July’s BEV Break pulled back the curtain on one of the most overlooked tools in a lender’s risk toolkit: UCC lien data. Middesk’s Head of Marketing, Jackie Wylie, shared how smart use of lien insights can help lenders avoid costly mistakes, secure their place in line, and confidently say “yes” to the right borrowers.
Here’s a recap of key takeaways from the session:
Why UCC liens matter for underwriting
Commercial lenders today are being asked to do two things at once: grow their portfolios and protect against increasing fraud and operational risks. It’s a tougher balancing act than ever — move too slowly and you lose good borrowers, move too fast and you risk missing red flags that could expose your institution down the line.
That’s where UCC lien data comes in. It provides visibility into who else has claims on a borrower’s assets, whether those claims are still active, and how to prioritize position. With better lien hygiene, lenders can reduce unnecessary friction for the best borrowers while safeguarding against future losses.
📽️ Watch Jackie explain why smarter use of lien data is becoming critical for underwriting today:
What to look for when assessing lien risk
Not all liens carry the same weight. Jackie emphasized that assessing lien risk means looking beyond whether a filing exists to understanding the broader risk picture — from the business’s legitimacy and legal standing to the details of its lien history. The goal is to catch red flags early, like conflicting claims or changes that could jeopardize your position.
📽️ Watch Jackie break down the 3 questions your team must answer to say “yes”:
The cost of getting filings wrong
It’s not just about deciding whether to lend — it’s about protecting that decision. Jackie explained how even small missteps can have outsized consequences. Filing against the wrong entity, overlooking a jurisdiction, or delaying by just a few hours can weaken or even erase a lender’s secured position.
The reality is that liens aren’t static. Borrowers can take on new debt, other lenders can swoop in with conflicting claims, and amendments can quietly strip away your collateral. Without strong systems for speed, precision, and real-time monitoring, it’s easy to miss these changes until it’s too late.
The lenders winning today are the ones who treat lien management as an ongoing process — validating entity data upfront, filing quickly and accurately, and monitoring for shifts in priority over time. That’s what turns UCC filings from a one-time compliance task into a real advantage in a crowded market.
📽️ Watch Jackie share why better lien hygiene can be the difference between growth and exposure:
Final thoughts
Lien data isn’t just a back-office requirement — it’s a strategic tool for smarter, safer growth. The lenders that win aren’t just protecting themselves from losses; they’re using better data to move faster, reduce friction for good borrowers, and grow with confidence. Catch everything we covered in this session by watching the full recording on demand.
Don’t miss our next BEV Break: How FinCEN’s UBO reporting pause is reshaping onboarding
FinCEN’s new TIN guidance isn’t the only change shaking up business identity. Join Middesk’s In-House Counsel, Sam Matthew, as he breaks down how the pause on beneficial ownership reporting impacts onboarding, compliance, and risk. Save your spot.
