We created an online interactive guide to help explain what credit ratings are, and are not, who uses them, and how they may be useful to the capital markets. Credit ratings are one of several tools that investors can use when making decisions about purchasing bonds and other fixed income investments.

This online resource provides an overview of different business models and methodologies used by credit rating agencies. It also describes generally how Standard & Poor’s forms its ratings opinions about issuers and individual debt issues, monitors and adjusts its ratings, and studies ratings changes over time.