A Municipal Bonds Blog

Is Illinois Built On A House of Lincoln Logs?

The State of Illinois is now at the bottom of the pack of fifty states. With a general-obligation rating lowered to A2, it is now the lowest-rated by Moody’s of…

Harrisburg, PA: The Outrage Continues

As you watch this of video Harrisburg Mayor Linda Thompson trying to justify why she is suing her own City Controller Dan Miller over a minor issue, you can understand…

Is Puerto Rico’s Big Budget Deficit A Problem?

Recently there has been much talk about the high level of Puerto Rico bond debt and the associated financial deficit for 2012. In the past, there has generally been demand…

Dump Puerto Rico Municipal Bonds? Nah

Rumors about Puerto Rico’s financial problems surface as often as the seasons change. We have been hearing the sky is falling about Puerto Rico for years now. Some say if…

Muni Bond Rally Is Out Of Gas?

The impressive rally in municipal bonds that started in mid October has run its course, according to our friends at Morgan Stanley. For the past six weeks, the market has…

Municipal Bonds Blast Off in 2012.

The municipal bond market had a terrific January, on both a nominal as well as a relative basis, as the market continued its trek out of the wilderness that dominated…

Municipal Bankruptcies: Were Not Going To Take It Anymore

Assured Guaranty Ltd., the only active municipal bond insurer, said it will reconsider guaranteeing public bonds in states without procedures for reviewing and approving local bankruptcy petitions. “Local governments must…

Jefferson County Finally Declares Bankruptcy

Jefferson County, Alabama commissioners voted by 4-1 to file bankruptcy. It will be the largest Chapter 9 bankruptcy in the United States and affects over $3 billion in municipal bonds….

Jefferson County, Take The Money And Run

Legislators in Alabama’s Jefferson County on Wednesday voted 4 to 1 to file for bankruptcy court protection and thereby put in motion what could be the biggest municipal bankruptcy in…

Harrisburg, The Saga Continues

Reports from Bloomberg were that Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett and the Harrisburg City Council are in a standoff resulting from Harrisburg’s filing of Chapter 9 bankruptcy last week. The governor…