PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Rustin T. Yerkes AU - Lauren W. Bates AU - Sara Helms McCarty TI - How Do Municipal Bonds Behave without Tax Exemption? AID - 10.3905/joi.2016.25.4.051 DP - 2016 Nov 30 TA - The Journal of Investing PG - 51--63 VI - 25 IP - 4 4099 - https://pm-research.com/content/25/4/51.short 4100 - https://pm-research.com/content/25/4/51.full AB - This article analyzes an extensive sample of tax-exempt and taxable municipal bonds to better understand how municipals behave without federal tax exemption. The authors find that taxable municipals are issued at higher yields in high state tax jurisdictions and that they are less likely to be issued in these areas and more likely to be issued in those that tax in-state issues. This finding suggests tax premium and market segmentation effects. As state tax treatment becomes more important, these effects may inhibit efficient portfolio diversification outcomes. The authors offer insight into how municipal portfolios and the municipal market behave in the absence of federal tax exemption.TOPICS: Fixed income and structured finance, legal/regulatory/public policy