Fewer Twin Cities residents will be late on their mortgage and credit card bills next year, according to a new 2012 forecast.

TransUnion's 2012 Outlook shows national mortgage loan delinquencies, defined as borrowers being 60 or more days past due, will decline 5 percent in 2012. The delinquency rate has been rising since the second quarter of 2011 and TransUnion expects that trend to continue through the first quarter of next year, when the delinquency rate will then reverse course.

In the Twin Cities, the delinquency rate is expected to fall 8.8 percent - from 3.8 percent at the end of this year to 3.4 percent by year-end 2012.

Credit card delinquencies, defined as 90 days past due, are expected to remain fairly steady, decreasing 7 percent from 0.74 percent at the end of this year to 0.69 percent at the end of 2012. Delinquencies are historically low, having hit their lowest level in 17 years in the second quarter.

In the Twin Cities, credit card delinquencies are expected to remain the same at .56 percent, slightly below the national average.

Since the end of the recession in the second quarter of 2009 through the third quarter of 2011, credit card delinquencies have dropped 48.5 percent in the Twin Cities, compared to 39.3 percent nationwide.