Credit Card Delinquencies Rise

Delinquent credit card bills rose in the fourth quarter while late payments on auto and consumer loans declined, the American Bankers Assn. said. The trade group said 3.88% of credit card holders were late making payments by 30 days or more in the October-December period, up from 3.77% in the third quarter.

The dollar amount of credit card delinquencies rose to 4.67% of outstanding balances from 4.45% in the July-September period. The trend was opposite for closed-end installment loans for cars, home improvements and personal items such as vacations. Delinquencies for those loans fell to 2.34% in the fourth quarter from 2.40% in the third.