The Top 10 Safest Municipal Bonds

September 09, 2013

By: Justin Kuepper

Detroits bankruptcy has sent ripples through the investment world. While the citys fate wasnt entirely unexpected, its bankruptcy was the largest in U.S. history and could have some troubling implications for the municipal bond market. For instance, authorities are trying to demote general obligation (GO) bondholders to unsecured creditor status for the first time in the history of the $3.7 trillion municipal bond market a troubling precedent, if approved.

In this article, well explore what makes a safe municipal bond, how to track that safety, and then wrap up with the 10 safest municipal bonds for 2013.

A Brief Primer on Muni Bonds

Municipal bonds, or muni bonds for short, are issued by states, counties, cities or other agencies to finance public projects, like schools, roads, bridges, utilities, housing, airports, hospitals, and other facilities. These bonds can be long-term fixed rate bonds, short-term notes, variable rate securities, zero-coupon bonds, taxable securities or other types of securities. The vast majority of these bonds are held until maturity by individual investors via funds.

Since they are backed by government agencies, muni bonds are generally considered to be very safe, with less than 0.5% of outstanding muni bonds falling into default in any given year. These figures are especially impressive considering that there are more than one million bonds outstanding, representing some $3.7 trillion in principal value, according to a report by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in July of 2012.

Finding Safety in Muni Bonds

Investors researching muni bonds can find most of the information they need on the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board s Electronic Municipal Market Access or EMMA platform. After inputting a muni bonds CUSIP or name, investors can access information about the interest rate, payment timing, redeeming attributes, default consequences, financial/operational information, and various other important pieces of information.

Here are some key pieces of advice to keep in mind when researching:

• Size Sometimes Matters. Muni bonds issued by larger municipalities arent necessarily more financially sound, but they are likely to be easier to sell with more liquidity. In general, investors should pursue municipalities with a population of over 10,000.
• Choosing the Right Type. There are many different types of muni bonds, including revenue bonds or general obligation bonds. Most of the time, general obligation bonds are considered the safer investment, although they often pay a lower yield.
• Watch Credit Ratings. Muni bond credit ratings are extremely important to the lay investor, as these ratings take into account things like debt service coverage ratios. Most investors should seek out debt service coverage ratios above 2.0x and AAA-rated bonds.
• Looking for Insurance. Approximately half of all muni bonds are covered by large insurance companies, which guarantee payments and provide an AAA rating. In general, investors should seek out top-rated muni bonds or those insured to have the top rating.
• Common Sense. Municipalities that have thriving downtowns, growing populations, and improving economics represent the safest investments, while those investors should avoid those moving in the opposite direction like Detroit.
• Be Wary of Certain Bonds. Build America, structured or appropriation bonds can be riskier, since some of them are subject to change and/or may not be backed by a sound issuer or substantial revenue source needed to ensure security.

Keeping Track of Muni Bonds

Municipal bond holders should be concerned with two things changing technical aspects of the bonds and the underlying health of the municipality. The first of these elements can be tracked using the EMMA platform s continuing disclosures, which supports automatic e-mail alerts designed to keep investors up-to-date. But, the second item requires a bit more legwork on the part of the investor to ensure the safety of their investment over time.

Continuing disclosures contain information about the financial or operating condition of the issuer as it changes over time and specific events that could impact the bonds valuation or its ability to make payments. Mandatory disclosures are made under contractual agreements entered into under Rule 15c2-12 of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, while voluntary disclosures are made without any contractual obligations to do so.

Ratings agencies like Standard & Poors, Moodys, and Fitch provide the most accessible information about the underlying health of municipalities via their bond ratings. Investors can find these ratings on any number of websites or some online brokers. Additional information about the health of a municipality can be found in that municipalitys public records, which are often available online or at the relevant clerks office.

Top 10 Safest Municipal Bonds

1. Williamson County Texas Unlimited Road Tax Road Bonds Series 2007 (969887UH9 ): These Texan AAA-rated, insured, general obligation bonds are backed by unlimited taxation, with a 4.75% interest rate and long-term February 15, 2032 maturity date.
2. Austin Texas Public Improvement Refunding Bond Series 2005 (052396KH0 ): These Texan AAA-rated, insured, general obligation bonds are backed by limited taxation, with a 5% interest rate and short-term September 1, 2015 maturity date.
3. Harrison County Flood Control Improvement Bonds Series 2007 (4140182L4 ): These Texan AAA-rated, insured, general obligation bonds are backed by limited taxation, with a 5% interest rate and long-term October 1, 2031 maturity date.
4. Central Utah Water Conservancy District GO Refunding Bond Series 2004A (155674ET7 ): These Utah AAA-rated, insured, general obligation bonds are backed by limited taxation, with a 5% interest rate and medium-term April 1, 2021 maturity date.
5. City of Virginia Beach Virginia GO Public Improvement Bonds Series 2005 (927734QW6 ): These Virginian AAA-rated, insured, general obligation bonds are backed by unlimited taxation, with a 5% interest rate and medium-term January, 15, 2021 maturity.
6. City of Minneapolis Minnesota GO Improvement Bonds Series 2002 (60374A5Q8 ): These Minnesota AAA-rated, insured, general obligation bonds are backed by unlimited taxation, with a 5.25% interest rate and December 1, 2026 maturity date.
7. Polk County Iowa GO Bond Series 2006B (731197TP4 ): These Iowa AAA-rated, insured, general obligation bonds are backed by unlimited taxation, with a 4.1% interest rate and near-term June 1, 2017 maturity date.
8. Des Moines Iowa GO Refunding Bond Series 2005E (250092G49 ): These Iowa AAA-rated, insured, general obligation bonds are backed by unlimited taxation, with a 4.5% interest rate and June 1, 2020 maturity date.
9. State of Tennessee GO Bonds 2003 Series A (880541CE5 ). These Tennessee AAA-rated, insured, general obligation bonds are backed by unlimited taxation, with a 5% interest rate and short-term August 1, 2018 maturity date.
10. Oklahoma City Oklahoma GO Refunding Bonds Series 2005 (678519FD6 ). These Oklahoma AAA-rated, insured, general obligation bonds are backed by taxation, with a 5% interest rate and short-term September 1, 2018 maturity date.

The Bottom Line

Investing in municipal bonds can be risky, but investors can avoid a lot of this risk by seeking out AAA-rated general obligation bonds located in states and cities with strong economies. While these muni bonds may not offer the same yields as riskier municipalities or bond types, income investors looking for a safe return can be reasonably certain of the interest and principal.