How to read credit ratings?
In S&P Global Ratings long-term rating scale, issuers and debt issues that receive a rating of 'BBB-' or above are generally considered by regulators and market participants to be “investment-grade,” while those that receive a rating lower than 'BBB-' are generally considered to be “speculative-grade.”
In S&P Global Ratings long-term rating scale, issuers and debt issues that receive a rating of 'BBB-' or above are generally considered by regulators and market participants to be “investment-grade,” while those that receive a rating lower than 'BBB-' are generally considered to be “speculative-grade.”
Credit ratings range from the highest credit quality on one end to default or "junk" on the other. A triple-A (AAA or AAa) is the highest credit quality, and C or D (depending on the agency issuing the rating) is the lowest or junk quality.
Credit ratings are considered investment grade if they're BBB or above on the S&P and Fitch scales or Baa3 and above on Moody's scale.
Making on-time payments to creditors, keeping your credit utilization low, having a long credit history, maintaining a good mix of credit types, and occasionally applying for new credit lines are the factors that can get you into the 800 credit score club.
For example, with S&P and Fitch, a rating of AA+ is better than AA, and a rating of AA- is worse than AA but better than A+. Moody's uses numbers to indicate relative quality, with Aa1 being the best Aa rating, followed by Aa2 and Aa3.
Investment grade bonds are assigned “AAA” to “BBB-" ratings from Standard & Poor's and Fitch, and "Aaa" to "Baa3" ratings from Moody's. Junk bonds have lower ratings. The higher a bond's rating, the lower the interest rate it will carry, due to the lower risk, all else equal.
Assigned 'AA-' Issuer Credit Rating; Proposed $3 Billion Senior Unsecured Notes Rated 'AA-' BlackRock Funding, Inc.
While older models of credit scores used to go as high as 900, you can no longer achieve a 900 credit score. The highest score you can receive today is 850. Anything above 800 is considered an excellent credit score.
What is a CCC credit rating?
'CCC' National Ratings denote a very high level of default risk relative to other issuers or obligations in the same country or monetary union.
Bonds rated AAA have the highest ratings assigned by rating agencies. They carry the smallest degree of investment risk. Issuer's capacity to pay interest and principal is extremely strong.
Fitch Ratings - Chicago - 24 May 2023: Fitch Ratings has affirmed all ratings for The Coca-Cola Company (Coca-Cola) and its subsidiary, including the Long-Term Issuer Default Ratings (IDR) at 'A', and Coca-Cola's Short-Term IDR at 'F1'. The Rating Outlook is Stable.
For a conventional mortgage in California, you typically need a minimum score of at least 600. If you qualify for certain government-backed loans, however, you may be able to buy a home with a score as low as 500.
The credit score required and other eligibility factors for buying a car vary by lender and loan terms. Still, you typically need a good credit score of 661 or higher to qualify for an auto loan. About 69% of retail vehicle financing is for borrowers with credit scores of 661 or higher, according to Experian.
| Age Bracket | 2022 |
|---|---|
| 18–25 | 679 (Good) |
| 26–41 | 687 (Good) |
| 42–57 | 706 (Good) |
| 58–76 | 742 (Very Good) |
The latest credit score data is in and as of October 2023, the national average FICO® Score now stands at 717. This is one point lower than it was earlier in 2023 and reflects the first time the metric has decreased in a decade as shown in Figure 1.
The Federal Reserve study does not provide numbers for the average credit card balance per consumer. However, according to Transunion, this figure rose from $5,795 in January 2023 to $6,295 in January 2024.
- Review Your Credit Report. ...
- Pay Your Bills on Time. ...
- Ask for Late Payment Forgiveness. ...
- Keep Credit Card Balances Low. ...
- Keep Old Credit Cards Active. ...
- Become an Authorized User. ...
- Consider a Credit Builder Loan. ...
- Take Out a Secured Credit Card.
- Get More Credit Accounts.
- Pay Down High Credit Card Balances.
- Always Make On-Time Payments.
- Keep the Accounts that You Already Have.
- Dispute Incorrect Items on Your Credit Report.
How to increase credit score by 100 points in 30 days?
- Lower your credit utilization rate.
- Ask for late payment forgiveness.
- Dispute inaccurate information on your credit reports.
- Add utility and phone payments to your credit report.
- Check and understand your credit score.
- The bottom line about building credit fast.
Bonds with a rating of BBB- (on the Standard & Poor's and Fitch scale) or Baa3 (on Moody's) or better are considered "investment-grade." Bonds with lower ratings are considered "speculative" and often referred to as "high-yield" or "junk" bonds.
The S&P and Fitch AAA ratings are the highest assigned to any debt issuer. An AAA rating is the equivalent of the Aaa rating issued by Moody's. AAA ratings are issued to investment-grade debt that has a high level of creditworthiness with the strongest capacity to repay investors.
BBB/Baa is the lowest rating that qualifies for commercial bank investments. It's a borderline group for which, in Standard & Poor's words, adverse economic conditions or changing circ*mstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity to pay interest and repay principal than for bonds in higher-rated categories.
A fallen angel, in the investing world, is a bond that was initially given an investment-grade rating but has since been reduced to junk bond status. The downgrade is caused by a deterioration in the financial condition of the issuer.
