State Bond Rating Reports

Overview

A credit rating is an independent assessment of the creditworthiness of an entity, a bond, or any similar borrowing instrument. It measures the probability of the timely repayment of principal and interest of a debt obligation by the issuer. Generally, a higher credit rating leads to a more favorable effect on the marketability of a bond, likely reducing the interest rate and the resulting debt service to the State. Long-term credit rating symbols are generally assigned with "triple A" as the highest and "triple B" (or Baa) as the lowest in investment grade. Anything below triple B is non-investment grade, and is commonly known as a "junk bond."

Bond Ratings of New England States

Vermont has the highest aggregate credit rating of any state in New England, as of December 2007. The major credit rating agencies are Moody's, Standard & Poor (S & P), and Fitch.

Rating Agency Reports

Fitch Ratings

Moody's Investors Service

Standard & Poor (S & P) Ratings

Special Reports

Moody's Special Comment on 2007 State Debt Medians