Marketwatch.com addresses this issue in a mid-June 2022 article. Excerpts follow:
Are credit card delinquencies high? Deutsche Bank explains why it matters how they are tracked…Concerns that the U.S. economy could be heading for a recession mount as inflation remains high and the central bank moves to tighten monetary policy. Those pressures have put renewed focus on the financial health of consumers, as soaring prices for gas, groceries and other expenses eat away at savings and paychecks…Credit cards often serve as a first place to look for signs of consumer distress. Still, it’s possible to get a vastly different picture of the delinquency rate…depending on how late payments have been reported, according to a new Deutsche Bank report.
At the high end, the New York Fed Consumer Credit Panel and Equifax data (NY Fed/Equifax) showed a 8.4% credit card delinquency rate in the first quarter of 2022, by including the portion of payments late 90 days or more…The Federal Reserve reported a 1.7% delinquency rate, by focusing on credit cards past due 30 days or more for the same stretch, while credit rating agency Fitch focused on delinquencies of 60 days or more, reporting a small 0.6% rate.
Questions remain over how past due debt is reported. ‘A 90+ day rate should be lower than the 30+ day rate…so what gives?’ Deutsche analysts wrote, in a Friday client note…Digging deeper, they noted that the NY Fed/Equifax consumer credit panel delinquency data included defaulted loans still in collections, while the Fed data from the Call reports and the Fitch ABS index didn’t.
Then, there are credit industry insights from Transunion.com showing first quarter data broken down by asset class type. Charts below include credit cards, auto loans, unsecured personal loans, and mortgage loans.
Q1 2022 credit card trend
Credit Card Lending Metric
Q1 2022
Q1 2021
Q1 2020
Q1 2019
Number of Credit Cards
492.5 million
456.7 million
459.6 million
434.9 million
Borrower-Level Delinquency Rate (90+ DPD)
1.61%
1.27%
1.98%
1.89%
Average Debt Per Borrower
$5,010
$4,784
$5,637
$5,545
Prior Quarter Originations*
15.5 million
18.9 million
16.5 million
21.5 million
Average New Account Credit Lines*
$4,634
$3,811
$5,135
$5,313
*Note: Originations are viewed one quarter in arrears to account for reporting lag.
Q1 2022 auto loan trends
Auto Lending Metric
Q1 2022
Q1 2021
Q1 2020
Q1 2019
Number of Auto Loans
81.5 million
83.3 million
83.8 million
82.2 million
Borrower-Level Delinquency Rate (60+ DPD)
1.63%
1.52%
1.37%
1.32%
Prior Quarter Originations*
6.5 million
6.7 million
6.9 million
6.7 million
Average Monthly Payment**
$556
$492
$465
$458
Average Balance of New Auto Loans*
$28,415
$24,664
$22,752
$22,117
Average Debt Per Borrower
$21,517
$19,980
$19,256
$18,826
*Note: Originations are viewed one quarter in arrears to account for reporting lag. **Data from S&P Global MobilityAutoCreditInsight, viewed one quarter in arrears.
Q1 2022 unsecured personal loan trends
Personal Loan Metric
Q1 2022
Q1 2021
Q1 2020
Q1 2019
Total Balances
$178 billion
$144 billion
$159 billion
$139 billion
Number of Unsecured Personal Loans
23.9 million
20.8 million
23.5 million
21.4 million
Number of Consumers with Unsecured Personal Loans
20.4 million
19.0 million
20.9 million
19.3 million
Account-Level Delinquency Rate (90+ DPD)
2.01%
1.76%
2.35%
2.48%
Borrower-Level Delinquency Rate (60+ DPD)
3.25%
2.68%
3.41%
3.50%
Average Debt Per Borrower
$9,896
$8,817
$8,820
$8,363
Prior Quarter Originations*
5.7 million
4.2 million
5.2 million
5.0 million
Average Balance of New Unsecured Personal Loans*
$6,656
$5,155
$5,548
$5,332
*Note: Originations are viewed one quarter in arrears to account for reporting lag.
Q1 2022 mortgage trends
Mortgage Lending Metric
Q1 2022
Q1 2021
Q1 2020
Q1 2019
Number of Mortgage Loans
51.5 million
50.9 million
50.7 million
49.8 million
Account-Level Delinquency Rate (90+ DPD)
0.63%
0.74%
1.03%
1.05%
Prior Quarter Originations*
2.9 million
4.0 million
2.3 million
1.4 million
Mortgage Origination* Distribution – Purchase
56%
47%
57%
78%
Mortgage Origination* Distribution – Refinance
44%
53%
43%
22%
Average Balanceof New Mortgage Loans*
$315,543
$294,411
$292,754
$250,002
Number of HELOC Originations*
278,230
212,303
275,854
276,561
Number of Home Equity Loan Originations*
201,381
177,911
181,598
169,315
* Originations are viewed one quarter in arrears to account for reporting lag.
Team Concord
The Concord Insights Team is a collective of industry experts, innovators, and thought leaders dedicated to advancing best practices in financial services, loan portfolio management, and sustainable program development. Drawing on decades of experience serving national and international B2B markets, our team delivers actionable analysis, strategic guidance, and real-world case studies to help organizations navigate a rapidly evolving financial landscape. United by Concord’s core values—daring to innovate, empowering others, and driving positive change—we are committed to sharing knowledge that inspires progress and fosters lasting partnerships.