When the stock market was roaring, many people overlooked tax-exempt and tax-favored bonds. Risk-taking investors instead turned to stocks and other investments with higher returns.

But thanks to the current economic downturn, conservative investors may be taking a second look at bonds, which are viewed as safer, more dependable places to park money.

In particular, tax-exempt bonds may be attractive to investors in higher tax brackets who keep money in taxable accounts, according to Adrian Stern, a certified public accountant and founding member and partner of Clumeck Stern Schenkelberg & Getzoff in Encino, Calif.

The higher the tax bracket, the higher the yield and the (more) beneficial the tax-free bond will be to this person, Stern says.

Certified Financial Planner Marilyn Capelli Dimitroff agrees.

Those who could benefit most are the individuals in the 33 percent and 35 percent tax bracket, says Dimitroff, chair of the board of directors of the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards and president of Capelli Financial Services in Bloomfield Hills, Mich.

The higher the tax bracket. the (more) beneficial the tax-free bond will be to this person.

However, the safety of tax-exempt and tax-favored bonds comes at a price. Bond investors must be realistic about the type of return they can expect, Stern says.

Risk reward is not an idle statement, Stern says. If you want the reward, you must take the risk. The lower the risk, the lower the reward.

Following are several types of tax-exempt and tax-favored bonds and bond funds:

Municipal bonds

Municipal bonds are bonds issued by state and local government agencies. The interest income on these bonds is free from federal taxes.

In most cases, they are also exempt from state and local taxes when investors purchase bonds issued within their state and municipality. However, the capital gains associated with municipal bonds are taxable.

There are many different types of municipal bonds, but two key types are:

• General obligation bonds. Often called GO bonds, the principal and interest of these bonds are backed by the full faith and credit of the municipality that issues them. For this reason, they are considered relatively safe.
• Revenue bonds. The principal and interest payments of these bonds are funded from project revenues. Revenue bonds are considered riskier, since they are secured by a stream of income provided by the issuing facility. For example, a state may issue bonds and use state toll collections to cover the debt-service payments.

In many cases, issuing agencies insure their bonds, giving investors an extra assurance the principal will be repaid on an issue. Riskier municipal issues pay higher interest rates because of the additional risk.

Municipal bonds can be purchased through a stock broker. They traditionally have been issued in minimum amounts of $25,000, but it’s become increasingly common to find bonds in $5,000 and $10,000 increments, according to Stern.

When considering a purchase of a municipal bond, it’s important to ask the right questions, Stern says.

Individuals looking for a bond should not only inquire whether it is a government obligation or a revenue bond to evaluate its risk, they should also find out . whether the bond is insured, Stern says.

Some experts recommend using a financial planner or other expert when investing in municipal bonds.

Municipal bond funds

Investors who don’t see themselves shelling out $5,000 for an individual municipal bond can opt instead to purchase shares in a municipal bond mutual fund.

These funds offer the same tax benefits as individual municipal bonds, with the added bonus of reducing risk to the investor. Owning a basket of municipals in a fund means the investor will not suffer greatly if one single bond defaults.

As with individual municipal bonds, the interest income the municipal fund produces is tax-exempt while the capital gain is taxable.