Author: Jim Walker

The US Downgrade and the Muni Bonds

We have fielded many questions in the last few days about what effect the downgrade of the United States debt from AAA to AA+ and the effect on the 11,000…

MSRB Steps Up Its Game To Warn “Play Fair or Else”

The MSRB took a defensive posture in the wake of the S&P’s downgrade on the USA by warning dealers that despite the potential market disruption, investor protection rules continue to…

With U.S. AAA Downgrade, Could Munis Default As Meredith Predicted?

The tax-free municipal bond market looks vastly different as we head toward the end of the second quarter of 2011 than it did when we were in the middle of…

Cleaning Up the Muni Market

Two well professors are proposing that states and localities create a national nonprofit institution that would provide issuers with independent advice on bond financings, help them disclose standardized information and…

Central Falls Turned Upside Down By Unions

One mans’ garbage is another mans gold. The painful truth is that as muni debt increases, so do the risks that someday it will be politically, economically and financially worthwhile…

Muni Investors Looking Good in Vallejo, CA

Vallejo, California, the biggest U.S. city in bankruptcy, won court permission to send its exit plan to creditors, its municipal bondholders for a vote after retired workers dropped their objections….

New Tool For Municipal Bonds Could Shock Investors

Investors in Municipal Bonds have a powerful new tool in their portfolio analysis arsenal. BondView, LLC, a leading provider of Municipal bond portfolio analysis and market data, has launched the…

BondView Announces Interest Rate Stress Test For Municipal Bonds

The threat of rising interest rates is not welcome news for municipal bond investors. As the economy comes out of recession, the threat of inflation may result in interest rate…

Chicago Federal Reserve Says Dont Worry About Muni Defaults

There is good news and bad news from the Chicago Federal Reserve which said that 2011 will be a tough year in local government finance. Minimal growth or outright declines…

Miami Could Have A Higher Credit Rating Than The USA

Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services downgraded refunded municipal bonds that were rated AAA in a follow-up to its downgrade notice of the U.S. triple-A outlook to negative from stable.