About 650,000 US homeowners in trial loan workouts

WASHINGTON Nov 10 (Reuters) - More than 650,000 homeowners have entered into trial loan modifications under President Barack Obama's plan to help the housing market, about one fifth of those eligible, the Treasury Department said on Tuesday.

The Treasury said there are 650,994 active trial modifications through October, or 20 percent of eligible borrowers, up from 487,081 through September. About 16 percent were participating through September.

Treasury did not release figures for trial modifications that have been made permanent. (Reporting by Corbett B. Daly; Editing by James Dalgleish)