Muni Think

Let’s allow public agencies to issue advance refunding bonds provided they pay the U.S. Treasury an amount equal to the forgone federal income tax revenue.

Public entities are especially susceptible to email scams because open records and open meetings laws and transparent operations make it easy for criminals to conduct reconnaissance on employees and transactions.

Some of the legal precedents potentially being set in Puerto Rico erode the expectations and good order of the municipal bond marketplace that finances the activities of states and municipal instrumentalities nationwide.

The new tax law may have accounting implications for previously hedged tax-exempt Libor based loans.

Despite the absence of adequate federal funding levels, the plan advances a vision — greater involvement of the private sector with public infrastructure — and then details how the federal government will pursue this new infrastructure paradigm with its vast authorities.

A Volcker Alliance study suggests that while California is reasonably prepared to withstand any future recession, it will still struggle in a downturn.

While there are aspects to the proposal that a municipal professional may admire, it’s not inherently obvious that the shift to a 20/80 split between federal and local funding will produce results.

While the SEC’s MCDC initiative concluded in 2016, its shadow continues to lurk over the municipal bond market.

The final bill had several elements which will impact the municipal markets, and could potentially result in significant structural changes.

Municipal bonds present fertile ground for investment professionals interested in reaping risk-free returns by sheltering gains with well-timed losses. But watch out. The financial literature is filled with misleading information that can send investors down the wrong path