Two state laws designed to prevent a repeat of a mortgage scandal were signed Monday by Gov. Ed Rendell.

The laws will ensure that homeowners get more information about their mortgage terms and protect mortgage company employees who report illegal activity.

Mr. Rendell said the laws will help consumers shopping for a mortgage or refinancing their homes.

Lawmakers said they sponsored the measures in response to a Ponzi scheme operated by convicted former mortgage broker Wesley Snyder and his now defunct firm, Personal Financial Management. Some 800 investors in Schuylkill, Berks and Lancaster counties lost more than $26 million as a result of this scheme. In many cases, investors discovered they owed more on their mortgages than they had thought.

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