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Are You Ready For The 2013 Obamacare Investment Tax?
Mike the PhD • Fri, May 3 • 82 Comments
Investors Face Potential Municipal Bond Armageddon
Jake Zamansky • Mon, Apr 29 • 9 Comments
From Stockton To Puerto Rico: What's Driving The Muni Market?
Matt Tucker • Wed, Apr 10 • 3 Comments
Why Muni Bonds And Muni CEFs Have Been Falling
Mike the PhD • Wed, Mar 27 • 30 Comments
Earn Higher Tax-Free Yields With A 'Sexy' New Kind Of Investment
Mike the PhD • Thu, Mar 7 • 16 Comments
California And Bankruptcy: How Often Do Municipal Bonds Default?
Mike the PhD • Tue, Mar 5 • 4 Comments
Muni-Bond Outlook: Expecting High Relative Volatility Due To Low Yields, Potential Tax Changes
Morningstar • Wed, Feb 27 • 2 Comments
At What Tax Rate Are Munis Attractive?
Dan Morillo • Mon, Feb 18 • 2 Comments
Is Now The Time To Buy Municipal Bonds?
Brendan O'Boyle • Sun, Dec 30, 2012 • 16 Comments
Larry Swedroe Positions For 2013: Resist The Temptation To Stretch For Yield
Larry Swedroe • Tue, Dec 25, 2012 • 148 Comments
The Financial Lexicon Positions For 2013: Limited Bond Market Opportunities Mean Patience Is Key
The Financial Lexicon • Fri, Dec 21, 2012 • 9 Comments
Taxes And Dividends
David Fry • Wed, Dec 5, 2012 • 16 Comments
Municipal Bonds See Sharp Reversal
Bespoke Investment Group • Wed, Nov 14, 2012 • 13 Comments
As the Fiscal Cliff Looms, Investors Favor Munis
Matt Tucker • Thu, Nov 1, 2012 • 8 Comments
Non-Rated Insured Municipal Bonds: More Smart Money Techniques
Glen Rosenberg • Tue, Oct 30, 2012 • 1 Comment
Tax Debate Puts Dividend, Muni Bond ETFs In Focus
Tom Lydon • Mon, Oct 29, 2012 • 1 Comment
Limited Supply May Drive Gains For Long Dated Municipal Bond Holders
Bondsquawk • Tue, Oct 2, 2012 • 2 Comments
Bill Gross: Bullish On Munis, Bearish On Treasuries
Learn Bonds • Mon, Sep 24, 2012 • 5 Comments
Municipal Bonds For The Summer Season
Alpha Guru • Wed, Sep 19, 2012 • 2 Comments
Buffett's Track Record Spotty On Bonds
Learn Bonds • Sun, Sep 9, 2012 • 21 Comments

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Municipal Bonds: Woe Is Me
Carl Dincesen • Thu, Apr 21, 2011 • 27 Comments
Peak Oil Risk in Muni Bonds
Tom Konrad • Mon, Mar 21, 2011 • 4 Comments
Blanchflower: The Fed Should Buy Munis and Monetize State Debt
Edward Harrison • Wed, Oct 20, 2010 • 8 Comments
Meredith Whitney: Next Shoe to Drop Is Municipal Bonds
Edward Harrison • Wed, Sep 29, 2010 • 16 Comments
New Jersey's Irish Luck
Static Chaos • Fri, Aug 20, 2010 • 3 Comments
Outlook for Municipal Bond Defaults – Settlement on Largest May Come Soon
Carl Dincesen • Wed, Aug 4, 2010 • 2 Comments
Municipal Bond Investors - What Are They Thinking?
Michael Panzner • Mon, Jun 21, 2010 • 10 Comments
Forbes Recommends Municipal Bonds
Stockerblog • Fri, Apr 30, 2010 • 11 Comments
Munis: Concerns Should Not Be Taken Lightly
Michael Panzner • Mon, Apr 19, 2010 • 3 Comments
Spotlight on PIMCO's Intermediate Municipal Bond Strategy ETF
Tom Lydon • Thu, Apr 15, 2010 • 2 Comments
Are Munis the Next Shoe to Drop?
Edward Harrison • Tue, Apr 6, 2010 • 4 Comments
Zombie State Governments: Finances Are Bad and Getting Worse
Wealth Daily • Wed, Mar 3, 2010 • 8 Comments
ETF Taxation: Issues and Opportunities
Morningstar • Thu, Feb 18, 2010
New PIMCO ETF Turns Attention to Municipal Bonds
Tom Lydon • Tue, Dec 1, 2009 • 1 Comment

