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Why Is the Fragmented Municipal Bond Market So Costly to Investors and Issuers?

Author

Listed:
  • John M. Griffin
  • Nicholas Hirschey
  • Samuel Kruger

Abstract

The municipal bond market plays a crucial role in providing capital to US municipalities and functions through a network of underwriters, municipal advisors, credit rating agencies, insurers, individual and institutional investors, and multiple regulators. Many of these market participants have significant asymmetric information and conflicting incentive structures, which can sometimes lead to disparate and seemingly inefficient outcomes. Puzzles documented in the academic literature include high underwriting costs, conflicting roles by municipal advisors, extreme and widely varying trade markups, investment holdings that are often not tax-efficient, inconsistent implied marginal tax rates, a heavy reliance on credit ratings, little benefit but widespread use of insurance, delayed use of call provisions, and inconsistent treatment of accounting information. We review issues in the municipal bond market and propose implementable suggestions that would hopefully allow for a more competitive and low-cost market for both taxpayers and investors.

Suggested Citation

  • John M. Griffin & Nicholas Hirschey & Samuel Kruger, 2025. "Why Is the Fragmented Municipal Bond Market So Costly to Investors and Issuers?," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 39(2), pages 235-260, Spring.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:jecper:v:39:y:2025:i:2:p:235-60
    DOI: 10.1257/jep.20241411
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • G12 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Asset Pricing; Trading Volume; Bond Interest Rates
    • G23 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Non-bank Financial Institutions; Financial Instruments; Institutional Investors
    • G24 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Investment Banking; Venture Capital; Brokerage
    • G41 - Financial Economics - - Behavioral Finance - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making in Financial Markets
    • H22 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Incidence
    • H74 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - State and Local Borrowing

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