Credit card delinquency improves

America, give yourself a pat on the back. According to new data from the American Bankers Association, more of us are paying our credit cards and home equity loans on time -- which is good news in a still shaky economy. Bank card delinquencies dropped from 4.39% in the last quarter of 2009 to 3.88% in the first quarter of this year. This rate is actually below the 15-year average for bank-card delinquencies, and is the lowest rate since 2002. (The ABA regards a delinquency as a payment more than 30 days overdue.)

In related good news, we're also becoming more prompt about paying our home equity loans on time. The delinquency rate slipped down a tick this quarter (to 4.12% from 4.32%), the first decline in two years, according to the ABA.

Also on the mend are on-time payments on home equity lines of credit, property improvement loans, auto loans and personal loans. Unfortunately, delinquencies in some loan categories are still on the rise. Americans are blowing off their payments on boats, RVs and mobile homes to an increasing degree, the ABA's research showed.