Risk Management Blog

If you are looking to improve your UCC due diligence processes and resources this New Year, here’s your opportunity to explore some solutions available to you online. Check out the list below where we answer questions and provide information to help you choose the online UCC system that best suits your needs. Looking to consolidate your UCC portfolio management into one comprehensive tool? Here are 3 tips to help you choose the right… >> READ MORE

Exclusive to our blog readers, we are giving you a sneak preview of our new online due diligence system. First Corporate Solutions’ new online system for UCC filing & portfolio management, lien searching and account monitoring has the tools you need to perfect and maintain your security interests with ease. Our system simplifies your daily processes by providing secure online access that allows you to perform searches, prepare and… >> READ MORE

To build a proprietary online search system, a service company must first purchase UCC and lien data. Many searchers are unaware that the source of a system’s online data can have a tremendous impact on their final results report. This article discusses some key differences between state direct and third party UCC and lien data. In many states, the state filing office makes their UCC and lien data available for purchase. In these states,… >> READ MORE

As we have discussed here on the FCS blog in several posts, one of the main things to consider when deciding whether to use a proprietary online search system is the source of the data. In short, there are two sources from which a private service company can purchase UCC and Lien data for their online search system. The first is directly from the state, which is the most accurate and up-to-date information; the second is from a third… >> READ MORE

The simple purpose of UCC and lien searching is to minimize your lending risk by accurately informing your lending decisions. UCC and lien searching is not a black or white process, however; the quality of your search results plays a essential role in helping you to determine that risk. If for any reason your search results are inaccurate or incomplete, your effectiveness in mitigating your lending risk is diminished. Read on for tips… >> READ MORE

Beginning July 1, 2014, California state law requires use of the revised forms below to be accepted for filing. The following revised UCC filing forms are available on the Secretary of State's Forms and Fees webpage found here: http://www.sos.ca.gov/business/ucc/forms.htm. Here is a list of the revised forms: UCC Financing Statement (Form UCC1) UCC Financing Statement Addendum (Form UCC1Ad) UCC Financing Statement Amendment… >> READ MORE

UCC searching and filing service providers go to great lengths to keep their customers’ data secure. Technology and in-house procedures provide safeguards to keep your data protected from outside sources. Since service providers, along with state and county filing offices, are the gatekeepers of public records containing transactional information, this is good thing. The nature of the Uniform Commercial Code, however, exposes an important… >> READ MORE

First Corporate Solutions is pleased to announce the release of Kentucky data and image library to our online UCC search system. As of Monday, August 4, 2014, active online users can log on to www.ficoso.com and search our reliable state-direct UCC and tax lien data complemented by an expansive library of clear, downloadable document images. FCS adds value to Kentucky data by including data on expired filings (not currently available… >> READ MORE

Following up on our post from earlier this week, What are “Standard Search Logic” and the Model Administrative Rules?, here's a behind-the-scenes look at how we created an online UCC search system that follows MARS guidelines. An FCS online search report is intended to satisfy the requirements under the UCC Revised Article 9 Model Administrative Rules (MARS), which provide state filing offices with a set of guidelines for producing… >> READ MORE

The amount of liens filed in a given state’s filing office can number in the millions making accuracy, and the ability to uncover name variations,  paramount when analyzing search results. Each individual Secretary of State filing office has a set of rules called “standard search logic” that determines what search results will show for a given search. Here’s the official definition: Standard Search Logic: The search logic used… >> READ MORE