B&C Borrowers Paying Off Credit Cards First?

Subprime borrowers are more likely to be 30 days or more late on their mortgage payments than on their unsecured credit card obligations, a "significant departure" from historical consumer behavior, according to an Experian study on the subprime lending market.Historically, consumers have paid mortgage debt over bankcard debt, so the finding "represents a significant departure from conventional behavior," the Costa Mesa, Calif.-based Experian said. Subprime borrowers were defined as those with an Experian credit score of 620 or lower. Borrowers with prime credit scores of over 680 continued to follow the traditional pattern of paying mortgage debt before credit card debt, the information services company reported. "The current marketplace debate and increased visibility on subprime lending led us to examine historical consumer payment trends to see if they have shifted," said Kerry Williams, president of Experian Information Solutions. "Interestingly, our data revealed that many consumers in the subprime segment have adjusted their payment patterns in order to better manage their personal finances." Experian can be found online at http://www.experiangroup.com.