The Fundamentals of Municipal Bonds

by Unknown

• ISBN13: 9780470903384
• ISBN10: 0470903384
• Edition: 6th
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2011-12-06
• Publisher: Wiley

Summary

The definitive new edition of the most trusted book on municipal bonds As of the end of 1998, municipal bonds, issued by state or local governments to finance public works programs, such as the building of schools, streets, and electrical grids, totaled almost $1.5 trillion in outstanding debt, a number that has only increased over time. The market for these bonds is comprised of many types of professionals-investment bankers, underwriters, traders, analysts, attorneys, rating agencies, brokers, and regulators-who are paid interest and principal according to a fixed schedule. Intended for investment professionals interested in how US municipal bonds work, The Fundamentals of Municipal Bonds, Sixth Edition explains the bond contract and recent changes in this market, providing investors with the information and tools they need to make bonds reliable parts of their portfolios. The market is very different from when the fifth edition was published more than ten years ago, and this revision reasserts Fundamentals of Municipal Bonds as the preeminent text in the field Explores the basics of municipal securities, including the issuers, the primary market, and the secondary market Key areas, such as investing in bonds, credit analysis, interest rates, and regulatory and disclosure requirements, are covered in detail This revised edition includes appendixes, a glossary, and a list of financial products related to applying the fundamentals of municipal bonds An official book of the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) With today's financial market in recovery and still highly volatile, investors are looking for a safe and steady way to grow their money without having to invest in stocks. The bond market has always been a safe haven, although confusing new bonds and bond funds make it increasingly difficult for unfamiliar investors to decide on the most suitable fixed income investments.

Author Biography

The Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) brings together the shared interests of hundreds of securities firms, banks, and asset managers. SIFMA's mission is to support a strong financial industry, investor opportunity, capital formation, job creation, and economic growth, while building trust and confidence in the financial markets. SIFMA, with offices in New York and Washington, DC, is the U.S. regional member of the Global Financial Markets Association (GFMA). For more information, visit www.sifma.org.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. ix
Writer's Acknowledgments	p. xi
Overview of the Municipal Bond Market	p. 1
Introduction	p. 1
The Issuers	p. 4
Municipal Bond Dealers	p. 7
The Lawyers	p. 10
Financial Advisors, Specialists, and Other Consultants	p. 11
The Rating Agencies	p. 12
Bond Brokers	p. 13
The Credit Enhancers	p. 13
The Trustees and Paying Agents	p. 17
The Investors	p. 17
Information and Technology	p. 18
The Regulators	p. 19
Other Participants	p. 21
The Basics of Municipal Securities	p. 23
Description of Municipal Securities	p. 23
Yield and Price	p. 26
Types of Yields	p. 28
Tax Exemption of Municipal Bonds	p. 29
Types of Municipal Bonds	p. 35
Short-Term Securities	p. 36
Other Characteristics of Municipal Bonds	p. 45
The Issuers	p. 55
Introduction	p. 55
Authorities and Special Districts	p. 56
The Theory of Municipal Debt: Pay-As-You-Use versus Pay-As-You-Go	p. 57
The Uses of Municipal Debt	p. 59
The Security for Municipal Bonds	p. 61
The Financing Process	p. 68
The Financing Documents	p. 71
Structuring the Debt	p. 81
State and Local Government Accounting	p. 87
The Primary Market	p. 93
Issuance Trends in the Primary Market	p. 93
The Basics of Underwriting	p. 96
Negotiated Underwriting	p. 101
Competitive Underwriting	p. 105
Orders and Procedures	p. 111
The Secondary Market	p. 117
Introduction	p. 117
The Over-the-Counter Market	p. 117
E-Commerce, Information, and Technology	p. 119
Selling Municipal Bonds	p. 121
The Basics of Municipal Bond Trading	p. 123
Municipal Bond Trading	p. 124
How a Trade Is Done	p. 128
Municipal Futures	p. 130
Providers of Data in the Municipal Market	p. 131
Market Statistics and Indexes	p. 132
MSRB Record-Keeping Rules	p. 136
Investing in Bonds	p. 139
Introduction	p. 139
The Basic Principles of Investing in Bonds	p. 139
Measures of Yield and Return	p. 143
Yield to Maturity and Price	p. 145
Investment Objectives	p. 147
Risk Factors	p. 148
Investor Strategies	p. 150
Taxation of Municipal Bonds	p. 152
Other Investment Factors	p. 161
Investor Categories	p. 163
Credit Analysis	p. 173
Introduction	p. 173
The Rating Agencies	p. 175
The Rating Process	p. 176
General Obligation Bonds	p. 179
Revenue Bonds	p. 197
Other Factors Affecting Credit	p. 207
Understanding Interest Rates	p. 211
Introduction	p. 211
Determinants of the Overall Level of Interest Rates	p. 212
Term Structure of Interest Rates	p. 216
Municipal Bond Rates	p. 221
Regulatory and Disclosure Requirements	p. 225
Introduction	p. 225
The Basis of Federal Tax Exemption	p. 226
History of Federal Tax Legislation Affecting Municipal Securities	p. 228
The Current Statutory Exemption	p. 230
Application of Federal Securities Laws to Municipal Securities	p. 233
The Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board	p. 239
Financial Products	p. 247
Introduction	p. 247
Interest Rate Swaps	p. 247
Interest Rate Caps, Floors, and Collars	p. 252
Other Swap Products	p. 253
Managing the Asset Side	p. 253
Credit Default Swaps	p. 254
Appendix Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board Rule G-33	p. 257
Glossary	p. 265
Bibliography	p. 283
Web Sites	p. 283
Books and Publications	p. 284
About the Writer	p. 285
Index	p. 287
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