14 Quotes by James Chessen

The fall in delinquencies was a welcome change, but signs of financial stress still are present.

Gas prices don't look like they are coming down any time soon. Today, it costs $500 more than it did last year to operate a car. That's a whole lot of money.

The industry is very sensitive to the fact that delinquencies have risen over the last two years. They have already taken steps to tighten underwriting standards -- to stop solicitations to risky customers.

The full financial effect of Katrina is still unknown. It may be many months before its impact is reflected in the delinquency picture and will depend on the success of reconstruction efforts in those regions.

The last two quarters have not been pretty. Gas prices are taking huge chunks out of wallets, leaving some individuals with little left to meet their financial obligations.