Are You Ready For The 2013 Obamacare Investment Tax?
Mike the PhD • Fri, May 3 • 82 Comments
Investors Face Potential Municipal Bond Armageddon
Jake Zamansky • Mon, Apr 29 • 9 Comments
From Stockton To Puerto Rico: What's Driving The Muni Market?
Matt Tucker • Wed, Apr 10 • 3 Comments
Why Muni Bonds And Muni CEFs Have Been Falling
Mike the PhD • Wed, Mar 27 • 30 Comments
Earn Higher Tax-Free Yields With A 'Sexy' New Kind Of Investment
Mike the PhD • Thu, Mar 7 • 16 Comments
California And Bankruptcy: How Often Do Municipal Bonds Default?
Mike the PhD • Tue, Mar 5 • 4 Comments
Muni-Bond Outlook: Expecting High Relative Volatility Due To Low Yields, Potential Tax Changes
Morningstar • Wed, Feb 27 • 2 Comments
At What Tax Rate Are Munis Attractive?
Dan Morillo • Mon, Feb 18 • 2 Comments
Is Now The Time To Buy Municipal Bonds?
Brendan O'Boyle • Sun, Dec 30, 2012 • 16 Comments
Larry Swedroe Positions For 2013: Resist The Temptation To Stretch For Yield
Larry Swedroe • Tue, Dec 25, 2012 • 148 Comments
The Financial Lexicon Positions For 2013: Limited Bond Market Opportunities Mean Patience Is Key
The Financial Lexicon • Fri, Dec 21, 2012 • 9 Comments
Taxes And Dividends
David Fry • Wed, Dec 5, 2012 • 16 Comments
Municipal Bonds See Sharp Reversal
Bespoke Investment Group • Wed, Nov 14, 2012 • 13 Comments
As the Fiscal Cliff Looms, Investors Favor Munis
Matt Tucker • Thu, Nov 1, 2012 • 8 Comments
Non-Rated Insured Municipal Bonds: More Smart Money Techniques
Glen Rosenberg • Tue, Oct 30, 2012 • 1 Comment
Tax Debate Puts Dividend, Muni Bond ETFs In Focus
Tom Lydon • Mon, Oct 29, 2012 • 1 Comment
Limited Supply May Drive Gains For Long Dated Municipal Bond Holders
Bondsquawk • Tue, Oct 2, 2012 • 2 Comments
Bill Gross: Bullish On Munis, Bearish On Treasuries
Learn Bonds • Mon, Sep 24, 2012 • 5 Comments
Municipal Bonds For The Summer Season
Alpha Guru • Wed, Sep 19, 2012 • 2 Comments
Buffett's Track Record Spotty On Bonds
Learn Bonds • Sun, Sep 9, 2012 • 21 Comments

There are no Transcripts on MUNI.

Muni Crisis, Cheap iPads Final Chapter for Public Libraries?

at CNBC.com (Mar 2, 2011)
Build America Bond program resurrected

at MarketWatch.com (Feb 14, 2011)

MUNI vs. ETF Alternatives

MUNI Description

The PIMCO Intermediate Municipal Bond Strategy Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded fund (ETF). Designed to be appropriate for investors seeking tax-exempt income, the Fund consists of a diversified portfolio of primarily intermediate duration, high credit quality bonds, which carry interest income that is exempt from federal tax and in some cases state tax. With this Fund, investors will see the names of the bonds owned daily. In addition, the Fund will not use options, futures or swaps.
See more details on sponsor's website

Country: United States

Key Info

In Your Portfolio: Broad U.S. Bond ETFs, A Guide to Municipal Bond ETFs and Closed-End Funds
Asset Class Performance: Bonds

