The Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. and the Federal National Mortgage Association said Thursday that they would bolster reporting requirements for banks, thrifts, and other lenders that sell mortgages to the agencies.
The new rules, which take effect in January, require lenders to disclose more information about the race, gender, and income of borrowers.
The agencies said they would use the data to monitor their support of lower-income housing and to comply with legislation expected to be passed this fall. Congress is discussing a bill that would add to the regulation of government-sponsored enterprises such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Under the new guidelines, lenders will have to submit more than a dozen pieces of additional information about loans being sold.
But mortgage-industry leaders said the requirements were unlikely to prove too burdensome. Banks and thrifts must already gather much of the requested data to comply with the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act.
"While this adds slightly to the cost of producing a loan, we're confident Fannie Mae and Freddie mac will not create undue burdens as we all work as partners to pursue a common social goal," said Warren Lasko, executive vice president of the Mortgage Bankers Association of America.
