The ConsumerFinancial Protection Bureau is considering requiring mortgagelenders to provide even more data about their housing finance loansand borrowers.

In remarks prepared for a Feb. 7 press call, CFBP DirectorRichardCordray said Congress mandated increasing the informationlenders must report to comply with the Home Mortgage Disclosure Actin the Dodd-Frank Financial Reform Act.

But, he added the agency was considering asking for moreunderwriting and pricing information not required byDodd-Frank.

Currently, mortgage lenders have to report information such asthe type of housing loan made, the census tract where the propertyis located and the borrower's race and ethnicity.

Dodd-Frank mandates require the bureau to contemplateregulations that will compel lenders to report things like theloan's total points and fees, term, the length of time any teaserrates apply, the borrowers age and borrower's credit score.

In addition to the legislatively mandated additions, Cordraysaid the CFPB is considering requiring lenders to supply otherinformation.

“We are considering asking financial institutions to includemore underwriting and pricing information, such as an applicant'sdebt-to-income ratio, the interest rate, the total originationcharges, and the total discount points of the loan,” Cordray wrotein his prepared remarks.

“This will help regulators spot troublesome trends in mortgagemarkets around the country,” he added.

Cordray also reported the agency is working on ways it says itmight be able streamline data reporting, in particular by usingexisting reporting platforms where ever possible.

“Approximately 70% of all loans eventually sold to the GSEs usethe Uniform Loan Delivery Dataset of the Mortgage IndustryStandards Maintenance Organization data standards for residentialmortgages,” Cordray wrote. “Where possible, alignment of the HMDAdata requirements to this open and free standard already being usedby most lenders provides an opportunity to improve marketefficiency, market understanding, and market oversight.”

CFPB is also considering leveling the playing field, Cordraywrote, about which lenders have to report.

Currently, many financial institution lenders have to reportwhether they make any loans each year, while non-financialinstitution lenders only have to report if they make more than 100loans. The agency is considering making the standards uniform sothat both financial institution lenders and non-financialinstitution lenders will have to report if they make more than 25loans per year.

Cordray said the agency is only at the beginning of the rulemaking process for the new regulations and is convening a SmallBusiness Review Panel to kick it off.

“We do this both to follow the law but also to listen tocommunity banks, credit unions, and other small entities that maybe affected by our rules,” Cordray wrote. “We also will engage withother stakeholders about what we are considering proposing. We willbe seeking feedback from industry and consumer groups that will beaffected by these changes to the HMDA process. Sometime later thisyear, we will put out a proposed rule seeking broader publicfeedback through the standard notice-and-comment rulemakingprocess.”