PNC Financial Services Group yesterday joined a growing list of big banks temporarily halting home mortgage foreclosures until the Obama administration steps in with its plan to stop an increasing number of distressed borrowers from losing their homes.

Pittsburgh-based PNC, the nation's fifth-largest bank and the biggest in Pennsylvania, said the moratorium on new and pending foreclosures was effective through March 13, or until the U.S. government's mortgage rescue plan kicks in. President Obama was set to announce details of the plan today, which is expected to include at least $50 billion for foreclosure prevention and national guidelines for modifying home loans to lower monthly payments. Unlike previous mortgage aide plans, it was expected that borrowers would not have to be in default to qualify.

JP Morgan Chase, Citigroup, Morgan Stanley and Bank of America were among other major financial institutions agreeing to temporarily suspend foreclosures in recent days after House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank asked bank executives to do so at a hearing Feb. 11. The government-backed mortgage finance companies Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae took similar action last week.

PNC would not say how many borrowers were affected by the move, which covers mortgages owned and serviced by PNC. The bulk of PNC's mortgage loan portfolio was acquired when it took over ailing Cleveland-based National City Corp. Dec. 31.

In addition to the moratorium, PNC said it was being "very aggressive" in helping customers modify a variety of loans so they were more affordable, including mortgage, credit card, education, automobile and personal loans.

Those actions include reducing rates, extending payback terms, temporarily suspending payments and arranging payment plans. The bank determines which customers are eligible for help on a case-by-case basis, spokesman Pat McMahon said.

Among other area banks, Citizens Financial Group, parent of Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania, said it was suspending foreclosures until March 12. The action covers Citizens-owned mortgages on owner-occupied residences and mortgages serviced by Citizens for which understandings with investors have been reached, the bank said.

Cincinnati-based Fifth Third Bank has not decided whether to join a moratorium, a spokeswoman said. Bank of New York Mellon is not in the residential mortgage business.

Downtown-based Dollar Bank does not plan to halt foreclosures, but encourages customers with payment problems to ask about enrolling in the bank's existing foreclosure prevention program, spokesman Jim Carroll said.

Monroeville-based Parkvale Bank said it was not planning a moratorium, either. But the bank has stepped up efforts to keep customers in their homes through a variety of options, including temporary reductions in interest rates, extending loan maturities, offering interest-only payments and suspending payments until home owners get back on their feet or sell their homes, chief lending officer Robert Stephens said.

"The important thing is customers have to communicate with their bank," Mr. Stephens said. "We will try to work with people as best we can."

Indiana, Pa.-based First Commonwealth Financial has not seen a spike in mortgage delinquencies and would not be suspending foreclosures, spokeswoman Susie Barbour said.

Foreclosures soared 81 percent nationwide last year affecting some 2.3 million home owners. Experts project that number could balloon to 10 million in coming years depending on how wobbly the economy gets. Even though mortgage rates are low, many home owners can not refinance because they owe more than their homes are worth due to plunging home prices.

Locally, home owners bucked the national foreclosure trend. Residential foreclosures in the five-county Pittsburgh region dropped by about 7 percent last year to 3,949, down from 4,229 in 2007, according to RealSTATs, a real estate information company. In Allegheny County, there were 2,358 foreclosures last year, down from 2,669 the previous year.