Bank IOLTA Account Integration| Marathon Records™, Inc.

Unlock the value of IOLTA accounts

Every state has thousands of IOLTA accounts with millions of dollars passing through them each month. Most of that money has traditionally passed through the biggest banks. With mobile banking technology, however, smaller banks are now in a position to compete for that business. A bank can now expand its client range with outstanding mobile capacity, expertise, and service. Convenience no longer means having a branch office nearby. Convenience means accessing all of a bank's product features and getting effective support immediately from anywhere. The bottom line: a small or mid-sized bank can attract IOLTA business by offering better products, expertise, and service without having a large volume of branches.

Grow revenues without expenses growing

Our mission is to partner with banks and credit unions to increase revenues by offering IOLTA products and services that conform to the way lawyers do business. We will combine our superior IOLTA knowledge and bookkeeping app with your online banking and mobile apps to offer a superior IOLTA package of products and knowledge. The lawyer can perform any transaction, update IOLTA records, and reconcile the IOLTA account easily from anywhere with internet access knowing that support is available and that records are in compliance with state bar rules and ALTA best practices. The bank will increase revenues by: (1) expanding its range of services, (2) increasing revenues from existing clients, and (3) attracting more clients. All without the need to open new brick and mortar, costly to maintain branches.

Add our IOLTA experts to your team

Marathon Records is ready to train your team how to handle IOLTA account questions and serve as additional support when needed. We know every state rule for handling client funds. We also teach several Mandatory Continuing Legal Education courses (CLE) on handling trust funds and maintaining proper records:

California Rule 4-100 (certified for ethics CLE credit)
New York Rule 1.15 (certified for CLE credit)

Our team has experience with over 1,200 IOLTA account audits. We have identified the most common mistakes, when those mistakes happen, and how to prevent them. Contact us at info@marathon-records.com for more information.

IOLTA One

We created IOLTA One™ specifically for IOLA/IOLTA accounts to be used remotely from anywhere, on any device, with internet access. IOLTA One is so easy to use, it reduces IOLTA bookkeeping to simple data entry, eliminates the most common IOLTA mistakes, and keeps records in compliance with state bar rules and ALTA best practices. With mobile banking technology and IOLTA One, a lawyer can handle a complete transaction and immediately enter the transactions into their IOLTA records anywhere with internet access at any time their schedule allows.

Mobile banking technology

Banks and credit unions use mobile banking technology to compete for business by providing the convenience their busy clients desire. For lawyers convenience is not only the ability to handle transactions from a mobile office, but also the ability to complete non-billable tasks, such as IOLA bookkeeping, at any time and as quickly as possible. The mobile banking technology available allows a user to handle just about every type of transaction remotely from from anywhere in the world with internet access. A user can access a bank’s mobile app and deposit a check by taking a photo of the front and back of the check, initiate an outgoing transfer of funds to a third party, or view the account statement to check balances and cleared transactions. A lawyer’s ability to complete these three transactions remotely, as well as mail paper checks, means a lawyer does not need to be located near a bank branch to effectively handle business transactions.

Pairing with IOLTA One

The IOLTA One app can be embedded directly into the bank’s IT system. This means the pairing of the bank IT capability and IOLTA One happens entirely within the bank’s operating system. The benefits of embedding IOLTA One:

Seamless solution: The user can log onto the bank account remotely and have access to both the IOLTA account and IOLTA records. This allows a user to easily record transactions directly into the IOLTA One app when the transactions are authorized.
Convenience: When a transaction clears the bank, it will automatically be marked as cleared in the IOLTA records.
Service: The bank can have a link directly to an IOLA specialist.
Integrity: The user will only be accessing the bank IT system and all information will be controlled by the bank and protected by the bank’s

A sample transaction with mobile banking and IOLTA One

A standard real estate transaction is the most common complex banking transaction a lawyer will process through an IOLTA account. Deposits to the IOLTA account are typically a combination of a wire from the lending institution and a check from the buyer. Disbursements from the IOLTA account are typically over a dozen checks and wire transactions. The lawyer must create the IOLTA account ledgers, verify transactions have cleared, and reconcile the account.

The lawyer can log onto her bank account remotely to verify the wire from the lender has been received. When the buyer presents a check, the lawyer can deposit the check (typically a certified check and often presented at the closing) by utilizing the bank’s mobile app. Already being logged onto the bank account, the lawyer can go straight to the IOLTA One app and record the deposits.

When the transaction is complete, the lawyer can disburse the checks necessary and wire funds from the account using the bank’s mobile app. Simultaneously with these disbursements, the lawyer can also record the transactions in her IOLTA records. The entire transaction can be completed without the need for the lawyer to go to a bank branch office.

The transactions will clear the bank account as checks are received and deposited. As these transactions clear the bank, they will automatically be cleared in the IOLTA account records. Reconciliation of the IOLTA account is then simply selecting the date range desired. With the automated reconciliation feature, the lawyer will easily be able to reconcile as often as required by American Land Title Association (ALTA) best practices (10 days), her title insurance company standards (typically every 2 weeks or 30 days), and state bar rules (monthly).

Bank IOLTA Account Integration