WASHINGTON — CUNA's latest monthly credit union estimates showedloans decreasing and savings jumping in February.

Loans fell just a bit by 0.1% in February. The few categoriesthat demonstrated increases–other mortgages, fixed-rate firstmortgages, and other loans led growth–were slight at 0.7%, 0.6%,and 0.4% respectively. On the other hand, unsecured personal loansdropped 1.5% while credit card loans were down 1.1% and home equityloans were down 0.7%. New and used car loans were also down 0.6%each for the month of February.

NAFCU reported that in March, vehicle sales–particularly lighttrucks–in general declined from 16.6 million units in February to16.3 million last month. Toyota and Nissan reported increased salesin March, while none of the Big Three U.S. manufacturers reportedan increase. “The domestic manufacturers share of the total vehiclemarket decreased to 52.3%, after rising dramatically during theprevious month to a level of 54.1%,” NAFCU reported.

“While vehicle sales during the first three months of this yearwere weaker than the same period last year, the effects of thesoftening housing market, tightening lending standards and risinggasoline prices are likely to dampen the pace of vehicle sales overthe course of the year,” NAFCU Chief Economist Tun Wai wrote in theMacro Data Flash. “NAFCU forecasts that vehicle sales this yearwill decline to 15.9 million units from 16.5 million units in2006.”

Savings growth was led by share drafts up 4.8% with moneymarkets and certificates up 2.0% and 1.4%, respectively, CUNA'sMonthly Credit Union Estimates found in February. Regular sharesfell 2.2% and individual retirement accounts were down 0.8%. “Withsavings out pacing loan growth, credit union's averageloan-to-savings ratio decreased from 83.0% in January to 81.3% inFebruary,” according to CUNA's economists.

Meanwhile the average capital-to-asset ratio decreased from11.5% in January to 11.4% in February and delinquencies held steadyat 0.5% in February. –[email protected]