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| Earnings
| Dividends
| M&A
| On the move

Monday, May 20, 12:30 PM The hot market for corporate junk (HYG, JNK) has pushed the yield on high-yield corporates (4.88%) well below that of high-yield municipals (5.22% nominally, over 8% on a tax-equivalent basis). The nominal spread of 34 bps is down from 56 bps a week ago as investors take notice of the anomaly. High-yield muni ETFs: HYD, HYMB, XMPT. 3 Comments
Friday, May 17, 3:55 PM The bear market in gold (GLD, IAU) has left three closed-end funds trading at abnormally large discounts to NAV, says Morningstar's Cara Esser: GTU, CEF, and PHYS. Likewise, a small selloff in municipal (MUB) paper has left these muni CEFs at attractive values: NXR, MYD, NXP. 2 Comments [Quick Ideas]
Tuesday, May 7, 9:39 PM While fears of widespread defaults in the municipal bond (MUB) market (perpetuated in December of 2010 by Meredith Whitney) have so far proven overblown, Moody's says a disturbing trend seems to be developing. Although only five defaults were recorded in 2012, that's more than four times the average yearly rate logged from 1970 to 2007. Perhaps the most notable thing about last year's five defaults: three of them were general government defaults as opposed to defaults on bonds tied to specific projects. The historical average for general government muni defaults: 1 every 4.3 years. 4 Comments
Tuesday, April 23, 9:29 AM Forecasts of "Armageddon" for the the municipal bond market (MUB) are terribly misguided, writes Randall Forsyth. Higher rates? Variable rate financing is only a small fraction of the market, and any increase would come from rock-bottom levels. Recent bankruptcies? They get a lot of headlines, but last year accounted for just 1% of all obligations. This year, just 0.6%. Comment! [U.S. Economy]
Tuesday, April 23, 5:53 AM San Bernardino's council has passed a budget that will allow the bankrupt Californian city to restart $1.2M in biweekly employer contributions to Calpers while continuing to renege on its commitments to its other creditors, including bondholders. Along with Stockton, San Bernardino represents a test case over who should get paid first when a municipality goes bankrupt - the public employees or the bondholders. (previous) 4 Comments [Global & FX, Top Stories, U.S. Economy]
Thursday, April 18, 1:34 PM A butterfly flaps its wings in California? Tiny Canyon Lake (pop. 11K) notifies CalPERs it wants out of the pension plan, and says it's ready to pay a termination fee to do so. Behind the decision is CalPERs' recent approval of a 50% rise in employer contributions over the coming years. "How many cities might opt out," says a bankruptcy attorney. "The issue here for CalPERs is if Canyon Lake becomes a trend." Comment! [U.S. Economy]
Friday, April 12, 2:46 AM San Bernardino in California has proposed restarting bimonthly $1.2M employer contributions to Calpers almost a year after the city suspended the payments, although it will continue to renege on its commitments to other creditors, including bondholders. The decision highlights the battle over who should take most of the pain when a city goes bankrupt - the bondholders or the public servants. Comment! [U.S. Economy, Global & FX, Top Stories]
Tuesday, April 2, 10:00 AM Skittish municipal bond investors have driven the MUB below its NAV for more than two weeks - the longest stretch since the panicky period of August 2011. BAML sees opportunity noting munis have lost in March for 5 straight years as many investors sell holdings or avoid buying leading ahead of April 15 to help make tax payments. Comment! [Financials]
Monday, April 1, 3:41 PM In a blow to municipal bondholders, a judge rules Stockton, CA eligible for bankruptcy protection. The ruling let's stay the city's decision to keep pensions intact while imposing losses on those holding the town's paper. Jefferson County, AL and San Bernardino, CA - along with other municipalities - are watching closely. Bond insurer Assured Guaranty (AGO) slides 3.3%. 16 Comments [U.S. Economy]
Thursday, March 28, 1:21 PM A "perfect storm" of seasonal weakness combined with investors shifting money into stocks has opened up opportunity in the municipal closed-end sector, says Jeff Margolin. Muni CEFs fell 4.5% earlier this month even as NAVs declined just 0.5%, leaving the average CEF trading at a 1.1% discount to NAV vs. what has been a 3.2% premium. Comment! [Financials]
Wednesday, March 27, 4:56 AM A federal judge is due to hear closing arguments today about whether Stockton in California should be allowed to file for bankruptcy protection. The main is issue is whether the city can continue paying into the Calpers pension fund while forcing losses on bondholders. The case is being widely watched, with Alabama's Jefferson County and California's San Bernardino also considering breaking with the long-standing practice of meeting obligations to bondholders. 9 Comments [Global & FX, U.S. Economy]
Thursday, March 21, 9:24 AM iShares adds to its existing lineup of Target Date S&P Municipal Series. MUAG tracks an investment grade muni bond index comprised exclusively of issues maturing in 2018. Its expense ratio of 0.30% is in line with other iShares target date series ETFs, but higher than other municipal ETFs TFI (0.20%), MUB (0.25%), PRB (0.24%), NYF (0.25%). Comment!
Tuesday, March 12, 2:43 PM The MUB falls for a 7th straight session - now testing its 200-day moving average for the first time in 2 years. Municipals got beat up in late 2012 when it was rumored their tax-exempt status was to be served up as part of a budget deal. The scare subsided, but Morgan Stanley still sees a 30% chance of that happening. MUB -3.4% since the election. 6 Comments
Tuesday, March 12, 5:02 AM Illinois has become only the second state to be accused of securities fraud, with the SEC saying that it misled bond investors from 2005-2009 about the ever-worsening condition of its public workers' retirement plans by claiming that it was properly funding the scheme when it wasn't. However, while Illinois has agreed to a cease-and-desist order, it has escaped any fines and it hasn't had to admit any wrongdoing. (PR) 9 Comments [Global & FX, U.S. Economy]
Thursday, March 7, 3:14 AM The Detroit City Council has voted to appeal Rick Snyder's decision to put the city in a State of Emergency and appoint an outside manager to clean up its finances. The Michigan Governor is now scheduled to hold a hearing on Tuesday next week, and will decide whether or not to appoint the manager soon afterwards. Tellingly, Mayor Dave Bing doesn't back the appeal. 1 Comment [U.S. Economy]
Sunday, March 3, 2:42 AM Michigan Governor Rick Snyder declared Detroit to be in a state of emergency on Friday and said he would appoint an outside manager to help turn around its dire finances, which include $14B in long-term liabilities. City officials have ten days to persuade Snyder to change his mind. Should he uphold his decision, it would be the latest step in attempts to prevent Detroit filing what would be the biggest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history. 26 Comments [U.S. Economy, Top Stories]

