Standard & Poor's reaches $1.5 billion settlement
Standard & Poor's will pay $1.5 billion to resolve litigation alleging that the ratings agency issued inflated grades on mortgage bonds before the 2008 financial crisis.
S&P will pay $687.5 million to the U.S. Department of Justice, and 19 states and the District of Columbia "will share a similar amount," The Wall Street Journal reports. The company also reached a separate $125 million deal with the California Public Employees' Retirement System (Calpers).
The U.S. government had alleged that S&P wittingly misled investors by claiming its mortgage bond grades were independent and objective, the Journal reports. The ratings' inaccuracy helped cause the financial crisis during the housing market's collapse. But S&P won't admit wrongdoing as part of the settlement, according to the Journal. —Meghan DeMaria
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Iframe Code
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Meghan DeMaria is a staff writer at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked for USA Today and Marie Claire.
-
India's lengthening working week
Under The Radar Fourteen-hour work days, meetings during holidays, and no overtime are just part of the job in India's workplace culture
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Crossword: October 7, 2024
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Sudoku hard: October 7, 2024
The Week's daily hard sudoku puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
Ports reopen after dockworkers halt strike
Speed Read The 36 ports that closed this week, from Maine to Texas, will start reopening today
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Empty-nest boomers aren't selling their big homes
Speed Read Most Americans 60 and older do not intend to move, according to a recent survey
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Brazil accuses Musk of 'disinformation campaign'
Speed Read A Brazilian Supreme Court judge has opened an inquiry into Elon Musk and X
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Disney board fends off Peltz infiltration bid
Speed Read Disney CEO Bob Iger has defeated activist investor Nelson Peltz in a contentious proxy battle
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Disney and DeSantis reach detente
Speed Read The Florida governor and Disney settle a yearslong litigation over control of the tourism district
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Visa and Mastercard agree to lower swipe fees
Speed Read The companies will cap the fees they charge businesses when customers use their credit cards
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Reddit IPO values social media site at $6.4 billion
Speed Read The company makes its public debut on the New York Stock Exchange
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Housing costs: the root of US economic malaise?
speed read Many voters are troubled by the housing affordability crisis
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published