Investors in subprime asset-backed securities may want to hold on to their hats and brace for a wild ride in the months ahead: loose underwriting standards could cause trouble for some recently originated pools of loans. "The credit performance of subprime mortgage pools, as indicated by the amount of loans delinquent at least 60 days, has deteriorated during the last several months," said Moody’s Investors Service in its January 12 Home Equity Index