Handbook for Muni-Bond Issuers

From Bloomberg, the authority on municipal bond valuation, this is the first book to give issuers (municipalities and their officers, attorneys, and other advisers) step-by-step tips on (1) lowering the cost of financing and (2) how to do it right and avoid trouble--with the press, with the market, with constituents, and with the Securities and Exchange Commission. With an insider's perspective, Joe Mysak debunks the myths and reveals thepractical realities of today's municipal bond market. Fresh and clearly written, this excellent primer on issuing municipal bonds is a key to the market that no participant should be without. Foreword (Michael R. Bloomberg).

Introduction.

Chapter 1: Getting Started.

The basics.

Chapter 2: Choosing Your Method of Sale.

Negotiated or competitive?

Chapter 3: Getting Advice.

What your financial adviser can do for you.

Chapter 4: How to Sell Bonds the Right Way.

Paying the lowest interest cost.

Chapter 5: The Role of the Underwriter.

Watch what they do.

Chapter 6: How to Get into Trouble.

You are responsible for your bonds.

Chapter 7: The Bond Counsel.

The gatekeepers.

Chapter 8: Who Buys Your Bonds?

A smaller group than you'd think.

Chapter 9: Public Relations.

How to win bond elections.

Chapter 10: What Happens in a Bond Sale.

Step by step.

Chapter 11: Credit Ratings.

A continuing relationship.

Chapter 12: After the Sale.

Don't get burned.

Resources and Glossary.

Index.

Joe Mysak is a columnist for Bloomberg News. Formerly, he worked at The Bond Buyer as editor and publisher, as editor of American Banker, and also as editor of both Grant's Municipal Bond Observer and Grant's Municipal Bond Issuer. He wrote The Guidebook to Muncipal Bonds with George J. Marlin and edited The Bond Buyer's centennial edition. "Joe Mysak explains even the most complex subjects with a refreshing simplicity. He maintains his ever-present skepticism about much of what usually turns out to be flimflam in the guise of new products and financial engineering. This is a book for anyone--even investors without specialized financial backgrounds--who needs to understand what all the noise is about in a bond sale."
—Frank R. Hoadley
Capital Finance Director, State of Wisconsin

"The Handbook for Muni-Bond Issuers is what public finance professionals want to have on their shelves, both a good read and a useful reference. Joe Mysak treats the fundamentals--and the foibles--of the municipal bond market in clear, concise language and takes time to tour some frequently bypassed, but very practical subjects, like winning bond elections and investing bond proceeds."
—John Petersen
President, Government Finance Group

"Joe Mysak has written the new bible for municipal bond issuers. The search is over--this book provides clear guidance and smart answers for everyone in the field."
—James B. G. Hearty
Managing Director, Lehman Brothers