Hawai'i's credit card delinquencies worsened over the past year as the economy went into an economic tailspin, but the rate remains below the national average.

Trans Union LLC yesterday reported that the percentage of people with payments delinquent by at least three months rose to 0.91 percent of all active card holders in the second quarter.

That rate probably translated into several thousand people having problems paying off their card balances, said Trans Union analyst Ezra Becker, who did not have specific numbers.

Credit card delinquencies have been rising nationally as people lose jobs and have problems with adjustable rate mortgages that have risen.

Nationally, the rate jumped from 1.04 percent in the 2008 second quarter to 1.17 percent in this year's April-to-June period, according to Trans Union, one of the nation's largest credit reporting agencies.

Hawai'i's rate rose from 0.79 last year, when the state had the sixth-lowest delinquency ratio nationwide. This year the second-quarter rate translated into a 12th-place ranking.

Becker said Hawai'i did well considering its economic downturn.

"Given what's happening with the tourism industry lately, I consider that a pretty impressive statistic," said Becker. He noted that people carried an average of $5,690 in bankcard debt per borrower here, just below the national rate of $5,719.

He noted that Hawai'i residents also have managed their debt well, given rising unemployment, pay cuts and lower bonuses.

Trans Union's statistics contrast with the experience of Maui bankruptcy attorney David Cain, who said he has seen a rise in the amount of credit card debt his clients carry. The number of bankruptcies filed in Hawai'i has risen by 67 percent through July compared to the first seven months of last year.

"As far as I can tell it's bigger than it's ever been," said Cain. "We are seeing a lot of people with credit card debt."

He said it's common that someone will come in seeking bankruptcy with $15,000 to $20,000 of card debt. A few years ago, that same person might have been carrying a balance of $8,000 to $12,000 on the cards.

He said people are using credit cards to buy everyday items, such as meals at McDonald's, when they shouldn't be.

"What people have to learn is that you better be a little bit more responsible using that credit card," Cain said. "You can't go to the bake shop or McDonald's and use it."

But Becker said the data Trans Union is seeing shows people are moderating their use of cards and trying to manage their debt better, given the economic environment.

Nationally, consumers have pulled back on spending, and there are reports that people are saving more.

"It is not used nearly as much to buy optional items," Becker said. "It is not an augmentation of their salaries."

Trans Union is still forecasting delinquencies to rise at the end of the year, but at a lower rate than previously expected because a marginal improvement seems to be occurring in the economy.

Some of that is based on unemployment dropping in July to 9.4 percent nationally. In Hawai'i, unemployment declined on a seasonally adjusted basis to 7.0 percent in July from 7.3 percent in June.

Trans Union said it randomly sampled its database of 27 million consumers on an anonymous basis to come up with the quarterly report.