SEC report on shortcomings in Credit Rating Agencies' Practices and Disclosure to Investors

09 July 2008

We've uncovered serious shortcomings at these firms, including a lack of disclosure to investors and the public, a lack of policies and procedures to manage the rating process, and insufficient attention to conflicts of interest, SEC Chairman Cox said.

The SEC report finds that rating agencies struggled significantly with the increase in the number and complexity of sub-prime residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) and collateralized debt obligations (CDO) deals since 2002. Also, none of the rating agencies examined had specific written comprehensive procedures for rating RMBS and CDOs. Furthermore, significant aspects of the rating process were not always disclosed or even documented by the firms, and conflicts of interest were not always managed appropriately.

 

"We've uncovered serious shortcomings at these firms, including a lack of disclosure to investors and the public, a lack of policies and procedures to manage the rating process, and insufficient attention to conflicts of interest," said SEC Chairman Christopher Cox.

 

Further findings of the Summary Report include: 

 

Press release

Summary Report


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