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.

In The Handbook of Municipal Bonds, editors Sylvan Feldstein and Frank Fabozzi provide traders, bankers, and advisors—among other industry participants—with a well-rounded look at the industry of tax-exempt municipal bonds. Chapter by chapter, a diverse group of experienced contributors provide detailed explanations and a variety of relevant examples that illuminate essential elements of this area. With this book as your guide, you’ll quickly become familiar with both buy side and sell side issues as well as important innovations in this field.

A hands-on visual guide to understanding and investing in an important and consistently safe investment vehicle Bloomberg Visual Guide to Municipal Bonds offers step-by-step guidance to the nature and diversity of municipal securities credit structures. This valuable guide demonstrates the dependability of the overwhelming majority of municipal securities, and points out particular market sectors that may yield greater rewards, but also present greater risks. This book also directs readers to good sources of up-to-date information as well as new market tools, byproducts of recent market enhancements, so as to assist you in making informed investment decisions. Filled with reliable and highly accessible information needed for making sound decisions when investing in municipal securities Author Robert Doty is a noted expert on municipal securities A valuable addition to the new Bloomberg Visual Series Engaging and informative, this reliable resource is an easy-to-use "how to" guide to municipal securities that will help you create more effective investment strategies.

Understand the ins and outs of today's surprisingly versatile bond marketplace As stocks continue their roller-coaster ride, nervous investors will be looking at bonds. FUNDAMENTALS OF THE BOND MARKET gives you the tools you need to master this complex market so you can diversify your portfolio, and get reliable income and safety of principal. Author Esme Faerber has packed this guide with examples, quizzes, checklists, and plain-English explanations to enhance your understanding of everything from the basics of buying and selling to bond ratings, government and international securities, call and convertible features, portfolio management, and more. Before you risk money in real-time trading, let this hands-on tool bring you up to speed on: *Three steps that determine the best bond mutual fund for any investor *Corporate, Municipal, Convertible and Zero-Coupon Bonds - which to buy for individual portfolios *Treasury securities - how and why to invest in T-bills, notes, and bonds *Tips of the Trade - techniques to calculate yields, buy and sell different types of bonds, and more

It is an oft-repeated mantra that "munis are different" and that standard analytical tools are irrelevant to managing them. Andrew Kalotay certainly agrees that munis are different. In fact, they are more complex than just about any other bond category. Munis are rich in options, their pricing is tax-dependent, the benchmark curves are comprised of callable bond yields ... and the list goes on. Dr. Kalotay argues that the complexities of munis actually mandate the use of modern fixed income analytics. He demonstrates the necessity for option-adjusted spread (OAS) technology, and exposes the potential pitfalls of risk management by "yield-to-worst." And he offers an in-depth discussion of the de minimis tax effect, which depresses the prices of discount munis. The breakthrough concept of tax-neutral OAS analysis accurately captures this effect. Without tax-neutral OAS, discount munis look deceptively cheap, and their durations are grossly underestimated. Risk managers should sit up and take notice.

Everything you need to know about bonds Bonds are a key component in every portfolio, making it essential that investors understand what exactly they are and how they function. Getting Started in Bonds, Second Edition has been fully updated and revised to take into account the ever-changing bond market as well as the current economic environment. This new edition explains the fundamentals of bonds in clear, easy-to-understand language. It includes in-depth coverage of a variety of debt products, from Treasury notes to high-yield junk bonds and everything in between. This comprehensive guide is an essential primer for anyone who would like to invest in bonds but doesn't know where to start. Getting Started in Bonds, Second Edition uses straightforward, accessible language that will help readers understand even the most complicated bond issues. Sharon Wright (Byfield, MA) was, most recently, fixed-income sales director at Lehman Brothers. Previously, she was assistant vice president at Fidelity Capital Markets.