Iowans have lowest average credit card debt

A new report shows Iowans continued to have the lowest average credit card debt in the nation at the end of the third quarter on Sept. 30.

Chicago-based TransUnion's quarterly analysis of trends in the credit card industry found that Iowans had average credit card debt of $3,807 in the third quarter, up slightly from $3,792 in the second quarter of 2010. Trailing Iowa were North Dakota residents with average credit card debt of $4,103 and South Dakota with average credit card debt of $4,196.

The highest state average credit card debt remained in Alaska at $7,159, followed by Hawaii at $5,716 and North Carolina at $5,640.

The report, issued Monday, revealed that the national credit card delinquncy rate (the ratio of bank-issued card borrowers 90 days or more delinquent on one or more of their credit cards) decreased to 0.83 percent in the third quarter, down almost 9.8 percent over the previous quarter. Year over year, credit card delinquencies fell by 24.6 percent.

Dubuque experienced the largest decline in credit card delinquency from the second quarter of all metropolitan areas in the United States at 48.4 percent . The metropolitan area with the largest increase in delinquency since last quarter was Lewiston, Idaho, at 92.7 percent.

TransUnion said its analysis that more than 8 million consumers stopped actively using bank-issued, general purpose credit cards over the past year. The decline is believed to be due in part to more conservative spending and significant efforts by consumers across the board to maintain their credit card as a financial cushion.

TransUnion said it found consumers with higher incomes were just as likely as consumers with lower incomes to stop using their bank-issued credit cards.

“The vast majority of the consumers who do not possess or have stopped using credit cards continue to have and use other forms of revolving and installment credit, and of course still need to pay for necessities,” said Ezra Becker, vice president of research and consulting in TransUnion's financial services business unit. “In 2009, well over 70 million consumers did not have an active, general purpose bank-issued credit card.

“During the course of a year, more than 8 million additional consumers joined their ranks, making it one of the fastest growing consumer segments.”

Becker said the decline in credit card delinquency rates is a positive sign for the economy long term.

“Consumers continue to show fiscal responsibility in paying down their credit card obligations,” he said. “Based on our current economic assumptions, TransUnion believes that the 90-day credit card delinquency rate could continue to decrease through the remainder of 2010, perhaps reaching as low as 0.75 percent by the end of the year.”