What Moody’s downgrade of U.S. credit rating means for your money

Moody’s choice to downgrade the U.S. credit rating might have penalties on your cash, specialists say.

The debt downgrade put speedy strain on bond costs, sending yields larger on Monday morning. The 30-year U.S. bond yield traded above 5% and the 10-year yield topped 4.5%, hitting key ranges at a time when the financial system is already displaying indicators of pressure from President Donald Trump’s unfolding tariff coverage.

Treasury bonds affect charges for a variety of client loans like 30-year fixed mortgages, and to some extent additionally have an effect on merchandise together with auto loans and bank cards.

“It is actually exhausting to keep away from the impression on shoppers,” mentioned Brian Rehling, head of worldwide mounted revenue technique at Wells Fargo Funding Institute.

The key credit standing company reduce the US’ sovereign credit rating on Friday by one notch to Aa1 from Aaa, the very best attainable.

In doing so, it cited the growing burden of the federal authorities’s price range deficit. Republicans’ makes an attempt to make President Donald Trump’s 2017 tax cuts permanent as a part of the reconciliation bundle threaten to extend the federal debt by trillions of {dollars}.

“When our credit standing goes down, the expectation is that the price of borrowing will enhance,” mentioned Ivory Johnson, a licensed monetary planner and founding father of Delancey Wealth Administration in Washington, D.C.

That is as a result of when “a rustic represents an even bigger credit score threat, the collectors will demand to be compensated with larger rates of interest,” mentioned Johnson, a member of CNBC’s Financial Advisor council.

People struggling to maintain up with sky-high curiosity expenses aren’t prone to get a lot aid any time quickly amid Moody’s downgrade.

“Financial uncertainty, particularly concerning tariff coverage, has the Fed — and numerous companies — on maintain,” mentioned Ted Rossman, a senior trade analyst at Bankrate.

Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic mentioned on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” Monday that he now sees only one rate cut this year because the central financial institution tries to stability inflationary pressures with worries of a possible recession. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell additionally not too long ago famous that tariffs might sluggish development and enhance inflation, making it tougher to decrease the central financial institution’s benchmark as previously expected. 

Douglas Boneparth, one other CFP and the president of Bone Fide Wealth in New York, agreed that the downgrade may translate to larger rates of interest on client loans.

“Downgrades can increase borrowing prices over time,” mentioned Boneparth, who can also be on CNBC’s FA council.

“Assume larger charges on mortgages, bank cards, and private loans, particularly if confidence in U.S. credit score weakens additional,” he mentioned.

Though credit cards and auto loan rates extra straight observe the federal funds price, the nation’s monetary challenges additionally play a key position within the Federal Reserve’s stance on rates of interest. “The fed funds price is larger than it could be if the U.S. was in a greater fiscal scenario,” Rehling mentioned.

Since December 2024, the in a single day lending price has been in a variety between 4.25%-4.5%. Because of this, the common bank card price is at present 20.12%, down solely barely from a report 20.79% set final summer season, in accordance with Ted Rossman, a senior trade analyst at Bankrate. 

Bank card charges are inclined to mirror Fed actions, so “larger for longer” would maintain the common bank card price round 20% by way of the remainder of the yr, Rossman mentioned.

Earlier than its downgrade, Moody’s was the final of the foremost credit standing companies to have the U.S. on the highest attainable score.

Customary & Poor’s downgraded the nation’s credit standing in August 2011, and Fitch Rankings reduce it in August 2023. “We have been by way of this earlier than,” Rehling mentioned.

Nonetheless, the transfer highlights the nation’s fiscal challenges, Rehling mentioned: “The U.S. nonetheless maintains its dominance because the secure haven financial system of the world, nevertheless it places some chinks within the armor.”