The Basics of Municipal Bonds

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If your primary investment objective is to preserve capital while generating a tax-free income stream, municipal bonds are worth considering. Municipal bonds (munis) are debt obligations issued by government entities. When you buy a municipal bond, you are loaning money to the issuer in exchange for a set number of interest payments over a predetermined period. At the end of that period, the bond reaches its maturity date, and the full amount of your original investment is returned to you.

Key Takeaways

• Municipal bonds are good for people who want to hold on to capital while creating a tax-free income source.
• General obligation bonds are issued to raise funds right away to cover costs, while revenue bonds are issued to finance infrastructure projects.
• Both general obligation bonds and revenue bonds are tax-exempt and low-risk, with issuers very likely to pay back their debts.
• Buying municipal bonds is low-risk, but not risk-free, as the issuer could fail to make agreed-upon interest payments or be unable to repay the principal upon maturity.

How Municipal Bonds Work

While municipal bonds are available in both taxable and tax-exempt formats, the tax-exempt bonds tend to get the most attention because the income they generate is, for most investors, exempt from federal and, in many cases, state and local income taxes.

Investors subject to the alternative minimum tax (AMT) must include interest income from certain munis when calculating the tax and should consult a tax professional before investing.

Types of Municipal Bonds

Municipal bonds come in the following two varieties:

• general obligation bonds
• revenue bonds

General obligation bonds, issued to raise immediate capital to cover expenses, are supported by the taxing power of the issuer. Revenue bonds, which are issued to fund infrastructure projects, are supported by the income generated by those projects. Both types of bonds are tax-exempt and particularly attractive to risk-averse investors due to the high likelihood that the issuers will repay their debts.

Credit Risk Levels of Municipal Bonds

Although buying municipal bonds is low-risk, they are not entirely without risk. If the issuer is unable to meet its financial obligations, it may fail to make scheduled interest payments or be unable to repay the principal upon maturity.

To assist in the evaluation of an issuer’s creditworthiness, rating agencies (such as Moody’s Ratings and S&P Global Ratings) analyze a bond issuer’s ability to meet its debt obligations and issue ratings from ‘Aaa’ or ‘AAA’ for the most creditworthy issuers to ‘Ca’, ‘C’, ‘D’, ‘DDD’, ‘DD’, or ‘D’ for those in default.

Bonds rated ‘BBB’, ‘Baa’, or better are generally considered appropriate investments when capital preservation is the primary objective. To reduce investor concern, many municipal bonds are backed by insurance policies guaranteeing repayment in the event of default.

Note

The 10-year average default rate for investment-grade municipal bonds was 0.09%, compared with 2.23% for corporate bonds.

Tax Bracket Changes

Municipal bonds generate tax-free income and therefore pay lower interest rates than taxable bonds. Investors who anticipate a significant drop in their marginal income-tax rate may be better served by the higher yield available from taxable bonds.

Call Risk

Many bonds allow the issuer to repay all or a portion of the bond prior to the maturity date. The investor’s capital is returned with a premium added in exchange for the early debt retirement. While you get your entire initial investment plus some back if the bond is called, your income stream ends earlier than expected.

Market Risk

The interest rate of most municipal bonds is paid at a fixed rate. This rate doesn’t change over the life of the bond. However, the underlying price of a particular bond will fluctuate in the secondary market due to market conditions. Changes in interest rates and interest rate expectations are generally the primary factors involved in municipal bond secondary market prices.

When interest rates fall, newly issued bonds will pay a lower yield than existing issues, which makes the older bonds more attractive. Investors who want the higher yield may be willing to pay more to get it.

Likewise, if interest rates rise, newly issued bonds will pay a higher yield than existing issues. Investors who buy the older issues are likely to do so only if they get them at a discount.

If you buy a bond and hold it until maturity, market risk is not a factor because your principal investment will be returned in full at maturity. Should you choose to sell before the maturity date, your gain or loss will be dictated by market conditions, and the appropriate tax consequences for capital gains or losses will apply.

Buying Strategies

The most basic strategy for investing in municipal bonds is to purchase a bond with an attractive interest rate, or yield, and hold the bond until it matures. The next level of sophistication involves the creation of a municipal bond ladder.

A ladder consists of a series of bonds, each with a different interest rate and maturity date. As each rung on the ladder matures, the principal is reinvested into a new bond. Both of these strategies are categorized as passive strategies because the bonds are bought and held until maturity.

Investors seeking to generate both income and capital appreciation from their bond portfolio may choose an active portfolio management approach, whereby bonds are bought and sold instead of held to maturity. This approach seeks to generate income from yields and capital gains from selling at a premium.

Evaluating Stability vs. Fit

Stability is a relative term in the municipal bond market. Municipal bonds tend to be safer than many other types of investments, but they are less safe than U.S. Treasury bonds. You can also trade in multiple kinds of municipal bonds, such as assessment bonds, revenue bonds, or general obligation bonds.

The issuer of the bond also matters; bonds issued from municipal authorities in a city with strong financials would be considered more stable than those from a city whose credit rating has been downgraded or has recently filed for bankruptcy.

Plenty of investors make understandable mistakes during tough or uncertain times and develop tunnel vision about stability and safety. In their flight from risk, however, they fail to consider how an investment fits into their financial plans.

Municipal bonds can be a tax haven, often generating higher returns than Treasuries. They can still lose to inflation and tie up large sums of money for much longer than a recession typically lasts.

Are Municipal Bonds a Safe Investment?

Yes, municipal bonds are generally considered a safer investment than corporate bonds but they are not as safe as U.S. Treasury bonds. While most munis carry low risk, particularly those with high credit ratings, they’re not risk-free. Factors like the financial health of the issuing municipality, economic conditions, and, though rare, defaults, can affect their safety. Many munis are backed by the issuing city or state’s taxing power, adding stability, and some are even insured, which provides an added layer of security.

What’s the Difference Between General Obligation Bonds and Revenue Bonds?

General obligation bonds and revenue bonds are the two main types of municipal bonds. General obligation bonds are backed by the issuer’s taxing power, which means they rely on property taxes or other revenue streams to pay investors back. They’re seen as safer because they’re supported by the municipality’s general funds. Revenue bonds, on the other hand, are tied to specific projects, like toll roads or utilities, and are paid back from the income generated by those projects. If the project doesn’t produce the expected income, repayment could be at risk. Both types are typically exempt and appeal to investors looking for stable, tax-free income.

What Are the Main Risks of Investing in Municipal Bonds?

Municipal bonds are generally low-risk but they do carry some possible downsides. Some risks include credit risk (the chance the issuer may struggle to make payments), interest rate risk (bond value can drop if market rates rise), and call risk (the issuer might repay the bond early, cutting off expected interest). Despite these, munis remain popular for their stability and tax benefits.

The Bottom Line

Municipal bonds provide tax-free income and capital preservation, appealing to low-risk investors. General obligation and revenue bonds offer security, though risks like defaults and market shifts exist. Strategies like bond ladders support steady returns, while active management can yield gains. Overall, municipal bonds offer stability and can fit well within broader financial goals.

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