DBRS, Inc. (DBRS Morningstar) published its updated list of acceptable third-party due-diligence firms. DBRS Morningstar added Phoenix Collateral Advisors, LLC (Phoenix) as an acceptable due-diligence firm for DBRS Morningstar-rated residential mortgage-backed security transactions.
DBRS Morningstar typically conducts an on-site review to assess the staffing, infrastructure, and capabilities of the company. However, as a result of travel restrictions resulting from the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic, DBRS Morningstar conducted a phone review of Phoenix instead.
For more information about the approval process or to schedule an on-site review, please contact Kathleen Tillwitz at kathleen.tillwitz@dbrsmorningstar.com or refer to DBRS Morningstar’s “Third-Party Due-Diligence Criteria for U.S. RMBS Transactions” methodology.
A description of how DBRS Morningstar considers ESG factors within the DBRS Morningstar analytical framework can be found in the DBRS Morningstar Criteria: Approach to Environmental, Social, and Governance Risk Factors in Credit Ratings at http://www.dbrsmorningstar.com/research/373262.
The principal methodology is the Third-Party Due-Diligence Criteria for U.S. RMBS Transactions (September 11, 2020), which can be found on dbrsmorningstar.com under Methodologies & Criteria.
For more information, see DBRS Morningstar’s press release, attached below.