Home loan delinquencies

Declining home values and overall economic woes continue to drive up mortgage delinquencies. Consumer credit rating firm TransUnion reports 4.6% of mortgage holders were at least 60 days past due on their loans in the last quarter of 2008, up from 3% the same period a year earlier.

Delinquencies have been rising for two years, TransUnion reports. Florida had the highest fourth-quarter delinquency rate, at 9.5%. California’s 6.9% delinquency rate was fourth in the nation, behind Florida, Nevada and Arizona.

-- Peter Y. Hong