Credit seems easier to get, survey says, but people worry about missing payments
Credit seems easier to get, survey says, but people worry about missing payments
Hard data is coming out this week about home construction and how mortgage rates are affecting the housing market overall.
There’s also some softer data this week about how people are feeling about the economy and where it’s headed.
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York surveys consumers every month about their economic expectations, and one of the questions it asks is whether people think it’s getting easier or harder to get a loan.
In September, people said that access to credit is a lot better than it was a year ago, and people also think loans will become even more available this time next year.
But that doesn’t necessarily mean people are going out and loading up on debt.
It makes sense that people were more optimistic about getting loans in September than they were earlier in the year.
“People are very pleased that the Fed is now on a downward path,” said Anne Villamil, an economics professor at the University of Iowa.
She said lower interest rates should help more people qualify for loans. But even though a new mortgage or car loan might be cheaper than it was a year ago, Villamil said new debt can still be a bit scary.
“You might be looking at some of this existing debt that you have to pay off and say, ‘Wow, I really need to get this paid down,'” Villamil said.
More people surveyed by the New York Fed anticipated missing a debt payment, the highest level in 3 1/2 years.
“And I think that makes sense of a context of a time when you’re starting to see delinquency rates rise a little bit on the margin,” said Tim Quinlan, senior economist at Wells Fargo.
He said rising delinquency rates are likely having a chilling effect on whether people want to borrow more.
“If we look specifically at revolving credit, which is primarily comprised of credit card debt, that’s actually declined in two out of the past three months and shown only modest growth in the first half of the year,” Quinlan said.
Meanwhile, lenders themselves have been keeping their credit standards tight, according to David Reiling, CEO of Sunrise Banks in Minnesota.
“Our lens is still a little suspicious, or looking for any cracks that we may feel could present some risk that we don’t want to take,” Reiling said.
Reiling said his bank is getting more inquiries about loans. But he’s been focusing on lending to the strongest borrowers because the economy is still so uncertain.
“We’re still not quite confident that it is a soft landing, or how quickly do rates need to go down, and how does this impact employment and ultimately the cost and quality of borrowing,” Reiling said.
Reiling hopes that falling interest rates will make it easier for people and businesses to afford new loans.
But rates just haven’t fallen enough so far.
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