Government shutdown could threaten U.S. credit rating

Fitch Ratings warned it could re-evaluate the U.S.'s triple-A credit rating if the government shutdown continues until March 1 and leads to a debt ceiling breach, Reuters reports.

Why it matters: A credit downgrade would make it harder for the U.S. government to borrow money and raise borrowing costs. During the 2011 debt-ceiling crisis, Standard & Poor's cut the U.S.'s triple-A credit rating for the first time since 1941.