Credit card delinquencies edge lower

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In a sign of the recovering economy -- and no doubt more restrictions put on consumers seeking credit -- the number of bank credit card customers who are seriously delinquent is falling.

According to credit-tracking firm TransUnion, 0.82% of card holders were more than 90 days late in paying on at least one card during the fourth quarter. That was down more than 32% from a year ago.

TransUnion said in a report released Tuesday that with the economic recovery in full swing, the decrease in the ratio of bank card borrowers delinquent has flattened out considerably. Compared with last quarter, credit card delinquencies edged downward by only 1.2%.

In California, where delinquencies had risen to 1.6% two years ago, they had fallen to well under 1% last quarter.

-- E. Scott Reckard