HEL Delinquencies Rise at Banks

Home equity loan delinquencies increased to 2.82% in the third quarter of last year, up from 2.50% three months earlier, according to the American Bankers Association.While overdue payments rose on closed-end home equity loans held by banks, the delinquency rate for home equity lines of credit remained unchanged at 0.38%, according to the ABA's quarterly consumer delinquency bulletin. "Moreover, with mortgage refinancings hitting a four-year low, consumers' ability to consolidate debt at lower interest rates and take advantage of equity appreciation in their homes was severely limited," he said. The ABA can be found on the Web at http://www.aba.com.