A financial institution Trans Unions gave us their quarterly analysis of the new trends in the mortgage industry. They discovered that mortgage loan delinquency increased for the twelfth straight quarter and hit 6.89 percent, which is an all time national average high. This is the only time in American history where delinquency rates increased and did not decelerate after three consecutive periods.

This statistic is normally considered a forerunner to foreclosure and it increased by 10.24 percent from the previous quarter\’s 6.25 percent average. The rate at which mortgage borrowers went delinquent is up by about 50 percent, up from 4.58 percent.

Mortgage borrower delinquency rates in the fourth quarter of 2009 were highest in Nevada and Florida while the lowest mortgage delinquency rates were North Dakota, South Dakota and Alaska. Areas that showed the biggest amount of growth in delinquency from the quarter before were the District of Columbia, Delaware and Louisiana. Each state in the United States saw an increase in mortgage delinquency rates.

The information collected was not totally horrible for the mortgage sector in the fourth quarter. Thirty eight Metropolitan Statistical Areas actually pointed to a decrease in their mortgage loan delinquency rates since the third quarter. Areas in Oregon, Indiana and Pennsylvania boasted the most improved credit conditions.

The variations in delinquency point to the fact that the recession and eventual recovery are both contingent on house price conditions and unemployment levels. A bit of good news is that in the third and fourth quarters of 2008, the median price of single family homes that already existed plummeted to almost seven percent between 2008\’s third and fourth quarters, but in 2009 it only dropped -0.4 percent between the third and fourth quarters of 2008.

What does this mean for the future? TransUnion predicts that 60 day mortgage delinquencies will hit a high between 7.5 and 8 percent over the course of 2010. In addition, it is believed that Nevada will experience the highest mortgage delinquency rate by the middle of 2010, and North Dakota is expected to continue to show the lowest mortgage delinquency rate by the summer.

Mallory Megan works for a debt collection agency. She also writes stories on business and finance, credit industry and http://www.linkedin.com/companies/rapid-recovery-solution-inc.?trk=ppro_cprof&lnk=vw_cprofile Get a totally unique version of this article from our article submission service

What do you do if your income diminishes? You have less money, but the amount of debt you owe remains the same. What’s the best way to prioritize payments? If you have credit cards chances are you might also have personal loans and a mortgage.

Over the past few years, more consumers in a bind due to dwindling income have decided that credit cards should be higher than their mortgage payments on the prioritization list. As 2009 ended it was determined that twice as many consumers were delinquent with their mortgage payments while paying credit card payments than the other way around.

Despite the fact that some of this might be due to the credit crunch and lower balances on cards in general, this may be due to the typical tendency for people to lose faith in the value of their homes as they see the real estate market dwindle. A lot of homeowners are giving up and simply walking away from their homes with mortgages that they cannot afford. They figure that if the only punishment is a bad credit score, there isn’t much incentive for them to keep paying money if they are not building equity.

For families suffering from financial trouble, the basic necessities are still needed: food, water and shelter. Credit cards are the usual financing tactic in times of need. There is an understandable set of reasoning for prioritizing these bills. If a credit card is taken away, someone will lose the chance to pay for the bare necessities.

But a mortgage should be a higher priority than credit cards because the mortgage is secured debt. The bank that holds your mortgage can take your house away if you don’t pay because your house is collateral. While some people have no problem abandoning a house whose value has decreased, it’s not considered a very wise choice. There is a good chance real estate value eventually will come around, so sitting tight might pay off.

Mallory McGuinness works for a debt collection agency. Also, she composes articles on the credit industry, business and finance, and debt collection Get a totally unique version of this article from our article submission service

Layoffs and pay cuts moved more people into bankruptcy last year, and researchers are asserting that the situation is most likely not going to improve until the unemployment issue improves. In Wisconsin, bankruptcy filings raised to 30 percent in 2009. This came on top of a 35 percent increase in the preceding year.

According to bankruptcy lawyers, not only is it layoffs and firings that are motivation to file. It’s the losses of once-regular over time pay and full time status that have left consumers unable to keep up with monthly payments that in the past were not an issue to pay.

U.S. Bankruptcy Court data illustrates that there were 27,413 bankruptcy petitions filed in Wisconsin last year. More than 80% were Chapter 7 cases. Chapter 7 cases take away medical bills, credit card balances, and other types of debt. Recent Research by The Associated Press illustrated that more than 1.4 million bankruptcies were filed in 2009, an increase of about 32% from 2008.

And although bankruptcy annihilates the looming debt and offers consumers a fresh financial start, people often remain unemployed and are unable to find employment to get an adequate income again.

Even worse, unless the economy improves enough for businesses to start hiring, there is not much reason to believe that bankruptcies will go down in 2010. Experts have noted that home foreclosures will continue to pile up in 2010 because people who previously had adequate credit have lost employment and cannot keep up with payments.

Bankruptcy could seem like an adequate option to get a fresh start, but it has a negative effect on your credit report for ten years, leaving you unable to get a car, place of residence, or employment. Before declaring bankruptcy, it is a wise decision to speak with your creditors and see if some sort of repayment plan can be worked out.

Mallory Megan is an employee at a debt collection company. Also, she writes pieces on the credit industry, business, finance, and debt collection. You are welcome to reprint this article – but get your own unique content version here.