LOS ANGELES, Calif. (AP) – Fewer U.S. homeowners are falling behind on their mortgage payments, a trend that's brought down the late-payment rate on home loans to the lowest level in six years.

Credit reporting agency TransUnion said Wednesday that the percentage of mortgage holders at least two months behind on their payments fell to 3.46 percent in the second quarter.

That's down from 4.32 percent in the April-June period last year.

All told, the nation's late-payment rate on home loans is down nearly 20 percent from a year ago.

The last time the rate was lower was in the first quarter of 2008, when it stood at 3.39 percent.

The mortgage delinquency rate has been steadily easing over the past two years as U.S. home sales and prices have rebounded and foreclosures have declined.