While municipal bonds are considered to be one of the safest investments on the market, not all munis are created alike. The in-depth articles in this section are geared toward investors looking to minimize and better manage risk.
Webinar On-demand: MuniBonds and Covid-19
2020-07-03Providing Certainty in an Uncertain World: Learn How Covid-19 has Impacted Municipal Bonds
David...
Economic Recession and Mounting Strain on Unfunded Liabilities
2020-05-22We often hear the phrase that the American economy is a consumer-driven economy and consumer...
Risk Assessments for Municipal GO and Revenue Debt Investors During Economic Downturn
2020-04-08In the midst of COVID-19, the domestic and global financial market outlooks are grim and the...
Impact of COVID-19 on Local and State Governments
2020-03-25Capital markets around the world have felt the wrath of the COVID-19 threat, and investors are...
Key Takeaways from Municipal Bankruptcies
2020-01-22When strictly analyzing the default risk of your investment holdings, municipal debt is often...
Puerto Rico’s Bankruptcy
2020-01-08Puerto Rico’s decade-long fiscal decline, paired with financial mismanagement and natural...
The Jefferson County, Alabama, Bankruptcy
2019-12-11The Jefferson County, Alabama, bankruptcy case was slightly more unusual than other municipal...
The City of San Bernardino’s Bankruptcy
2019-10-16Post the 2008 recession, throughout California, the operating costs of cities and other local...
The City of Detroit Bankruptcy
2019-09-18A crippling general obligation (GO) debt, the highest unemployment rate among major U.S. cities,...
The City of Stockton Bankruptcy
2019-08-23During the great recession of 2008, investors saw some of the biggest names in the private sector...
Every Municipality Is Struggling With Unfunded Pension Liabilities - What Is the Fix?
2019-07-29Almost every local and state government in the United States is currently struggling with their...
Current Status of Puerto Rico Debt Restructuring
2019-03-20After a decade-long fiscal decline, Puerto Rico filed for bankruptcy protection and has been in...
Be Aware of Fraud in the Muni Bond Market
2019-02-06The municipal bond market is often seen as a safe-haven among investors. After all, the bonds are...
The Curious Case of Manassas Park, VA, and Suspension of its Credit Rating
2018-10-31Following the financial crisis of 2008, the financial regulations were tightened and financial...
Understanding the Role of Municipal Bonds in Your Portfolio and Potential Risks
2018-10-03Municipal debt instruments have always played a crucial role in the overall composition of...
Puerto Rico’s Governor leaves $0.00 for Bondholders
2018-06-07Post-Hurricane Maria’s devastation, Puerto Rico’s financial struggles have worsened with parts of...
Illinois’ Accounting Practices Deny Investors Transparency
2018-05-31It has been nearly two decades since the state of Illinois had a balanced budget.
The Curious Case of Hartford: How Can a State Rescue a Debt-trapped City?
2018-05-17Municipal debt, or any investment instrument backed by the tax authority of a local government,...
Will Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority Lose Its Professional Independent Oversight?
2018-04-19Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello recently proposed that the Puerto Rico Energy Commission...
Ratings Downgrade: New York's MTA Debt is Getting Riskier
2018-03-29New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is the largest public transport authority...
New Jersey in Trouble: Is Phil Murphy Their Savior
2018-03-15Whether it was political scandals like ‘Bridgegate’ under Gov. Chris Christie or the near...
First Municipal Bond ICO Is in the Works
2018-03-08Investors can’t seem to agree on the value of cryptocurrency, but when it comes to blockchain,...
Trump’s $1.5 Trillion Infrastructure Plan: Unlikely to Impact the Muni Market in 2018
2018-03-01President Trump’s long-awaited $1.5 trillion infrastructure plan is finally coming into the...
Will Chicago’s “AAA-Rating” on Its Sales Tax Securitization Corp. Hold During Bankruptcy?
2018-02-22The City of Chicago’s new debt transaction, secured by sales-tax revenues, emerges as the epitome...
Puerto Rico: Do First Claims on Sales Taxes Really Protect Your Municipal Bond Investment?
2018-01-18A combination of poor financial oversight, non-adherence to fiscal policies and an overextension...
Illinois: Will It Become the Puerto Rico of the U.S. Midwest?
2017-11-30The state of Illinois has its fair share of political dysfunction, a lack of financial oversight...
Common Muni Bond Buying Mistakes
2017-11-09Muni investors want to preserve capital and maximize after-tax returns, which means that they...
Evaluating the Credit Rating Process of Rating Agencies
2017-09-07Municipal bond investors relied heavily on credit ratings prior to the financial crisis, but...
Putting Trust in Your Muni Bond Issuers
2017-08-31Local governments like Detroit, Michigan (2013); Jefferson County, Alabama (2011); Stockton,...
The Unique Risks of Green Muni Bonds
2017-06-01Green muni bonds are becoming increasingly popular due to the rise of environmentally conscious...
Potential Risks in Muni Bond ETF Investing
2017-01-26Any form of municipal debt with investment grade ratings is regarded as a safer form of...
Muni Bonds You Should Avoid at All Costs
2016-11-17The municipal bond market moved lower in October as issuers rushed to lock in low interest rates...
What Makes a Muni Bond ‘Undervalued’?
2016-07-28Many investors are familiar with the concept of buying undervalued equities thanks to famous...
How Slowing Tax Revenue Affects State Munis
2016-07-14Municipal bonds have become an attractive asset class over the past several years. With their...
What Do Higher Interest Rates Mean for Muni Bonds?
2016-06-30Interest rates have a tremendous impact on bond prices and yields. In general, higher interest...
Should Investors Even Look at Junk Muni Bonds?
2016-06-16The term “junk bond” doesn’t exactly inspire a lot of confidence, but the high yields offered by...
Zero Coupon Muni Bonds – What You Need to Know
2016-03-24Most investors purchasing municipal bonds plan on receiving semiannual interest payments until a...
3 Municipal Bonds Risks You May Not Have Considered
2016-01-01Municipal bonds (munis) are often regarded as a safe-haven for investors due to the high credit...
Are High-Yield Muni Funds Worth It?
2015-10-26Corporate junk bonds may be out of vogue these days, but their tax-exempt counterparts have...
The Top 10 Safest Municipal Bonds
2015-06-24[Updated by Joshua Hudson on July 20, 2017]
The recent downgrade of Illinois to one notch above...
Municipal Bond Analysis: 6 Bond Market Indicators
2015-06-24The municipal bond market is estimated to be approximately $3.7 trillion in size as of July of...
