Podcasts

Fixed Income Academy's founder and CEO Susan Munson sits down with Bond Buyer markets reporter Aaron Weitzman to discuss the the approaching 'silver tsunami' in the muni business, when many industry leaders will retire, and how more succession planning is needed. They also chat about the importance of education and millennials in municipals, the mission of the academy, and more.

MarketAxess recently created a new platform for electronic municipal bond trading and John Gallagher, head of municipal bonds and U.S. high grade product management for the company joins markets reporter Aaron Weitzman to discuss why MarketAxess wanted to get into munis and how industry participants are embracing the new technological era.

Anthony Figliola, vice president of Empire Government Strategies, joins northeast regional reporter Andrew Coen to discuss how New York State politics create challenges for local governments looking to issue bonds for infrastructure improvements. They will also touch on what brought him into a public finance career at such a young age and his previous experience as a deputy supervisor for one of the nation’s largest municipalities.

Manhattan Institute senior fellow Nicole Gelinas discusses the many challenges facing New York regional transportation with The Bond Buyer's Paul Burton and Andrew Coen. Topics include capital funding, Port Authority and MTA megaprojects and alternative funding to counter the L subway line shutdown.

James Colby, Senior Municipal Strategist and author of the Muni Nation blog at Van Eck, stopped by The Bond Buyer recently to chat with Senior Markets Reporter Chip Barnett about municipal market performance. He also discussed the stability of munis versus other asset classes, muni bond fund inflows versus money market fund outflows, muni exchange traded funds, and what to expect in the last quarter the year.

Alan Schankel, managing director at Janney Capital Markets, chats with Bond Buyer Northeast regional editor Paul Burton, examines the three active bond insurers and explains how an upward move and widening of interest rates and credits spreads could position them for growth.

U.S. Bank Wealth Management senior fixed income strategist Dan Heckman joins markets reporter Aaron Weitzman to discuss two ever-increasingly important topics; infrastructure and pension, as well as interested rates and how overall municipal volume is on the rise. They also talk about how no matter who wins the presidential election in November, the outcome should translate to more spending on infrastructure.

Rhode Island General Treasurer Seth Magaziner, in an in-depth chat with Bond Buyer northeast regional editor Paul Burton, explains how the state can rebound through infrastructure. He also talks about his push to require investment firms to reveal public pension fees, lessons learned from the 38 Studios debacle, and his teaching days in post-Katrina Louisiana early in his career.

The Texas Water Development Board chairman Bech Bruun sits down with markets reporter Aaron Weitzman to discuss a gambit of topics, including droughts in Texas and how those disastrous times have turned into learning experiences. They also discuss the history of the TWDB and its various programs as well as what it's like not only being an issuer in today's low interest rate environment but also what it's like being an issuer from Texas.

Muni finance expert James Spiotto of Chapman Strategic Advisors tells Bond Buyer northeast regional editor Paul Burton how the pension-funding and infrastructure-funding crises interweave, how the pension legal landscape is still developing and how the pension funding crisis even affects triple-A credits such as Seattle. Spiotto also drills down on what to expect from the new Puerto Rico oversight board and what to do about the commonwealth’s teetering economy.