Chip Barnett

“A year after two devastating hurricanes, Calcasieu Parish is struggling to rebuild because FEMA works at the pace of a snail,” says Treasurer John Schroder.

Municipals have been distracted by the robust primary market and that trend will continue next week when another large new-issue calendar greets investors.

Refinitiv Lipper reported $1.3 billion of inflows and an increase in high-yield flows, marking the 28th consecutive week the fund complex saw inflows.

While falling to the lowest amount of inflows since June 2, the total for the year according to ICI at $72 billion, is still on pace to come close to or break the record, $93.2 billion, hit in 2019.

The “tool kit” legislation expands powers of the Local Government Commission, including a last-resort legal process for voluntary or involuntary dissolution.

With the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks still fresh in our minds, Michael Barasch, managing partner at Barasch & McGarry, says less than 8% of the civilians who were in Lower Manhattan that day and the months after have registered for free federal programs offering health care protections and benefits. Municipal bond industry workers who worked or lived downtown in the several months that followed 9/11 can benefit from these programs too. Chip Barnett hosts. (15 minutes)

A strong worth ethic, leadership, personality and selflessness are among the qualities that make Casey a "foundational employee at PNC."

Svetlana Olchevski is an integral part of Prince William County’s municipal finance team. Although she’s been working in municipal finance only about a year, Svetlana has grasped the many details and regulations of the industry, which have been compounded by the challenges brought on by COVID-19.

Kimberly advises cities, counties and special-purpose districts as they structure financings for their capital and operational needs through the issuance of various types of municipal bonds and other obligations.

The Federal Reserve said Wednesday in its Beige Book report that U.S. economic growth slipped to a more moderate pace between early July and the end of August.

The Kentucky Public Transportation Infrastructure Authority and the Kentucky Turnpike Authority plan refunding revenue bond sales this month.

Cooper Howard, director of fixed income strategy at the Schwab Center for Financial Research, talks with Chip Barnett about what municipal bond investors can expect in the second half of the year – low yields and strong fundamentals. He looks at continuing bond fund inflows, rising taxable issuance and compressed spreads. (14 minutes/Taped Aug. 3).

A pair of bond sales coming out of the Carolinas found homes with investors this week as demand for the paper was high.

Kroll Bond Rating Agency upgraded Wisconsin’s general obligation bonds to AAA from AA-plus and S&P Global Ratings lifted them to AA-plus from AA.

A large increase in new money bond issuance pushed the 11-state region to a big year-over-year volume gain.

Kroll Bond Rating Agency also affirmed the city’s general obligation bond rating at A.

After financial and legal difficulties and under new legislative oversight, the South Carolina Public Service Authority heads into the municipal bond market.

John Ceffalio, Senior Municipal Research Analyst at CreditSights, talks with Chip Barnett about what to expect in the second half of the year. He discusses municipal bond market fundamentals, credit and climate disclosure. And he looks at the pandemic’s long-term risks for U.S. cities as the work-from-home culture becomes stronger and how higher education will cope with a new reality. (18 minutes)

Municipal bonds ended the week unchanged for the sixth consecutive trading session as inflows surged as more than $7 billion is headed to market next week.

Production companies making films, TV series and commercials may offer North Carolina $409 million of revenue this year.