What is Ascent?

Overview

Ascent is a cloud-based software platform that transforms how credit unions and community banks interact with their members and customers, manage data, and deliver financial services. Built for mission-driven financial institutions, Ascent provides a set of tools for capturing applications, managing workflows, and delivering high-quality digital experiences — all while reducing operational overhead and empowering your team to do more.

Ascent simplifies complex workflows by putting data first. Whether you're processing loan applications, conducting annual reviews, or managing credit line renewals, Ascent streamlines processes, reduces paperwork, and accelerates decisions.

Front-line lending staff, operations teams, and compliance managers use Ascent for their daily workflows. Each experience is tailored to its audience, while all parts of the system are designed to work together around a common source of truth: the Ascent Data Hub.

What Problems Does Ascent Solve?

Financial institutions face mounting challenges in delivering modern digital experiences while managing operational complexity:

• Fragmented systems: Member data scattered across multiple platforms creates inefficiency and errors

• Manual workflows: Paper-based processes slow down decisions and frustrate members

• Limited flexibility: Rigid legacy systems can't adapt quickly to new products or regulatory changes

• Poor member experience: Disconnected applications force membersto re-enter the same information repeatedly

• Compliance burden: Manual tracking and documentation increase risk and operational overhead

Ascent addresses these challenges with a unified platform that connects member-facing applications, internal workflows, and your core banking system.

Key Capabilities

Ascent offers a modular architecture made up of two core suites: the Consumer Suite and the Business Suite. Depending on your institution's needs, you can start with one or both, and add functionality over time.

Consumer Suite

The Consumer Suite supports all retail-facing financial products, from personal loans and credit cards to auto lending and deposit accounts.

Features include:

• Branded, mobile-responsive applications that work on any device

• Dynamic forms with conditional logic, validation, and scripting

• No-code application builder for staff to configure product workflows

• Real-time data reuse so members don’t have to re-type the same information across forms

• Complete application tracking and lifecycle management

• Integrated applicant portal for status tracking and document submission

Business Suite

The Business Suite streamlines commercial lending and account servicing for small businesses, with support for guarantors, collateral, and covenant tracking.

Features include:

• Business applications that gather and prefill financial data automatically

• Automated annual reviews using accounting integrations (e.g. QuickBooks, Sage) and IRS documentation

• Loan renewal workflows and covenant monitoring

• External collaboration with accountants, bookkeepers, or co-owners

• Pre-built integrations with Core providers such as FiServ, FIS, COCC, JackHenry, LOS solutions such as Abrigo, LoanDirector, LoanVantage, and other data providers such as Plaid, Experian, Equifax, or TransUnion

How Ascent Works

Ascent operates as a two-sided platform:

• Your staff use the Lender Portal to view applications (called Leads), communicate with members, and take actions such as approving applications, requesting documents, or performing reviews.

• Your members use the Applicant Portal or secure email links to complete forms, upload documents, and track application status.

Ascent maintains a complete audit trail from initial application through decisioning, approval, and servicing events like renewals and modifications.

The Ascent Data Hub securely stores and structures all data, forming the foundation for analytics, compliance reporting, and AI-powered features.

Designed for the Future

Ascent's roadmap includes AI-powered assistants, intelligent recommendations, and workflow automation—all driven by the clean, structured data your institution collects through everyday platform interactions.