Cars accounted for 35% and real estate 49% of the $1.07 trillion portfolio included in CUNA's Feb. 4 estimates. Total loan growth was 9.1% in 2018, down from 10% in 2017 and 10.4% to 10.5% for the previous two years.

The Fed's G-19 Consumer Credit Report released Thursday also showed a slowing of borrowing. Total consumer debt was $4 trillion in December, up 4.7% from a year earlier. Last year's increase tapered off from a 5% gain for 2017 and 6.8% for 2016.

All lenders held $1.2 trillion in car loans on Dec. 31, up 3.7% from a year earlier. Gains were 3.5% in 2017 and 7.6% in 2016.

Banks followed a similar trend with consumer loans growing 3.9% to reach $1.67 trillion in December, compared with gains of 5.2% in 2017 and 7.3% in 2016.

The G-19 report also showed credit unions held $62.6 billion in credit card debt in December, up 7.2% from a year earlier.  Growth was 10% in 2017 and 7.4% in 2016. Banks held $936 billion in credit card debt in December, up 3.6% from a year earlier.

U.S. consumer debt in December included $1.6 trillion in public and private student loans, up 5.3% from a year earlier.

The 5,625 credit unions in the CUNA report had 118.8 million members in December, up 4.6% from a year earlier. CUNA also estimated:

• Assets grew 5.4% to $1479.4 billion.
• Savings grew 5.4% to $1244.8 billion.
• Capital grew 8.3% to $162.3 billion.
• New auto loans rose 12.3% to $150.5 billion.
• Used auto loans rose 9.7% to $223.1 billion.
• Unsecured loans rose 7% to $106.8 billion.
• Fixed-rate first mortgages rose 7.6% to $306.4 billion.
• Adjustable-rate first mortgages rose 11% to $124.9 billion.
• Second mortgages rose 9.1% to $33.1 billion.
• Home equity lines of credit rose 5.2% to $56.6 billion.