Using information from similar programs in India, a savings and loan program was set up and is run by women in the settlements.

CNN: 'Protest with a proposal'

Since it is usually the seller, a realtor could run afoul of the code by warning a buyer off a particular loan and killing a deal.

FORBES: Knowledge @Wharton

The Seattle company, run by serial tech entrepreneur Andy Sack, seeks to streamline the loan application process and relies heavily on recommendations from angel investors, venture capitalists and tech industry veterans.

FORBES: Picking Favorites At Finovate Fall 2011

Kroll's software had to synch not only with banks' mainframes but also with programs run by intermediaries--such as Harland Financial Services and FIS--that track deposit and loan data and integrate them with banks' general ledgers.

FORBES: Entrepreneurs