11.   The Federal Reserve found in five of the last six quarters the banking industry has tightened underwriting standards on consumer loans, according to the ABA.

12.   The Federal Reserve found that in five of the last six quarters the banking industry has tightened underwriting standards on consumer loans, according to the ABA.

13.   They would not have qualified for their loans if the bank had used traditional underwriting standards.

14.   Underwriting standards were the worst since the Great Depression.

15.   Underwriting standards tend to be higher and credit lines lower, McKinley said.

16.   --Competition and market strategy were the most frequent reasons given for easing underwriting standards.

17.   Increasing competition may compel some sub-prime lenders to compromise underwriting standards and lower pricing in order to protect market share.

18.   Leggett also attributed the decline in the delinquency rates to banks tightening their underwriting standards for consumer credit in the last three years.