Ownership

Pipeline

The Homeownership Pipeline Report lets you track your clients'

readiness for homeownership and tie it to your initiatives.

Marketing/Outreach Agency Letters Enables users to generate Agency letters for bulk mailings to

clients/students.

Mailing Labels Generate mailing labels for clients by selected criteria. Easily produce

labels in the three of the most common Avery standard label sizes –


Report Category Report Name Description

5160, 5162, and 5163.

Time Tracking Appointments A list of appointments with a client's contact information. Use this report

to follow up with your clients.

Counseling Activity

Log

Run this report at an agency or counselor level to find out how much time

you are spending with clients, the time it takes to resolve their counseling

need, and if that time is billable.

Staff Report Run this report at an agency or counselor level to find out how much time

you are spending with clients on the different types of counseling your

agency performs.

Table 11.1 Standard Report Tables


Standard Report Templates

With Standard Reports, the templates have been created for you. Simply run the report, selecting the case files you wish to include, by following the steps below.

1. Access the standard report templates by selecting Reports from the Main Navigation Toolbar, and selecting one of the categories as listed in the Report Catalog. For each category, a submenu displays with a menu of standard templates.

2. Selecting from the menu will open a window with a series of prompts to select the criteria for the report.

NOTE: To select more than one item from a list, hold the control key down while you select multiple line

items. Hold the control key and the shift key to select a range of items.

3. Click on the down arrow to select an Output Format. The table below describes the available format options.

Format Description

PDF PDF format allows you to view, save, and print the report using Adobe® Acrobat Reader® (Acrobat

Reader). You cannot change information in the file once you generate it.

CSV Reports in XLS format can be opened and saved in Microsoft® Excel (Excel). You can change information

in the file and even merge the information into a letter created in Word.

Table 11.2 Output Format


4. The prompts will vary by the report type. You may be asked for a Sort by order, or to enter a title for the report, and if you want to report on the primary client only or all clients within the case file.

5. The Report Criteria selection page will prompt for criteria to limit the number of case files displayed on your report. You can select a single case file, a range of case file numbers, or enter the creation date for the year “1-01-2009” in the From field, and print all cases created to date. You are not required to enter an end date.

In addition, you can select by counselor, multiple counselors, and even counselors that have a status of inactive.

6. To select Additional Criteria, click on the “+” and select from the prompts. Each time you make a selection, the number of clients on your report is reduced.


7. Select the button next to the item to display the selection list and click on an item or hold the control key to select multiple items from the drop down list.

8. Click Run and View Report to run the report.

9. The report will run, displaying the number of case files selected and the criteria used in the data selection.


Designing Custom Reports

The following instructions describe the steps necessary to create custom reports.

1. Click Reports on the main navigation toolbar to display a list of reports. Click Custom Reports.

2. Click Add Custom Report.

3. The first step in designing a custom report is entering a Title, Description, and selecting from the number of clients listed per row prompt. Click Next.


4. Click on the + ( ) to open the category tab and display the selectable fields.

5. For example, click on the checkbox to select the data element(s) to display as a column in your spreadsheet from the Financials tab.

6. Click Save to save the design template.

NOTE: To make changes to the report template, click on Design. Select Run to generate the report.

7. The report template that you created displays in the Custom Report List. Click Run to select case files and run the report.



8. To select Additional Criteria, click on the “+” and select from the prompts. Each time you make a selection, the number of clients on your report is reduced.

9. Select the button next to the item to display the selection list and click on an item or hold the control key down while selecting multiple items for the list.

10. Click Run and View Report to run the report.

11. The report will run, displaying the number of case files selected and the criteria used in the data selection.

NOTE: Click the Change Parameters button at the bottom of the screen to change the

data that appears in the report.


Saved Reports

Use the Saved Reports menu option to generate reports when you selected to Run, Save and View Later.

1. Click Reports on the main navigation bar and select Saved Reports.

2. Select from a list of saved reports.

3. The report will run.

NOTE: If you use all of your report storage space, you can always download important reports and save

them locally on your computer (outside of HCO). Once you download the reports to your local drive, you can

delete them from HCO on the Saved Reports screen to increase the amount of storage capacity in your

Saved Reports storage area.

4. If you want to delete a saved report, click the Select check box next to the report you want to delete, and then click Delete.


