US CONSUMER DELINQUENCIES HIT NEAR-DECADE HIGH U.S. loan delinquencies rose to 4.8% of household debt in Q4, the highest since 2017, driven by low-income and young borrowers. Mortgage defaults surged in lower-income areas, while student-loan delinquencies hit 16.3%, a record. Credit-card and auto loan delinquencies also climbed to 12.7% and 5.2%, respectively, highlighting a split economy despite overall debt rising modestly to $18.8 trillion.(*Walter Bloomberg)