
This section of MunicipalBonds.com features educational articles geared toward teaching investors on the basics of municipal bonds and municipal bond investing.
Is Economic Rebound Certain for Local and State Governments in 2021?
2021-01-21The U.S. local and state economies contribute over 10% to the national GDP, and their economic...
Municipal Debt Outlook for 2021
2021-01-08With 2020 in our rearview mirror, the year 2021 will likely be a year of change along with...
How Muni Bonds Fared in 2020 and What to Expect in 2021
2020-12-23Municipal bonds fared better than expected throughout 2020 despite the global pandemic and...
The Unpredictable Future of Publicly Funded Stadiums
2020-12-16Despite the positive news on the COVID-19 vaccine and the federal government’s efforts to mass...
Premium Bonds As a Cushion for Rising Rates
2020-11-26In the mid-1990s, the United States was emerging from a recession and facing unbalanced budgets,...
From Service Cuts to Budget Shortfalls: What Is in Store for American Transportation Agencies?
2020-11-25With a continued historic decline in ridership numbers and no additional federal help in sight,...
What Does President-elect Joe Biden’s Presidency Mean for Municipal Debt Markets?
2020-11-11In more ways than one, the 2020 American presidential election was a historic one: Joseph R....
Assessing the Impact of COVID-19 on the Municipal Debt Market
2020-10-28The municipal bond market was in great shape prior to the COVID-19 outbreak. After the passage of...
The Fiscal Future of American Cities Beyond 2020
2020-10-14As we are nearing the end of calendar-year 2020, contrary to earlier expectations and political...
Potential Impacts of Political Shift in the United States
2020-10-05From the widespread Coronavirus pandemic to the worldwide economic halt, 2020 also happens to be...
The New Normal for Local Governments and Credit Rating Downgrades
2020-09-21Between unemployment and underemployment at the individual level to impaired income sources for...
Stadium Bonds: A Homerun or Strike Out During the COVID-19 Pandemic?
2020-09-02The smell of fresh peanuts in the air. Frank Sinatra’s ‘Take me out to the ball game’ playing on...
Local Governments’ Fiscal Resilience to be Tested Long After COVID-19
2020-08-20All local governments throughout the United States are facing some serious fiscal and other...
College Towns Across the U.S. Are Bearing the Brunt of COVID-19
2020-08-05In the wake of COVID-19, California’s largest higher public education institution, California...
Transportation Agencies Are Bracing For The Worst
2020-07-22Widespread public fear of traveling and especially using public transportation paired with the...
Lost Tax Revenues and Potential Budget Cuts: The New Normal for Local Government Finances
2020-07-08As the entire country is still struggling to emerge from COVID-19, local and state governments...
Future of Airport Debt in the Midst of Travel Restrictions Around the World
2020-06-10The constant fear of COVID-19 and the uncertainty about the longevity of its financial impacts...
Sales Tax Revenue Forecast and Federal CARES Act in the Current Economic Downturn
2020-05-06With a “shelter-in-place” directive, rising unemployment figures and Coronavirus fears, the...
Getting Familiar with Education Sector Municipal Debt
2020-04-22Believe it or not, schools are the second-largest public infrastructure investment in America...
Understanding the New Wave of Green Debt
2020-02-05Municipal debt markets can cater to everyone from a conservative investor looking for principal...
Understanding Municipal Debt Backed by Transportation Districts
2019-11-27Transportation debt is unique in the way that it’s often issued for projects that can take a long...
Learnings from the Private Sector for Local Government Operations
2019-11-13The concept of public private partnership is nothing new and you will often see a strong presence...
Understanding Private Activity Bonds
2019-10-02In the fixed-income world, a private activity bond (PAB) is tax-exempt security issued by or on...
What Is a Dedicated Tax-Backed Municipal Debt?
2019-09-04A string of municipal bankruptcies following the 2008 financial crisis forced many investors to...
Everything You Need to Know About the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board
2019-08-07The municipal bond market is worth nearly four trillion dollars and directly supports municipal...
The Importance of Monitoring Municipal Bonds
2019-07-12The municipal bond market may not be as fast-moving as the equity or futures markets, but that...
Municipal Debt and the Looming Recession Talks
2019-06-26As the U.S. economy continues its longest period of growth and expansion, many leading economists...
How to Choose a Municipal Advisor
2019-06-12State and local governments rely on municipal securities to raise money to finance projects for...
Criminal Justice Reform – An Attractive Political Soundbite?
2019-05-29The American prison system is an $84 billion industry that has been viewed as a lucrative and...
Treasury vs. Muni Yield Curves: What Investors Need to Know
2019-05-15Most investors are familiar with interest rates, but it’s important to look beyond the headline...
Financial Implications of Natural Disasters on Local Governments and Investors
2019-05-01Whether it’s the draughts in California or hurricanes in the southeast parts of the United...
A Sanguine Paradigm for Local Governments to Curb Uncollected Sales Tax Revenues
2019-04-17Given the rapid change in technology and access to information, it’s safe to say that U.S....
Introduction to a Conduit Bond
2019-04-03The municipal bond market began as a general obligation market similar to the Treasury market....
What Makes Muni Bonds Attractive in 2019?
2019-03-06The municipal bond market has experienced its fair share of headwinds over the past few years,...
Know the Situations When Munis Don’t Offer Tax-Free Benefits
2019-02-20Many fixed-income investors gravitate towards municipal debt as an investment option because of...
Chapter 9 Bankruptcy: An Overview
2019-01-23As investors familiarize themselves with their respective issuer’s credit profile, they are...