Chapter 12: HUD-9902 Reporting

The HUD reporting feature is intended to simplify the time needed to complete your agency’s HUD-9902 reporting. This chapter demonstrates, step-by-step, how to enter data to complete a HUD grant submission. The following reports will be covered in this chapter.

Data entry for HUD reporting

HUD Submission Alerts

Former HUD-9902

HUD Submission

NOTE: Please note that you are responsible for the accuracy of the HUD-9902 data and for complying with

the requirements and guidelines set by your HUD Grant Officer and Field Office. Additional information is

available on www.HUD.gov.

HUD Required Case Information

The HUD submission process requires certain client-specific information. This section highlights the screens and fields that need to be populated before submitting a case to HUD.

NOTE: HCO identifies cases that may have missing information. These cases are sent to the HUD

Submission Alert report section.

THE CREATE NEW CASE SCREEN

In a previous chapter, we reviewed the Create New Case screen. In this section, we will take a look at how this screen is relevant to the HUD-9902 reporting feature.

1. Click Create New Case on the Home page.

When the Create New Case screen displays, the fields required by HUD are highlighted with an “H” which

include; Case Number, Initial Contact Date; Client Details: Name (Last, First, and Middle), Date of Birth, Home Phone, Cell Phone, Email ; Client Address: ’Street Address, City, State, Zip, Rural Areas Status; Financial Summary: Estimated Monthly Income, Estimated Monthly Liabilities

NOTE: While an “H” on the field name indicates it is HUD-required, additional case data will be sent to HUD

according to documentation found on the www.hud.gov website.

http://www.hud.gov/


THE SUMMARY SCREEN

In a previous chapter, we reviewed the Summary screen. In this section, we will take a look at how this screen is relevant to the HUD-9902 reporting feature.

1. From the Home page, select a client by clicking on the client’s name.

2. Select Summary from the Case File menu.

3. The fields marked with an “H” are required by HUD, which include; Case Number, HUD Referral Source, and Initial Contact Date.



http://www.hud.gov/


THE ADDRESS SCREEN

The address screen contains several fields that are required by HUD as described below.

1. From the Home page, select a case by clicking on the client’s name.

2. Click Client Intake on the case file menu, then Address.

3. To display the Address screen, click Edit in the Action column, or if no address was entered in the

Create New Case page, click Add Address.

NOTE: A checkbox left blank will send a “No” value to HUD.



http://www.hud.gov/


The HUD required fields are highlighted with an “H”:

THE DEMOGRAPHICS SCREEN

The Demographics screen contains several fields that are required by HUD and are described below.

1. From the Home page, select a case by clicking on the client’s name.

2. Click Client Intake on the case file menu, then Demographics.


3. Click Edit in the Action column, next to the primary client.

4. The HUD required fields are highlighted with “H” and include:

Date of Birth

Number of Dependents

Household Size

Marital Status

Gender

Preferred Language

English Proficiency Status

Highest Educational Level

First Time Home Buyer (Only answer this question if it is applicable to the case. This unanswered question will default to the value of “No” for HUD reporting.)

Head of Household (Only answer this question if it is applicable to the case. This unanswered question will default to the value of “No” for HUD reporting.)

Disabled (Only answer this question if it is applicable to the case. This unanswered question will default to the value of “No” for HUD reporting.)

Victim of Predatory Lending (Only answer this question if your client indicates it is applicable to

the case. This unanswered question will default to the value of “No” for HUD reporting.)

HECM Certificate (Only answer this question if it is applicable to the case. This unanswered question will default to the value of “No” for HUD reporting.)

If applicable, fields to indicate HECM Issue Date, HECM Expiration Date, and HECM Certificate ID

THE EMPLOYMENT HISTORY SCREEN

The Employment History screen contains one field that is required by HUD and is described below.

1. Click a case file from the Home screen.


2. Click Client Intake on the case file menu, then Employment.

3. Click Edit in the Action column, next to the primary client, or Add Client if no record previously existed.

4. The Employment History screen contains one field that is required by HUD. Farm Worker: Only

answer this question if it is applicable to the case. This unanswered question will default to the value of “No” for HUD reporting.

THE CASE FUNDING SCREEN

By associating a HUD grant with a case, any service or workshop entered on the HUD-9902 screen will be included as a HUD grant activity.


2. Click Case Funding on the case file menu.


3. Click the Checkbox next to the HUD Grant for the reporting period.

A grant will need to be created for each new fiscal year. This process is performed by your agency administrator.

