Unemployment Driving Mortgage Delinquencies Higher

New York, NY, Sept. 22, 2009--High unemployment keeps increasing the rate of mortgage delinquencies, which could in turn drive more personal bankruptcies and home foreclosures, the Equifax Inc credit bureau said Monday.

Among U.S. homeowners with mortgages, a record 7.58 percent were at least 30 days late on payments in August, up from 7.32 percent in July, according to Reuters.

August marked the fourth consecutive monthly increase in delinquencies, and the report showed an accelerating pace. By comparison, 4.89 percent of mortgages were 30 days past due in August 2008, while in August 2007, the rate was 3.44 percent, Equifax data showed.

The rate of subprime mortgage delinquencies now tops 41 percent, up from about 39 percent in each of the prior five months, Reuters said.

The results, which correlate with consumer bankruptcy filings, suggest U.S. homeowners remain under financial stress despite signs of improving sentiment and fundamentals in the U.S. housing market.

The number of new cards being issued is down even more dramatically. In June, 2.6 million new cards were issued, compared with 4.7 million a year earlier.

Lenders are increasingly targeting consumers with high credit scores, Equifax found.