A representative of the Iowa Bankers Association says the latest facts and figures show Iowans, in general, are doing better than borrowers in other states.
“Mortgage delinquencies have been and remain consistently lower than the rest of the nation,” says Sharon Presnall, a senior vice president for the Iowa Bankers Association, “and Iowa consistently has the lowest credit card debt than all of the states.”
There has been “steady improvement” in Iowa banks, according to Presnall.
“Total deposits in Iowa institutions increased to $57.6 billion year to date, which is an increase of $3.1 million from the third quarter of 2011,” she says.
Iowa banks have more than $42 billion worth of loans on the books, a slight increase of about $3 billion over the third quarter last year. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s third quarter report indicates less than 1.5 percent of loans in Iowa have reached the 90-days-past-due stage. The national delinquency rate is double what it is in Iowa.
Presnall is the Iowa Banking Association’s chief statehouse lobbyist and she made her comments earlier this month during a public hearing in the governor’s office. About 18,000 Iowans are employed at the 340 banking institutions that are part of the Iowa Bankers Association.