Trends in Financial Services

The Beige Book published by the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City summarizes the information collected from business and other contacts outside the Federal Reserve System. The release of April 24 includes comments received relating to financial services. The following are a few verbatim excerpts that should interest those involved in financial services. More details can be found on the Federal Reserve Board's website.

Demand for bank loans held steady or rose modestly in most districts. Banks in the Cleveland, San Francisco and Atlanta districts reported some increase in demand for consumer loans and home purchase mortgages. Changes in credit quality showed clear patterns. At banks in the New York district, delinquencies fell for consumer loans and residential mortgages. At banks in the Atlanta district, consumer delinquencies increased but remain manageable. Banks in the New York district continued to tighten standards for all types of loans except residential mortgages.