S&P Faces Inquiry Over Mortgage Security Ratings

Source: NPR The Justice Department is investigating whether Standard & Poor's improperly boosted ratings on mortgage securities that later turned out to be toxic, helping trigger the worst financial crisis in decades. NPR has confirmed the investigation, first reported Wednesday by The New York Times. A source familiar with the probe told NPR on Thursday that the Department of Justice has an open civil investigation of S&P that began before the credit rating agency's controversial decision earlier this month to [...]