What is a Lead?

A Lead in Ascent represents an application that has been started by a borrower — whether they’ve submitted it fully or only begun the process. Each lead captures the context of the application and allows your institution to take action on it through the Lender Portal.

Leads act as the central record that links borrower information, product details, submitted documents, internal actions, and decision-making workflows.

How Leads Are Created

Leads are automatically created when a borrower begins an application in Ascent. This can happen in several ways:

• A borrower starts an application using a public-facing link (splash page, direct URL, online banking link, etc.)

• A staff member initiates an application on the borrower’s behalf using Lender-Proxy

• An application is triggered via a third-party integration or workflow automation

Leads are generated immediately, even if the borrower doesn’t submit the form. This allows staff to see partial progress, offer assistance, and track drop-offs.

What Information a Lead Contains

Each lead includes a structured snapshot of all relevant application and borrower information, such as:

• Applicant identity (name, contact info, identification)

• Product being applied for (e.g. personal loan, auto loan) if a Product application or

• Service being requested (e.g. change of address, report lost card) if a Service form

• Current submission status (in progress, submitted, approved, closed)

• Data provided by the borrower (form responses, document uploads)

• Data retrieved from external sources (e.g. Plaid, Experian, IRS, accounting platforms)

• TruStage protection product interest, if applicable

• Internal actions taken by lender users (notes, assignments, approvals, etc.)

• Linked documents and review results, if part of a servicing process

Who Can See a Lead

Only users with the appropriate permissions (typically Managers or Owners) can access the Leads Table or take action on a Lead. Leads created by unregistered borrowers (those not logged in to the Applicant Portal) are hidden by default, but can be shown using filters.

All Leads are accessible from both:

• The Leads Table (bulk view of all Leads)

• The Member Profile (individual borrower view showing all associated Leads)

Why Leads Matter

Leads are the entry point for most core activities within Ascent. They allow your team to:

• Track and triage new applications

• Collaborate internally on processing

• Request additional information from applicants

• Approve or decline applications with full context

• Trigger document generation and downstream integrations

Once approved, a Lead can be converted into a Product — representing an active financial product associated with the borrower.