Mortgage Delinquencies Rise 53% in 2008: Report 

Mortgage loan delinquency increased for the eighth straight quarter, hitting a national average high of 4.58 percent for the fourth quarter of 2008, according to a report released Tuesday by TransUnion. Traditionally seen as a precursor to foreclosures, this statistic is up almost 16 percent from the previous quarter’s 3.96 percent average and up a whopping 53 percent from the same period last year.