If the United States had to apply for a loan just like a normal person does and the credit report was pulled, the country would report a FICO score of 655, said Nicholas Colas, ConvergEx Group’s chief market strategist, using the free credit score estimator on myfico.com.

The average U.S. consumer, meanwhile, has a FICO score of 690.

The United States has $16 trillion in outstanding debt and has used about 98 percent of its borrowing capacity, but the country has been borrowing for a long time and hasn’t missed a payment, Colas found, according to MarketWatch.

Editor's Note: 'It’s Curtains for the US' — Hear Unapologetic Warning from Prophetic Economist.

The United States might run into issues at the end of this year, when tax breaks expire at the same time automatic cuts to public spending kick in, a combination known as a fiscal cliff that could send the country into a recession next year if left unchecked by Congress.

Lawmakers so far have been unwilling to address tax and spending issues in an election year, but have said they can return after elections or even in early 2013 and delay tax hikes or spending cuts under a variety of scenarios.

Part of the deal may involve lifting the country’s debt ceiling, similar to 2011 when lawmakers waited until the last minute to raise the government’s borrowing limit and nearly threw the country into default.

Business leaders just want the cliff avoided quickly and painlessly, pointing out that not knowing how much in taxes they will be paying next year is prompting many to delay expanding in new projects and hiring.

“If we don’t deal with the fiscal cliff and don’t deal with predictability on taxes for both citizens and business, with the rest of the world in a struggling state, this is really bad for us,” John Chambers, CEO of network equipment maker Cisco Systems, told Reuters.

Editor's Note: 'It’s Curtains for the US' — Hear Unapologetic Warning from Prophetic Economist.