Serious delinquency rates on home-equity loans held by banks and thrifts continued to decline in the first quarter of 2011, according to the Inside Mortgage Finance Bank Mortgage Database. However, the improved performance was led by home-equity lines of credit as the non-accrual rate on closed-end seconds increased compared with the previous quarter. The HEL serious delinquency rate (90+ days late plus non-accrual) and net charge off rates for combined HELOC and closed-end second portfolios was 2.09 percent at the end of the first quarter of 2011. That was down ... [includes one data chart]