Decades of excessive spending by Congress has caused Moody's to lower America's credit rating. We'll look at federal revenue and spending over the past 59 years.

If a planned fiscal consolidation in Colombia fails to stabilize public debt and comply with fiscal rules, it could lead to a ratings downgrade for the Andean nation, a top Moody's analyst said on Tuesday.

Mortgage rates jumped higher on Monday following Moody's downgrade of U.S. debt, adding to the headwinds facing homebuyers.

Moody’s Ratings has joined Fitch Ratings and S&P Global Ratings as the last credit agencies to downgrade the U.S. economy, the world’s largest. The agency cited the country’s

Asian stocks rose on Tuesday while U.S. Treasury yields steadied allowing a bit of a breathing room for the U.S. dollar as investors took stock of the debt load of the world's biggest economy and awaited trade deals.

If the U.S.’s loss of its final perfect credit rating boosts yields on Treasury debt, it likely would boost the cost of borrowing for both companies and consumers.

The U.S. government is spending far more than it takes in as revenue, causing ever-rising debt — and there is no sign that will change anytime soon. The big picture: Those facts are well-known to anybody who has taken a cursory look at the government's books.

CNBC's 'Mad Money' host and veteran market commentator Jim Cramer has urged investors not to get nervous in the face of concerns like the Moody’s downgrade of U.S. debt . The U.S.'s rising debt stands at $36 trillion as of now.