NOTE: If a case spans multiple fiscal years, it will need to be associated with two or more grants – one for

each fiscal year.


Entering HUD-9902 Services Data

Use the HUD-9902 Service screen to capture the service provided for HUD reporting.

1. From the Home page, click on the client name.

2. On the case file menu, click on the “+” sign next to HUD-9902 to expand menu section, then click on the sub menu item HUD-9902 Services.

3. The top of the screen displays with the three main fields: Ethnicity of Clients, Race of Clients and Income Level. Click on the drop down menu to select from the pick list.

NOTE: The HUD Case Number field is not part of a HUD submission. It applies only to your agency’s record

keeping.

NOTE: Under the HUD Case Number you will see Case File Unique ID. This number is automatically

assigned to the case. If you are using the HUD Submission process to submit information to HUD directly

from HCO, the Case File Unique is what HUD will use to identify the case.


4. The bottom portion reflects the HUD Services the counselor arranged with client through Education <section 8> and Appointments <section 9> modules. Click the Edit or Delete links located in the Action column to modify or erase a record. To record the impact (result) associated to a Purpose of Visit, By clicking the Edit action, the result/impacts of each Purpose of Visit can be recorded based on a list of options aligned to HUD specifications or by clicking


Entering HUD Details Data

Use the HUD Details to capture additional client counseling details per HUD reporting requirements.

1. From the Home page, click on the client name.

2. On the case file menu, click on the “+” sign next to HUD-9902 to expand menu section, then click on the sub menu item HUD Details.

3. The page outlines client information that will be sent to HUD. Categories include Case Information, Contact Details, Employment Information and Home Finance/Purchase Information. Some of the data captured here is unique to this page other information displayed here is pre-populated from screens within HCO. Though any missing information can be saved here and updates will automatically replicate back to the associated screen.

4. Any missing data will be flagged during the HUD Submission Alerts process outlined below.




The HUD-9902 Alerts report displays a list of cases that may have either missing information or information that is inconsistent with HUD-9902 requirements.

1. To access the report, click the External Reports menu option on the main navigation bar, and then click HUD Submission Alerts.

2. There are two types of alerts: HUD-9902 and HUD Submission. The default setting displays both types of alerts. You can deselect the alert type by clicking on the check box.

Alert Type Description

HUD-9902 Messages for cases that appear to be missing a HUD-9902 service (Section 8 or Section

9) based upon other information on the case.

HUD Submission Messages for cases which are missing information other than HUD service related

issues.

1. A list of cases that were flagged as having potential discrepancies displays with an alert message. Click on the client name within the alert to be routed to the case file page which triggered the alert.

NOTE: Click on the Information link to display a list of alerts and instructions for correcting the potential

discrepancy.


To print a report of the alerts, click Download Report at the bottom of the page or select Save and View Later to compile the report and store it in your Saved Reports page.


HUD Submission

The HUD Submission report screen is used to track which cases have HUD services for a specific timeframe. The results of this report are based on the data you and other counselors have entered on the HUD-9902 Services screen in each case.

1. Click the External Reports menu item on the main navigation bar, and then click HUD Submission.

2. The top section of the screen outlines the four steps of the submission process: Start, Checklist, Submit to HUD, and Finish.

3. Next, A summary of the criteria used to execute the report displays followed by details of the cases which have at least one HUD service (HUD -9902 Section 8 or Section 9) for the reporting period.


NOTE: Only a user with the role of Administrator will be able to continue past the Start screen.

4. You can modify any of the search components by using the Change Search Criteria button to restart the search process. The summary section will automatically update if any new search criteria is chosen.


Former HUD-9902 Report

Use the Former HUD-9902 Report to produce your HUD-9902 form in an easy to read format for use in HUD’s

HCS (Housing Counseling System). This option should only be used for legacy purposes. Reports produced here are for the 2003 – 2010 time frames, only. In accordance with HUD’s new electronic reporting requirements, the HUD Submission module described above should be used to submit your reports directly from HCO to HUD.

NOTE: This report contains a summary of the data entered on the HUD-9902 Services screen.

