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The mortgage CUSO at Chicago’s Great Lakes Credit Union has expanded by buying a mortgage lender making loans in the Southeast.
The CUSO, Chicago-based Mortgage Forward, acquired FiT Mortgage on Aug. 1 for an undisclosed amount.
FiT Mortgage, established in November 2023, had $15.6 million in originations in 2024. Its purchase expanded Mortgage Forward’s lending reach to Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Georgia and Florida.
Michael Abraham, CEO of Mortgage Forward, said the acquisition also will allow better pricing, more loan programs and increased services to direct customers and credit union members.
“This acquisition accelerates Mortgage Forward’s vision to become a premier destination for entrepreneurial loan originators,” Abraham said. “FiT Mortgage built something truly special — aligning strong leadership with a modern business structure. We’re excited to build upon that foundation with expanded tools, capital and national scale.”
Great Lakes CU ($1.5 billion in assets, 110,903 members) originated $24.7 million in first mortgages last year, down 61% from 2023. In the first half of this year, it has originated $23.2 million, up 13% from a year earlier, according to NCUA data via Callahan’s Peer Suite.
Abraham said Mortgage Forward originated $39 million in 2024, and $41.6 million in the first half of 2025. Some of those loans were originated for outside investors, he said.
Mortgage Forward, which had 16 employees before Aug. 1, added 12 employees with the purchase. Four partners and loan officers from FiT Mortgage have also accepted key roles at Mortgage Forward:
- Chip Adkins from FiT Mortgage's Birmingham headquarters is serving as president, bringing more than 30 years of financial experience to his role overseeing production, planning, strategic growth and other initiatives for Fit Mortgage.
- Anita St. Pierre from FiT Mortgage's Nashville office took on the role of COO, drawing experience from her more than 35 years of management and operational experience to her role overseeing compliance, quality control, national underwriting and investor relations.
- Stuart Lynn from FiT Mortgage's Huntsville, Ala., office is CFO, bringing nearly 30 years’ experience in finance and accounting to the table, including 15 years’ experience in the mortgage industry in various leadership roles.
- Dan D’Amico from FiT Mortgage's Madison, Miss., office is heading up the sales team, serving as EVP of sales, with more than 30 years of residential mortgage lending experience.
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