| Instead of selling loans with fixed interest rates, they offer tailored rates based on your credit rating. |
| If the issuer has a bad credit rating, bond traders demand higher yields to compensate for the extra risk. |
| The lower the credit rating, it is believed, the higher the chances are for a country to default on its sovereign debt obligations. |
| It is one of a handful of American companies with an AAA credit rating, something it has sustained for 85 years. |
| Some lenders may view one or two missed repayments relatively benignly and your credit rating may be largely unaffected. |
| Defaulting on a debt to a credit card firm or catalogue company could result in a damaged credit rating but it should not put your home at risk. |