1. Click the External Reports menu item on the main navigation bar, and then click Former HUD-9902 Report.

2. You may change the criteria by using the Change Search Criteria button, or go directly to step 6.

3. Click on the down arrow to select a new fiscal year.

4. Click on Quarter Range selection, a drop down list wil appear. Click on the down arrow to select a new Quarter Range or you on the Date Range selection, and “From Date” and “To Date” fields will appear for you to input the desire dae range timeframe. Click Search to dispay the new new results.



The details section of the page contains all cases which had at least one HUD

service (HUD-9902 Section 6 or Section 7) for the reporting period.

NOTE: Columns that are underlined may be sorted by clicking on the column name. The up or down arrow

next to the column name indicates if the sort is ascending or descending.

5. Select the output format. Choose from the HUD-9902 Form or HUD-9902 Source Data (Spreadsheet). Both options allow you to download the report to your computer or Save and View Later.


Chapter 13: Advanced Features

HCO has a number of advanced features that allow you to provide even greater assistance to your clients. With these features, your client can go beyond core counseling with tools to better understand the underwriting process, loan products, and loan modification scenarios.

The Advanced features discussed here include the following:

Advanced

Features

Description

Financial Workout

Tool

This tool is a calculator that analyzes a client’s monthly income and expenses. It helps clients

who are late in payments determine the best repayment plan to ultimately meet their financial

goals.

Mortgage Readiness

Assessment

The Mortgage Readiness Assessment (MRA) is a tool that helps your client understand the

underwriting process and performs an assessment using an automated underwriting application.

1003 Loan

Application

The Uniform Residential Loan Application (Form 1003) can be generated based on information

gathered in the counseling process.

Automated Referral Transfers the 1003 information to Desktop Originator (DO) for processing by a lender partner.

Loan Products Compares the client’s financial information to loan products as entered by your agency.

HECM Certificate Print the HECM certificate for clients that have completed reverse mortgage counseling.

Borrower’s Financial

Statement

This form helps loan servicers determine whether a borrower is eligible for a loss mitigation

alternative.


Financial Workout Tool

Use the Financial Workout tool to help your client understand the possible options in requesting a Repayment Plan or Loan Modification.

1. From the Home page, create a new case file or access an existing case file by clicking on the client’s name.

2. Click on the Workout Tool.

3. The Financial Workout Tool screen displays pre-populated with information entered in the client intake screens.

4. Click on the plus “+” sign next to the Loan Information table to expand the view.


5. Enter the information as provided by your client.

6. Expand the Balance Sheet section by clicking on the plus “+” sign. Enter the client’s Assets and

Liabilities as provided by the client. If you entered the Assets and Liabilities in the Client Intake section of the Case File you will be prompted to Import Case File Financials.

7. Click on the “+” next to monthly budget tab view budget details.


8. Enter the client’s Monthly Income and Expenses to determine affordability.

NOTE: If you do not see the Workout Tool on the Case File menu, request access to the tool by calling

Fannie Mae’s toll-free customer support line at 1-877-722-6757. For a quicker response, include your

agency ID.

9. The Repayment Plan analysis will display as the default. If you make changes, click Analyze to adjust results.


10. To create Loan Modification scenarios based on information provided by your client, click Loan Modification.

11. Enter a proposed Note Rate, New Term, and Effective Date to get the New P&I and UPB.

12. Each time you change the scenario, click Analyze to calculate the new modification scenario.

13. Click Print for a hardcopy printout of the page.

14. Click Save Loan Mod Scenario to save the scenario.


Mortgage Readiness Assessment

Mortgage Readiness Assessment (MRA) is a tool that helps you counsel the client on the loan underwriting process.

1. From the Home page, click on the client’s name to access the case file.

2. Click on Lending Center and then click Mortgage Readiness. Click Start to begin the process.

3. The first step in the process is to review the MRA Checklist to ensure that each section displays a

checkmark. If the checkbox is blank, an error message displays. After each section contains a checkmark, click Next.

4. Enter the Mortgage Details information based on the client’s preliminary assessment, and click Next.


5. The Mortgage Products screen appears. Pick up to three products. Click Finish.

6. The analysis screen displays summary and detailed results. Click View next to the product to view a detail of the findings. Click Print, then click File, Print option on your browser for a hard copy of the results and click Close to return to the Summary page.


1003 Loan Application

You can generate a Universal Loan Application (Form 1003) from the Lending Center in the Case File menu.