Guide to Understanding an Official Statement for Municipal Debt
2019-01-09Prior to structuring or issuing any form of debt, the municipal issuer (local government)...
What Are Continuing Disclosures?
2018-12-26The municipal bond market is one of the largest markets in the world, with about $3.9 trillion...
Understanding the Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports (CAFRs) to Make Your Investment Decisions
2018-12-12As an investor in local government debt instruments, you might often hear the term ‘CAFR’ and its...
Yield Curve Inversion Risk
2018-11-28Investors often hear the term “yield curve” and how certain forces in financial markets and...
Municipal Bonds vs. Corporate Bonds: The Better Investment Vehicle
2018-09-05Everything from corporate debt to municipal debt instruments, the sheer size of U.S. capital...
Evaluating Municipal Debt Instruments Using Muni Bond Indices
2018-08-08Like other capital markets, municipal debt markets are made up of a wide array of debt...
The Markup Rule for Municipal Bonds
2018-06-21In bond transactions, investors are often curious to know the price that they pay for their...
Three Sneaky Ways Brokers or Dealers Can Take Advantage of Bond Transactions
2018-05-24Whether you are managing your own investment portfolio or a private or public institution looking...
How Does Inflation Impact Municipal Bonds?
2018-04-26Due to the ability of fixed-income instruments to produce fixed and recurring income, bond...
Profit by Exploiting These Factors
2018-02-15The relationship between different securities has always been central to financial analysis....
Impact on Muni Bonds of New Accounting Guidelines for Local Governments
2018-02-08New changes in accounting standards for state and local governments regarding retiree healthcare...
How Broad Perception Drives the Muni Market
2018-01-11The municipal bond market may seem rather straightforward with very low default rates and...
Introduction to Muni Bond Closed-Ended Funds
2017-12-28Municipal debt with investment grade ratings are generally regarded as a safer form of investment...
The Yield Curve and its Impact on Muni Bond Valuations
2017-10-12The municipal debt markets are comprised of a wide array of issuers and their respective debt...
Interpreting Credit Ratings for Municipal Debt
2017-09-21Almost every municipal debt investor puts the majority of their faith into the credit rating...
Introduction to Credit Cycle
2017-08-10Sir John Templeton once said, “Bull markets are born on pessimism, grow on skepticism, mature on...
Potential Benefits of All-To-All Trading in Muni Markets
2017-06-22The slow and steady electronification of municipal debt trading processes has certainly had a...
The Rise of E-Trading Platforms in the Fixed-Income Market
2017-06-15Electronic trading in the fixed-income market has experienced a surge as new platforms have come...
The Impact of Trump’s Policies on Sanctuary Cities
2017-06-08The Executive Orders (EOs) signed by President Trump have garnered plenty of national and...
Underwriter Spreads and How They Work for Munis
2017-05-11The process of registering, issuing and selling municipal bonds is a complicated endeavor that...
Introduction to Municipal Bonds Electronic Trading Platforms
2017-05-04Municipal bonds are used to finance everything from parking lots to airports, but buying a bond...
Top 10 Free Resources for Muni Market Updates
2017-04-20Municipal bonds are an important fixed income asset class for investors seeking above-market...
Better Disclosures to Deter Muni Market Frauds
2017-03-16The U.S. municipal bond market reached a new milestone by issuing more than $445 billion in...
Implications of European and Japanese Investments for the U.S. Muni Bond Market
2017-01-05The municipal bond market is commonly used by high-net worth individuals in the U.S. for their...
Should Municipal Notes Currently Fit in Your Investment Portfolio?
2016-12-22In recent months municipal market volatility caused primarily by interest rate expectations has...
Due Diligence for Muni Bonds
2016-11-24Due to the opaque nature of the municipal bond market, the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC)...
What Are Appropriation-Backed Muni Bonds?
2016-10-20Investors may think that all bonds are debts that a borrower is legally obligated to repay, but...
Why Low Yielding Muni Bonds May Actually Be Attractive
2016-07-21Treasury yields (30 year) fell to just 2.22% on July 12 (and even lower a day before), reaching...
How to Avoid Overpaying for Individual Muni Bonds
2016-06-23The municipal bond market is a popular safe haven during low interest rate periods, as their...
How to Avoid the AMT with Muni Bond Funds
2015-11-09Municipal bonds have long been a favorite investment class for tax-sensitive investors since the...
3 Important Bond Insurance Considerations
2015-10-28Municipal bonds have a number of complex features that may make them difficult for individual...
What Are Pre-Refunded Municipal Bonds?
2015-06-24Municipal Bonds are generally seen as safe investments since they are often backed by a series of...
How do Municipal Bonds Work?
2015-06-24Investing strategies can fall under a number of different philosophies; depending on the goals...
Accrued Interest: Definition, Formula, and Example
2015-06-24Bonds are the cornerstone of traditional debt financing for both the public and private sector...
The Municipal/Treasury Ratio: How Investors Should Use It
2015-06-24Muni investing is popular because it has the potential to offer higher yields than similar...
What Are Build America Bonds?
2015-06-24In 2009, the United States was suffering a major recession that had bond market investors running...
Municipal Bond Investing Glossary
2015-06-24Municipal bonds are a great way for investors to preserve capital and generate tax-free income....
General Obligation vs. Revenue Bonds: A MunicipalBonds.com Guide
2015-06-24There are over 80,000 issuers of municipal bonds in the United States. With so many different...
Municipal Bond Insurance: A Guide
2015-06-24Investors buy bonds to ensure a steady stream of interest payment income over the period of...