Now Moody's Issues A Warning Re US Debt

[privateinvestor]

Ratings agency Moody's repeated a warning on Monday it could downgrade the United States before 2013 if the fiscal or economic outlook weakens significantly, but said it saw the potential for a new debt agreement in Washington to cut the budget deficit before then.

With U.S. markets still to open after rival Standard & Poor's stripped the United States of its AAA rating late on Friday, Moody's said in a statement its own decision to affirm the AAA rating on August 2 was on the condition that further cuts were found.

"For the Aaa rating to remain in place, we would look for further measures that would result in the ratio of federal government debt to GDP, for example, peaking not far above the projected 2012 level of near 75 percent by the middle of the decade and then declining over the longer term," Moody's analyst Steven Hess wrote in a report.

"Last week's agreement suggests that coming to an agreement that would meet this criterion by early 2013 will be challenging, given the political polarization, but not necessarily impossible."

Questions about whether U.S. lawmakers will be able to agree on further budget savings next year lie at the center of the disagreement between the two ratings agencies.

While S&P downgraded the United States to AA-plus after last week's debt deal fell short of its expectations, Moody's is willing to give the government more time tackle its debt problems.

Moody's said the United States "continues to exhibit the characteristics compatible with a Aaa rating" despite the expected further deterioration in the government's debt metrics in the next few years.

"Over time, this status could be threatened if further measures to address the long-term fiscal situation are not adopted, but it is early to conclude that such measures will not be forthcoming," Hess said.

© 2011 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters.


money.msn.com/business-news/article.aspx?feed=OBR&date=20110808&id=14067538

[floridayankee]

Good thing we increased our debt ceiling to "save our credit rating". I seem to remember another fear mongering prediction about keeping unemployment below 8% and stimulus....

I wish more people could get past party propaganda see the forest through the trees.....

[reasonfreedom]

Good think Obama has his genius adviser Geithner in office. ROFLMAO

[Deleted]

I wish more people could get past party propaganda see the forest through the trees.....

It's a puzzler to me as to why they can't see something that is obviously propaganda. I have to say that I think that it's much more than just propaganda that's convincing people that black isn't black, it's white. More & more I'm slowly coming to the conclusion that it's something within the people themselves. Of course this isn't all democrats because some of them are reasonable people.

[reasonfreedom]

Who cares about Moodys any ways? They rated the subprime mortgages AAA. ROFLMAO

[privateinvestor]

Don't you think that the rating downgrades will have a ripple effect?? The stock markets seem to think so if you check it out

[floridayankee]

Aug 8, 2011 9:56:46 GMT -5 @oldtex said:

More & more I'm slowly coming to the conclusion that it's something within the people themselves.

Law of Humanistics

The First Law: Most people are stupid.

Corollary to the First Law: Able-bodied doesn't mean able-brained.

The Second Law: Most people don't realize that the first law applies to them.

Corollary to the Second Law: If you know you're subject to the First Law, you're ahead of the game.

The Third Law: Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day. Give a man a soapbox and he'll talk until he proves he's subject to the first law of humanistics.

The Fourth Law: Most people think they get smarter and wiser as they age. In reality, they just prove themselves subject to the Second Law of Humanistics more often.

Corollary to the Fourth Law: Beauty is fleeting. Stupid lasts forever.

The Fifth Law: The greater the number of people in a group, the dumber their ideas.

The Sixth Law of Humanistics, also known as the Limerick Law:
Some people are full of hot air
If you're one, do not despair
If you talk loud enough
And you use enough fluff
People will believe you're Voltaire

[maui1]

Who cares about Moodys any ways? They rated the subprime mortgages AAA.

our fed reserve bank, our gov't, our investigative agencies, our news agencies, our banks, and most of the people in country didn't do anything either.

if i were a doctor, i would come to a medical conclusion, to 100% certainty, that greed is the direct cause for blindness.

[BeenThere...DoneThat...]

...another warning about US debt? ...I coulda told you that...

[maui1]

i knew something was wrong, but didn't know about cdos, and therefore did not know how to directly capitalize on what seemed obvious.

i did get prepared for the fallout though, but our gov't, in all their wisdom, has made what seemed the right decision of preparedness, the absolutely wrong decision.

i had paid off all debt, got into a strong cash position, and was ready to buy all the properties that would go on the market at 1/2 price, but that was 4 years ago and 6 bailouts ago, and we are still f---ing around with the housing market and the delayed fallout of the housing market bubble bursting.

i did not get hurt on anything but my home value falling, and other than the 2 small rental units that i picked up at the end of last year.......i have not been able to see the housing direction, let alone get involved in it.

[reasonfreedom]

Aug 8, 2011 11:44:44 GMT -5 @privateinvestor said:

Don't you think that the rating downgrades will have a ripple effect?? The stock markets seem to think so if you check it out

I am talking about Moody's not the other rating agencies. Moody's are a bunch of clowns and Buffet puppets, Warren Buffet is heavily invested into Moody's and the Government.