Vertical Spread
EVN, EATON VANCE MUNI INCOME TRUST, yielding almost a full 7%, and 100% tax free.
11/14/12
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David Fry
TOP 10 TOTAL BOND, MUNI & PREFERRED STOCK ETFs http://bit.ly/jtng0l
6/14/11
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Thomas Pan
A subsidy programme will expire at the end of this month, leaving behind potentially higher borrowing costs for public. MUNI
12/14/10
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Thomas Pan
California budget 'emergency': bid to recoup $6 billion in pensions MUNI http://bit.ly/cHejo8
7/29/10
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Thomas Pan
Outrage and resignations over high salaries in Bell, Calif. MUNI http://bit.ly/9yk9z2
7/29/10
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Thomas Pan
Schwarzenegger orders min wage for 200,000 state workers because the state Legislature has not passed a budget MUNI
7/2/10
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Thomas Pan
States budget shortfall will reach $127bn through fiscal 2012 MUNI
6/28/10
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Thomas Pan
Bill Lockyer, California's treasurer, warned the legislature that public-sector pensions will bankrupt the state MUNI
6/27/10
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Thomas Pan
Illinois has failed to pay more than $5 billion-worth. State legislators are paying their own office rent. MUNI
6/21/10
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Thomas Pan
31 states is projecting a 2011 shortfall of 10% or more as a percentage of this year's budget MUNI DIA QQQ NYC SPY
6/21/10
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