A host of new GSE tools recently implemented or in the pipeline, including automated appraisals, will improve mortgage underwriting, according to Fitch Ratings. The rating service noted that alternative methods of managing and verifying data are helping Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac change the process for underwriting mortgage loans in the U.S. New approaches to things like appraisal valuation and income verification are giving the GSEs a more efficient way to assess credit risk, while reducing costs for sellers and borrowers, said Fitch. “The appraisal valuation process is evolving primarily due to the introduction of the Uniform Collateral Data Portal through which lenders electronically submit appraisal reports for conventional mortgages delivered to Fannie or Freddie,” said Fitch.