How the Build America Bond Program Will Impact Municipal Bonds
- Author Brad East
- Published April 17, 2010
- Word count 448
The Build America Bonds (BABs) program, a new piece of legislation from the Obama Administration, focuses on aiding struggling state and local municipalities across the U.S. The program, part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, creates taxable municipal bonds, a radical departure from the long-standing tax exempt status quo for munis.
While bonds issued under the BABs program are fully taxable, the issuer receives a direct subsidy equal to 35% of the bonds coupon, or stated interest rate. The intent is to make some of the benefits of traditional muni bonds available to investors outside the highest tax brackets.
For many years there has been talk within the Treasury Department and the IRS that the tax exemption for municipal bonds is an inefficient subsidy since it allows only the highest taxpayers to benefit from the tax exempt income. At current tax rates, top bracket earners avoid paying 35% on that income. That benefit obviously will increase if/when taxes go up.
The BABs program will have significant benefits if it is embraced by lower bracket earners who need taxable income from their investments. The program will make it easier for municipalities to raise needed funds by bringing in a large new group of investors that have not previously participated in the municipal bond arena.
There is some question about what effect this program might have on existing tax exempt municipal bonds. The BABs program only allows bonds to be sold for new projects, not to refinance debt incurred in the past. An issuer can’t issue BABs to call old debt. Therefore, if the BABs program gains significant momentum, the municipal bonds currently in the marketplace are less likely to be redeemed early. As a result many of the bonds already issued are, in-effect, non-callable. More importantly, if new issues of tax exempt bonds are virtually non-existent, the demand for existing issues by the highest tax payers could increase significantly.
Some critics of the program argue that while BABs might have some benefits for those outside the highest tax brackets, the wealthiest individuals will still reap the most rewards. While this might be the case, I applaud the program’s goal of trying to bring the median income individual into the muni bond market. This could very well be a nice addition for those living on their income from investments (like CD’s, etc.) and a huge win for municipalities in those parts of the country that are struggling right now.
That said, the biggest winners just might be those that already own the old-style, tax exempt version of municipal bonds. We are telling our clients to hold on to their high quality Arizona tax free bonds.
Brad East, (http://www.bradeast.com) Senior Vice President of Moors & Cabot in Phoenix, AZ, is a 17 year veteran of the securities market and an expert in the municipal bond arena. Moors & Cabot was founded in 1890, and has offices all over the country. It is one of the last remaining broker dealers that still maintains an active and fully operational municipal bond desk, dealing specifically in Arizona municipal bonds.
Article source: https://articlebiz.comRate article
Article comments
There are no posted comments.
Related articles
- Understanding Cocaine: Effects, Risks, and Treatment Options Introduction
- 3 Great Passive Income Ideas for New Moms and Dads in 2024
- Avrex IO Redefines Real Estate Investment with Innovative Tokenized Ownership Approach
- Panama City's Real Estate Market: Top Neighborhoods for Investment
- Investing in a Condo or Villa in Pattaya, Thailand
- Tabania Group Rings in the New Year with a Powerhouse of Financial Services, Unveiling a Comprehensive Suite for the Digital Age
- To What Extent Has Economic Growth Improved Quality of Life?
- How to Manifest Wealth in Your Life
- Unlocking the Potential: Making Money Online with Your Phone”
- Blue economy of the world
- This Financial “FORMula” Will Help You Plan Around What Matters Most
- Losing a Parent: A Checklist and Timeline of the Financial Aspects to Address
- How to Avoid Lifestyle Creep: Try this 50/50 Rule for Saving & Spending
- (Money) Date Night: Why You Need One and 5 Topics to Discuss
- Private Placement Life Insurance (PPLI) in Offshore Trust More Useful Than Ever
- Indexed Insurance Policies Hedge against Inflation
- Should You Invest Abroad? A Complete Guide to Buying Investment Properties in Thailand
- What Are Your Retirement Planning Options?
- Daily Income Opportunity With U-Farm
- Building a Comfortable Retirement: Tips and Strategies for Investing in Your Future.
- Revocable Living Dynasty Trust (RLDT)
- Key Retirement & Estate Planning Tools
- Captive Insurance -- Details
- INDEXED UNIVERSAL LIFE INSURANCE (IUL) ADAPTS TO INFLATION AND HIGH INTEREST RATES
- GRANTOR ACCESS TO IRREVOCABLE TRUSTS -- EASE THE STRESS OF COMPLETED GIFTS
- CASH BALANCE PLUS PLAN
- Tax-Free Income Making More Sense in Global Financial Crisis
- Dynasty Trusts Guard Personal Autonomy in Hierarchic Society
- Captive Insurance Company, CIC -- Reduce Taxes and Build Wealth
- What is an RESP?