Municipal Bond Forum
On “Hidden Gems in the Muni Market” cont’d #2
Q
Thank you for your reply. It was very easy to understand and I fully agree. After correcting my original analysis, I calculated that the impact of having to pay state taxes on the premium bond reduced its effective return by only 0.04% compared to a par bond. I’ve been on the verge of buying and selling muni bonds with your company, but since the commissions for bonds are typically imbedded with the purchase price (unlike buying stocks), it is difficult for me to calculate how much I actually pay going through a brokerage firm. How do your commissions for buying and selling muni bonds compare with others?
A
James A. Klotz responds:
In our experience, newcomers to the bond market profit more by concentrating on the return on their investment, not the compensation to their broker.
Yield is paramount. If the yields offered are comparable to other bonds of similar quality, there is no need to be concerned about your broker’s commission. Most Web sites touting “the most” offerings and the “lowest commissions” usually have little else to offer since they are selling bonds from other dealers’ inventories and possess very little bond market expertise.
At FMSbonds, we sell from our own inventory. We only recommend bonds we would purchase ourselves. All of our prices are net to the investor. There are no additional fees or commissions.
Concentrate on buying bonds that are right for you. If you buy the wrong bonds, the fact that your broker made no commission will, in the end, provide little comfort to you.
Start here.
Do you have specific criteria for bonds you’re looking for? Let us know and we’ll e-mail you bonds that fit your needs. There is no charge for this service.
The responses provided in this forum are meant to address specific questions posed by investors about their municipal bonds and to provide market insight for our general audience. Please note, your investments, objectives, results and experience may differ significantly. Our answers and any potential strategies discussed should not be construed as a solicitation to buy nor sell any security or investment product. All investing entails risk.