This isn't the first time I've mentioned data quality in this column, but now that the Uniform Mortgage Data Program (UMDP) is steadily gaining momentum, it's a timely topic to revisit. One result of the foreclosure crisis and the mortgage industry meltdown of the past several years has been a growing demand for more data, as government regulators tell lenders, investors and the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) to report on their lending activities in an organized, consistent fashion. Some financial industry groups have even tried to fend off this regulatory onslaught by developing their own pre-emptive reporting programs for their members.
