Standard and Poor's (S&P) Downgrade of U. S. Government Long-Term Debt

On August 5, 2011, S&P lowered the credit rating of long-term U.S. gov't. debt from AAA to AA+. The downgrade reflects S&P's judgment that: (1) the recent Budget Control Act falls short of what is needed to stabilize the government's fiscal situation; and (2) the capacity of Congress and the Admin. to deal with the debt has become less stable, effective, and predictable. Contents of this report: (1) The Credit Rating Agencies; (2) What the Change Means: U.S. Borrowing Costs; Additional...
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On August 5, 2011, S&P lowered the credit rating of long-term U.S. gov't. debt from AAA to AA+. The downgrade reflects S&P's judgment that: (1) the recent Budget Control Act falls short of what is needed to stabilize the government's fiscal situation; and (2) the capacity of Congress and the Admin. to deal with the debt has become less stable, effective, and predictable. Contents of this report: (1) The Credit Rating Agencies; (2) What the Change Means: U.S. Borrowing Costs; Additional Downgrades of Gov't.-Related Debt; Downgrades of Insurers; Impact on Bank Capital; Investment Funds; Collateral and Margin; Consumers and Bus.; (3) The Longer-Term Outlook. This is a print on demand edition of an important, hard-to-find report.