Tax-exempt bonds

Numerous vital issues are on the docket for the new Trump administration.

Despite studies showing questionable financials, municipalities continue to build

The higher-ed sector, already facing internal pressures, could face scrutiny over its tax-exempt status during tax reform next year.

Advocates hope to use the data to persuade lawmakers of the usefulness of tax-exempt bonds as Congress tackles tax policy next year.

Two former Congressional staffers offered insight into how the debate may play out, but said the industry needs to be vocal and educate lawmakers how bonds help their district.

The triple-tax-exempt bonds should be in demand, especially the non-AMT series, analysts said.

Issuers in five Far West states increased their borrowing the first half of the year, while four saw sizable decreases.

Lawmakers could take a scalpel to certain bonds and sectors to penalize issuers for unrelated policies, like school vouchers or campus protests.

Vance has called for eliminating the SALT deduction, calling it "massively redistributive toward the lower- and middle-income brackets."

While the muni market lobbies for its wish list, investors keep in mind that any tax rate changes affect appetite and market technicals.