Big lenders may lose with simpler mortgage disclosure

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said it will soon begin writing and testing a simplified mortgage-disclosure form aimed at making it easier for borrowers to compare deals from different lenders. The bureau expects to award a contract to develop the form by the end of the month, making it one of the first projects of the new agency, according to a bidding document given to vendors in November and reviewed by Bloomberg News. More concise disclosure is one of the main stated goals of Elizabeth Warren, the Obama administration adviser charged with setting up the agency established by the Dodd-Frank Act. Simpler forms that can be directly compared may make the market less lucrative for lenders such as Bank of America Corporation, Wells Fargo & Company, JP Morgan Chase & Co. and Citigroup Inc.