Add Xenia Rural Water District’s to the short but growing list of over-leveraged municipal borrowers.  With $143 million in debt and about 9,000 customers, the unfolding socio-gram includes bondholders, bond insurers CIFG and Assured Guaranty, the US Department of Agriculture, Bank of America, and last, but not least, the ratepayers.  A $5.2 million note to [...]

bond insurance, fiscal emergency, municipal bond default, non-rated bonds, special district

We have two opposing camps in the muni-market at the moment: those who say it is the next systemic shoe to drop and the rating agencies that are systemically raising ratings.
Which is right?
We have moved from a market that has had heavy intermediation from the bond insurance companies to one where investors are on their [...]

ballot initiatives, bond insurance, community development district, direct democracy, liquidity, municipal bankruptcy, municipal bond default, ratings, state and local politics, states

In the aftermath of the bond insurance meltdown investors found that many of their holdings did not have an underlying rating.  Most are small borrowings and in smaller, lower profile communities across the U.S. landscape.  Among them are some gems that are navigating the difficult waters of the great recession.  However, there are also some [...]

bond insurance, non-rated bonds

Insured 2007 bonds were sold to finance road construction for the Avery Ranch master planned community north of Austin, Texas.  Download the report.

bond insurance, special district

A sample report on this district’s fiscal condition, 2005 bonds insured by AMBAC, no underlying rating, is available for your review.

bond insurance, special district