1. From the Home page, click on a client’s name.

2. Click on Lending Center, and then 1003 Loan Application.

3. Click on the down arrow to select the format, PDF, or one of the two data file format options.

4. Click Generate Form 1003.

5. Select from the drop down list the PDF format, or one of the two data file options to save to your

hard drive for later submission to a LOS application.


Automated Referral

Send the client’s case file information directly to an agency chosen lending partner using the Automated Referral feature.

1. On the Home page, click the client you want to refer to one of your mortgage professional partners.

2. Click Lending Center on the left, then click Automated Referral.

3. Click Refer to Lender to send the client’s information to a lending institution.

4. Select a lending institution from the Lender list as selected by your HCO Administrator.

5. Enter a comment for the Lending Institution.


6. HCO forwards an e-mail to the designated point of contact for the lender, click Send.

7. A confirmation with the referral date and time appears in the Automated Referral list. At the same time, an e-mail message about the referred case file data is sent to the mortgage professional.

NOTE: The Automated Referral option will display on the case file menu, only after your agency HCO

administrator has established an Automated Referral relationship with at least one lending institution.


Viewing Loan Products

The loan product comparison feature in HCO helps your client determine which loan product type meets their current needs.

1. From the Home page, click the client’s name

2. Select Lending Center on the Case File menu, and click Loan Products.

3. The Loan Product Comparison screen appears. After entering the desired data, click Research Loan Products.


4. The list of loan products displays with the summary results. Click the Loan Product link for detailed loan product information.

NOTE: The loan products displayed in the comparison is set up by your agency administrator.

5. Click Change Parameters to go to the previous screen and Print for a hardcopy of the results.

NOTE: If the client is not eligible for a loan product, “Not Eligible” displays in the Purchase Price column next

to the product.


Chapter 14: Administration Menu

Maintaining Your Counselor Profile

Manage your user profile information on the Administration menu on the Main Navigation toolbar.

To view or update your HCO profile, click on Administration on the Main Navigation toolbar.

1. Click Administration on the main navigation toolbar, and select My Profile from the Set up drop down menu.

2. The My Profile screen displays your user ID, agency ID, first and last name, as well as User Role

as entered during the registration process. Update your contact information and click Save to record your changes.

NOTE: For HUD certified counseling agencies, it is a HUD requirement to keep your information up to date.


Importing a Case File

Use the offline worksheet, located in the My Tools menu, to create a Case File without re-entering the

information online. You can also create a case file from a 1003 data file from an external Loan Origination System (LOS).

1. From the Home page, select Import/Export Import Cases from the Administration menu on the main navigation bar.

2. Select the file type that you want to import and click the Browse button to search for the file you want to import in step 2, click Upload File.

3. Click Close.

4. To confirm that the case file was successfully imported into HCO, perform a search for the client by

name on the HCO Home page.


Appendix I: HCO Registration

Understanding User Roles

This chapter provides step-by-step instructions on how to register as a new HCO user, launch, as well as log in to the application. This chapter begins with a description of user roles and access levels assigned to each user.

HCO recognizes three user roles: Agency Administrator, CounselorPlus and Counselor. When you register as a user, you will be asked to select a user role which determines the level of access granted to your log-in ID.

The following table contains a description of HCO user roles:

User Role Function

HCO-Agency Administrator Customize setup features

View/Access all agency case files

Run reports across the organization

Manage user access

CounselorPlus Access counseling functions

View/Access all agency case files

Run reports across the organization

HCO-Counselor

Access counseling functions

Run reports for assigned cases


Getting Started

HCO User Registration

Complete the steps described below to become an HCO user. Once you return the completed forms, you will receive an e-mail containing your user ID and instructions on how to set up your password.

1. Type https://www.fanniemae.com/singlefamily/index in your Web browser and click Go.

2. Click the Originaing & Underwriting tab .

3. On the Originating & Underwriting page, click on the Home Counselor Online button under Technology Applications & Tools.



4. On the Home Counselor Online page, click on Register to become an approved user.

5. Click HCO Registration & Account Management

6. Your agency administrator is responsible for completing the Software Subscription Form and the Order Form/Schedule.


7. To request a new user id, the User Registration Form must be completely filled out and signed by

your authorized officer’s signature as designated on the Software Subscription Form. Complete the form electronically prior to printing. Up to two individuals can be placed on each form.

NOTE: Be sure to include an e-mail address and four-digit PIN for each registration.

NOTE: Don’t forget to save a copy of the forms for future reference.


