Municipal disclosure

It's hard enough convincing local governments to spend money on cyber insurance that covers ransomware attacks, said Omid Rahmani, public finance cybersecurity lead at Fitch Ratings. The new and very specific threat of a hacked financing process, is "absolutely" underappreciated by the public finance industry.

The NFMA has floated best disclosure practices for public power agencies that ask for more data on climate and resiliency goals.

The increase in the muni market's size, number of novel credits and retail investors suggest it's "finally time" for direct SEC regulation, argue market veterans Kent Hiteshew and David Dubrow.

Market participants warned of the law's potential harm to a market that's famously bespoke and self-regulated.

The city faces no monetary penalty or monitorship in the final judgment in what those involved are calling an unprecedented move for SEC litigation.

The board has requested comment on additional disclosures that state and local governments would need to provide in financial statements but faces a long timeline for implementation.

The agencies are overstepping their statutory authority in trying to force the market to adopt a new securities identifier, says the American Bankers Association.

As extreme weather events occur with more frequency across the country, Michael Gaughan, executive director of the Vermont Bond Bank, says municipal bond banks can help smaller communities deal with the effects of them. Gaughan speaks with The Bond Buyer's Lynne Funk on the effects of climate change and how the various levels of government can work together to address it.

In this episode, Howard Cure, Director of Municipal Bond Research at Evercore Wealth Management, discusses the improving state of public pensions, the ongoing challenges faced by states like New Jersey and Illinois, and the risks associated with pension obligation bonds.

Regulators indicated they may prefer the use of Financial Instrument Global Identifiers for securities.