Capital One saw charge offs and delinquencies decrease in December

Capital One Financial had fewer instances of charge offs and delinquency in December as consumers continued to improve their finances and get a better handle on their credit card debt, according to the company's monthly regulatory filing.

The company saw charge offs – credit card debt so late on payments that the company writes it off as uncollectable – decrease considerably, dipping to 7.01 percent in December from 7.56 percent the previous month. Meanwhile, its delinquency rate – accounts 30 or more days behind – fell to 4.09 percent from November's 4.26 percent.

Capital One is typically the first major lender to release information about its borrowers' delinquent and defaulted credit card debt every month. Like most issuers, it has seen these rates decline significantly over the last several months as consumers had a better time dealing with their finances.