8. Once the form is completely filled out, e-mail the form with eSignature to: [email protected]

9. Fannie Mae will process the completed registration forms and send an e-mail confirmation back to

each individual user. The e-mail will contain an HCO personal user ID, along with instructions for creating a password. Included in the e-mail will be a link to the Web page to create the new password.

NOTE: If you have any questions about the HCO registration process, please contact the Fannie Mae

Customer Contact Center at 1-877-722-6757.

NOTE: It is essential that users create their new passwords within 30 days after receiving confirmation. After

30 days the link expires and the registration process must be redone.


Appendix II: Changing Your Password

Each HCO user has a unique password. If you wish to change your password, complete the following steps. From the HCO log-in page, click the Technology Manager link.

1. Click the Get Help with Your User ID or Password link as shown below.

2. Enter your User ID and click Submit.

3. A message is sent to the e-mail address you have on file. This message tells you to create a new password and provides you with a link. Click the link within the e-mail.

From: Fannie Mae Technology Administration

[[email protected]]

Subject: Fannie Mae Forgotten Password Request

Thank you for using the Forgotten Password link.

NEXT STEP - CREATE A NEW PASSWORD

To create a new password, click the link below to log in to Fannie Mae's Profile Access

Manager and follow the instructions on your screen.

https://profile-

manager.efanniemae.com/integration/service/password/UserSelfService?urlid=/06X1W9kJzjsfyf

y4sNyRWvRGV6tE7qUIMKY0OhPOnZcftdeaZUqhR1P0434Iedk

https://profile-manager.efanniemae.com/integration/service/password/UserSelfService?urlid=/06X1W9kJzjsfyfy4sNyRWvRGV6tE7qUIMKY0OhPOnZcftdeaZUqhR1P0434Iedk




4. Enter your User ID. Then click Next.

5. Enter the answer to your security question and click Next.

NOTE: To successfully reset your password, follow the guidelines as described below: User IDs and

passwords are case sensitive. Your password must:

Be exactly eight characters in length

Contain at least one numeral

Contain at least one capital letter

Contain at least one of these three special characters:

- _ @ (that is, “-” “_” “@”)

Be different from your previous passwords


6. Enter your new password, verify your new password, and click Submit.

7. Another message is sent to the e-mail address you have on file, confirming that your password has

been changed. The password change request is now complete. The sample message will be in the following format:

From: Fannie Mae Technology Administration

Subject: Fannie Mae Security Notice

Security information (password, PIN, e-mail, and/or security question) for the user ID

shown below has been changed:

User ID: XXXXXXXX

WAS THIS CHANGE MADE IN ERROR?

If you or your delegated administrator did NOT ask to change security information for

this user ID, please call the Fannie Mae Customer Contact Center immediately. For a list

of Customer Contact Center phone numbers, please visit eFannieMae.com and click the

Contact Us link at the top of the page.


Index

1003 loan application ..........................................................................152

action plan

barriers, identifying .........................................................................57

creating .............................................................................................57 administration........................................................................................ 9

administrator user guide ......................................................................... 6

advanced features ................................................................................145

Affordability Analyzer icon and description ......................................................................18

save scenario ..................................................................................103

using ...............................................................................................101

agency letters, icon and description ........................................ 18, 115 agency, definition ..................................................................................20

Amortization calculator, icon and description ....................................18

appointments

My Appointments, description .......................................................15 attendance

class roster ........................................................................................87

automated referral ...............................................................................153

barriers, identifying ...............................................................................57 borrower’s financial statement .........................................................78

budget

creating .............................................................................................60

buttons, identifying .............................................................................19 calculator

using .............................................................................. 104, 106, 107

case detail, printing ...............................................................................75

case file defining.............................................................................................22

importing ........................................................................................158

using features ...................................................................................57

case files.................................................................................................22 case notes, creating................................................................. 71, 73, 75

case status, printing ...............................................................................75

case summary completing ................................................................................ 28, 29

cases, description of My Cases feature ................................................15

certificate of completion

generating .........................................................................................90 change parameters

button and description .....................................................................19

changing password ..............................................................................164

class registering students ..........................................................................83

roster, using ......................................................................................87

scheduling ........................................................................................81

counseling organization definition ..........................................................................................20

counselor profile, maintaining............................................................157

credit report authorizing .............................................................................. 98, 100 icon and description ......................................................................18

individual, ordering .........................................................................97

liabilities, copying .................................................................. 98, 100

data, entering .........................................................................................18 dates, entering........................................................................................18

debt management, PowerPay .............................................................108

