As we close 2008, one of the biggest stories of the year, the auction rate security meltdown, comes full circle. Pimco, a company roundly criticized for not redeeming investor money locked in...
There has been a lot of discussion recently on the different yield between AAA municipal bonds and lower rated munis. A paper by the Fed seems to indicate that if you plan on holding on to your...
The tremors of the housing market and credit credit crisis hit another type of investment this week, the auction rate security market. The Wall Street Journal and several other business magazines...
Marketwatch recently posted an article about the attractiveness of Municipal Bonds, pointing out that some long-term munis pay a tax equivalent rate of over 7%. But investors should consider...
John Moorlach said in 1994 that Orange Country was headed for bankruptcy and six months later they files. Now, he says that at least 10 municipalities are headed for trouble in 2009.
Democrats are discussing several proposals for removing the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) which can impact holders of private activity municipal bonds. The impact would make the bonds more tax...
In an auction on Tuesday, the Treasury sold $30 billion of short-term securities at a 0% interest rate. Investors were willing to accept 0 return to stash their cash. What does that say?
Municipal bonds are now offering extremely attractive short term interest, beating out comparable Treasuries. They are a great source of tax free income. This is new and may not last very long.
More transparency is coming to the municipal bonds market which is good for all investors. The SEC just approved the electronic disclosure of municipal bonds issues on a website available free of...
There are no rules -- no certainty -- in investing, except don't believe anything anyone tells you. It used to be that bonds provided safety and diversification, but not today. Today, bond funds...
There is a class of auction rate securities - SLARS - that are causing many of the problems in the ARS market. Their auctions have failed and they have low reset rates. The investment banks are...
Many middle-of-the-road bond mutual funds that seemed to promise stable returns in a difficult market have recently taken gut-wrenching plunges. These funds, as well as managed accounts run under...
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