This post was written by Cindy Kraft, the CFO Coach, who is a career and personal-brand strategist for CFOs and corporate finance executives.
SmartPulse — our weekly nonscientific reader poll in SmartBrief for CFOs — tracks feedback from leading CFOs and senior finance executives. We run the poll question each Wednesday in our e-newsletter.
Last week, we asked: What do you think of S&P’s downgrading of the U.S. credit outlook to negative?
| It’s a strong warning to Congress to get its fiscal house in order |  76.64% |
| It’s nothing serious — just a public slap on the wrist for show |  10.28% |
| It’s a sure sign we’re on the way to losing our triple-A rating |  9.81% |
| It’s a ploy to get Congress to raise the debt ceiling |  3.27% |
A clear sign: An overwhelming majority of you see the S&P downgrade as a serious issue, with another 10% concerned about losing our AAA rating. The question is, will Congress interpret this downgrade as seriously as some of the brightest finance minds in the country?