Debt Payoff calculator, icon and description ..................................18

DO

sending Form 1003 data ................................................................ 145

dollar amounts, entering ....................................................................... 18

download forms, icon and description............................................. 18 edit, link and description ...................................................................... 19

En Español

button and description ..................................................................... 19

icon and description ........................................................................ 19 EXTERNAL REPORTS ....................................................................... 127

financial workout tool......................................................................... 146

forms

downloading .................................................................................. 112 in Spanish ................................................................................. 112

Order Form/Schedule for Non-Lenders ....................................... 161

Registration Form for Non-Lenders ............................................. 162

software subscription registration ................................................ 161 funding grants and housing initiatives................................................. 92

grant ....................................................................................................... 92

hardware, requirements .......................................................................... 9

HBE certificate of completion,creating ............................................... 89

definition .......................................................................................... 20

HCO

about ............................................................................................... 6, 8 logging out ....................................................................................... 21

navigating .................................................................................. 15, 16

registration ..................................................................................... 160

security ............................................................................................. 10 terms and definitions .................................................................... 20

user roles ........................................................................................ 159

HECM

certificate, printing .......................................................................... 75 definition .......................................................................................... 20

help ........................................................................................................ 11

link information ............................................................................... 11

Spanish ....................................................................................... 19

link, description ............................................................................... 19

online ............................................................................................... 11 Resources page............................................................................... 11

Home Counselor Online ........................................................... See HCO

Home-Buyer Education ............................................................. See HBE

HUD Submission report

generating ................................................................................. 140


report generating ................................................................................. 138

HUD-9902

alerts

downloading............................................................................. 139 case number, creating.................................................................... 134

entering data .................................................................................. 134

requirements, compliance with..................................................... 127

icons En Español ....................................................................................... 19

identifying ....................................................................................... 19

previous screen ................................................................................ 19


in English, button and description........................................................19

information link .....................................................................................20 initiative .................................................................................................92

liabilities, copying to case file ..................................................... 99, 100

link accessing ..........................................................................................16 administration, description ..............................................................17

Education, description .....................................................................17

home, description.............................................................................17

reports, description ..........................................................................17 resources, description ......................................................................17

loan products, viewing ........................................................................155

Log Out button, description..................................................................19

logging out .............................................................................................21 managing debt

PowerPay, budget ..........................................................................108

mortgage professional

definition ..........................................................................................20 mortgage readiness assessment ..........................................................150

My Cases ...............................................................................................15

My Profile ............................................................................................157

My Reminders .......................................................................................15 My Tools ...............................................................................................18

navigation, main toolbar .......................................................................16

password ................................................................................................10

payoff chart ..........................................................................................110 percentages, entering.............................................................................18

Picklist, definition .................................................................................20

pop-up

message ............................................................................................14 Power Payments,definition ...................................................................20

PowerPay

debt management ...........................................................................108

icon and description.........................................................................18 previous screen, icon and description ..................................................19

print

button and description .....................................................................19

in Spanish, button and description..................................................19 Profile Access Manager, definition......................................................20

registration

HCO user .......................................................................................... 9

Reminders My Reminders, description............................................................. 15

Rent vs. Own icon and description ...................................................................... 18

repayment plans, creating ................................................................... 108 reports

changing parameters ..................................................................... 125

saved, viewing ............................................................................... 126

storage space .................................................................................. 126 using ............................................................................................... 116

roster

Add Student button ......................................................................... 87

using ................................................................................................. 87 Save button, description ....................................................................... 19

search

tool description ................................................................................ 15

security features data archive .................................................................................... 10

password ......................................................................................... 10

setting appointments .......................................................................... 66

Social Security Number..............................................................See SSN software, requirements ........................................................................... 9

SSN

entering ............................................................................................ 18

technology requirements...................................................................... 9 telephone numbers, entering ................................................................ 18

terms and definitions .......................................................................... 20

Time Tracking tool ............................................................................... 66

tools My Tools, description ..................................................................... 15

user guide

administrator ...................................................................................... 6

contents .............................................................................................. 7 conventions ..................................................................................... 19

user roles

administrator .................................................................................. 159

counselor ........................................................................................ 159 understanding ................................................................................ 159