The corporate bond sector
of the municipal bond market has historically been one of the sectors where bonds have a higher propensity to default.
To answer that question, I added two more columns, each showing the tax - equivalent
yield of the municipal bonds yielding 2 %, but at different tax rates.
If you buy shares
of a municipal bond fund that invests in bonds issued by other states, you will have to pay income tax.
Interest rate risk Like all fixed income securities, the market
prices of municipal bonds are susceptible to fluctuations in interest rates.
There is a vast number
of municipal bond issues out there, from thousands of different issuers, and very few of them will change hands on any given day.
In addition, you may be subject to tax on amounts recognized in connection with the
sale of municipal bonds, including capital gains and «market discount» taxed at ordinary income rates.
As the prices
of the municipal bonds in a fund portfolio adjust to a rise in interest rates, the fund's share price may decline.
The «belly»
of the municipal bond curve or the 5 — 10 year maturity range has done well this year, almost as well as the longer maturity range.
Understand how the addition
of municipal bond mutual funds can enhance a portfolio, and learn the top - rated municipal bond funds to consider for 2016.
Unlike corporate bonds, the governmental
nature of municipal bonds lowers the risks associated with them, but it is still potentially possible for a municipality to go bankrupt and default on a bond.
But it will all depend on the amount you have to invest, the interest
rates of the municipal bonds you buy and how consistent the rates are paid.
Oh, and as an aside,
think of Municipal bonds, because they are the only fixed income asset class that the flood of foreign liquidity hasn't touched.
In particular, she noted her expectations for the
future of the municipal bond market which included hundreds of billions of dollars in defaults within the next five years.
You may also be subject to tax on amounts recognized in connection with the
sale of municipal bonds, including capital gains and «market discount» taxed at ordinary income rates.
To learn more about the
benefits of municipal bonds, contact an investment professional or thoroughly research them yourself before investing your money.