Debt Questions Flashcards
Trades of U.S. Government bonds settle
next business day in Federal Fund
trades of corporate and municipal bonds settle
“regular way” in 2 business days in Clearing House Funds.
Accrued interest on U.S. Government bonds is
- actual day month / actual day year basis
- Interest accrues up to but does not include, settlement date, with regular way settlement taking place the next business day.
accrued interest for agencies is
30-day month / 360 day year basis.
U.S. Government securities (except for Treasury Bills) are quoted
in 32nds
Treasury Bills are quoted
- a yield basis.
- No accrued interest is paid from buyer to seller since these securities do not make periodic interest payments
Treasury Notes and Bonds pay interest
semi-annually
If a customer is buying a bond, the price that the customer pays is the
“Ask” price, not the “Bid”
Agency issues are taxed at
Federal, State, and Local levels.
U.S Government taxed at
Federal, State, and Local levels.
Zero-coupon bonds most suitable for
retirement plan accounts, where the account is tax-deferred. That way, the annual accretion is not taxable until the funds are withdrawn from the account at retirement.
Interest received from mortgage-backed pass-through certificates is
taxable at the Federal, State, and Local levels.
Interest income received from Treasury Inflation Protection Securities
subject to Federal income tax, but is exempt from State and Local tax.
If the principal amount of a Treasury Inflation Protection Security is adjusted upwards due to inflation
that amount is treated as taxable interest income in the year of adjustment.
If the principal amount of a Treasury Inflation Protection Security is adjusted downwards due to deflation
that amount is treated as tax-deductible interest expense in the year of adjustment.
General Obligation bonds are backed by
the faith, credit and unlimited taxing power of the issuer.
limited tax bond
a limit placed on the tax rate.
ad valorem” taxes
taxes based on property value
Capital Appreciation Bond (CAB)
principal counted against the issuer’s debt limit is the discounted principal amount and the discount earned is considered to be interest income.
Tax Levy
If a GO bond defaults, bondholders have the right to make a legislative appropriation to make a payment on a debt
Makes GO Bonds the safest municipal debt
Revenue Bond
Bond not backed by tax powers
Self Supporting
Backed by a specific source of revenue
Greater credit risk
Trade at higher yields
Feasibility Study
- Performed by an independent consultant
- Projects anticipated revenues versus operating expenses, to make sure there is enough net revenue to service the debt
Trust Indenture
- Legal Requirement, hard to sell Revenue Bond without one
- A contract between the issuer and the trustee for the benefit of bondholders
Income source to service revenue bonds
- any enterprise activity, tolls, water and sewer charges, lease payments, and excise taxes
- any tax other than an ad valorem tax, such as an income tax or sales tax.
Maintenance covenant
- promise to maintain the facility in good repair
Rate Covenant
-that promises to increase charges for the use of the facility as operation and maintenance costs rise.
Segregation of funds covenant
- to keep the revenue monies collected from and monies expended on running the facility separate from all other municipal accounts
Books and Record Covenant
- Promise to maintain proper record keeping of accounts
No Sale Covenant
- Promise not to sell the facility, or palce any liens on facility
Additional bonds covenant
- promise not to issue additional bonds against the facility unless specified earnings tests are met
- if earnings are high enough parity bonds may be issued
- only if the bond is an open-end lien
Catastrophe Covenant
- a promise to call in the bond if the facility is destroyed
- principal is paid back to bondholders by insurance coverage
Flow of funds
- revenue fund
- operation and maintenance fund
- sinking fund
- debt service reserve fund
- reserve maintenance fund
- renewal and replacement fund
- surplus fund
Revenue Fund
All gross revenues from the facility are placed in the fund and all disbursements are from this fund
Net Revenue
Gross revenues - operations and maintenance
Net Revenue Pledge
After operations and maintenance are paid, bondholders are paid
Sinking Fund
- Deposits are made by the issuer to meet annual debt service requirements
- deposits are made to fund mandatory calls
- Once in this fund they have no other purpose rather than to make payments to bondholders
Debt Service Reserve
- fund of extra money to pay bondholders in case revenues are insufficient
- once depleted must be refunded ASAP
Gross Revenue Pledge
- issuer pays the bondholder their annual debt service requirements before they pay anyone else
Double Barrelled
- a revenue bond that is also backed by ad valorem taxing power
- non-self-supporting debt
Special Tax Bond
- an issue secured by any taxes besides ad valorem
- cigarette, gasoline
- excise taxes, sales taxes, income taxes
Special Assesment Bond
- pays for a municipal improvement, and the people who benefit from it are the only ones who pay an additional tax
Moral Obligation
- cannot use conventional financing because credit is too shaky
- obligates a local issuer to pay, but also has the moral obligation of the state legislature
- state legislature is not legally obligated
Certification of Patricipation
- way to get around debt limit and voter approval
- issued by a state entity where lease revenues are pledged to back the issue
- lease payment is made based on the governing body making an annual appropriation based on tax collections, not legally obligated
- higher yield than GO bonds bc more credit risk
Industrial Revenue Bond
- issued by the state to build an industrial facility to lease to a private company, brings jobs to the area
- revenues are lease payments
- corporation guarantees the bond
- taxable
Build America Bonds ( BABs)
- to recover from 2008 recession
- taxable bond issues
35% interest subsidary ( 10% bab = 3.5% is credited by government, so issuers net interest is 6.5%) - can be sold at higher interest rates and no additional cost to the issuer
- public buildings, courthouses, transportation infrastructure, government hospitals, public safety facility, water and sewer, environmental, public utilities.
- idea was to create jobs
Short Term Municpal notes
- 3 month to 3 year maturity, common for less than 12 months
- temporary financing of capital improvements
- even out cash flows
Municipal notes are issued at ____
par with state interest and redeemed at par plus accrued interest
BANS
- short term financing for a building project when final cost is unkown
issued in anticipation of repayment from an upcoming bond sale
TANS
- issued to “pull forward” source of income before actually collected
- issued in anticipation of upcoming tax collections
Construction Loan Note
- issued to start the building of a multifamily house project
- paid off by payments from a long term bond issue
2-3 years, usually issued when interest rates are high
RANS
- issued to “pull forward” source of income before it is actually collected
- issued in anticipation of repayment from upcoming revenue, received from a quality source like the Federal Government
GANs
- issued to “pull forward” source of income before it is actually collected
- issued in anticipation of receiving grant monies, such as mass transit, energy conservation, pollution control improvements
Variable Rate Demand Notes/ Step up- Step DOwn
- interest rate is reset daily or weekly by the issuer based on a given index, bond-holder has the option of holding for next term or redeeming at par
- long term bonds at short- term rates
- NO market Risk