S&P Launches 'Understanding Ratings' Website to Educate Investors
Standard & Poor’s (S&P) has launched ‘Understanding Ratings’, a new information and education resource for investors. The website brings together – free of charge – articles, videos, podcasts, and educational guides to provide insights into what credit ratings are (and what they are not), the processes by which S&P produces ratings, and how those ratings have performed over time.
“Discussions with investors around the world over the past two years have consistently highlighted their desire for more transparency about how ratings are determined,” said Bruce Schachne, vice president of market development at S&P. “Credit ratings continue to serve as benchmarks for creditworthiness, and investors continue to use credit ratings and research as part of their investment decision making processes. Investors seek a better understanding of how S&P arrives at its ratings – what the methodologies are, what role the analysts play in the process, and how ratings perform. UnderstandingRatings.com was designed to meet the information and ratings transparency needs of the investment community, particularly pension funds and plan sponsors. Moreover, our ratings and research are aimed at helping investors better identify and understand credit risks.”
UnderstandingRatings.com focuses on three core elements of credit ratings: