Severely delinquent mortgage accounts have climbed 15 percent in the past year, according to a National Score Index study published April 30 by consumer credit reports company Experian.

Many U.S. homeowners continue to weather the current credit crunch and real estate market conditions, as the number of severely delinquent mortgage accounts increased 15 percent in one year, according to a National Score Index® study conducted by Experian Consumer Direct, the leading provider of online direct-to-consumer credit reports, scores and monitoring products.