These Legislative Front and Federal Affairs articles appeared in Issue 2 of Development Finance Perspectives and were written by Erin Tehan, CDFA's Legislative & Federal Affairs Coordinator. The articles cover threats to tax exempt bonds, the...

This page provides summary information for the 2011 CDFA Annual Development Finance Summit, including the press releases for the 2011 CDFA Lifetime Achievement Award and the Federal Financing Reference Guide.

Development Finance Perspectives is the official magazine published by CDFA. Each issue of the publication features articles on development finance as well as news and highlights from the various components of CDFA -- including legislative affairs,...

This article on the 25th Annual Development Finance Summit appeared in the first issue of Development Finance Perspectives. The article highlights the distinguished speakers, interactive opportunities, and drilldown sessions to be available at this...

This article, appearing in the first issue of Development Finance Perspectives and written by CDFA President & CEO Toby Rittner, makes the case for economic development authorities (EDA) to use the Development Finance Toolbox. The toolbox approach...

The Practitioner's Guide to Economic Development Finance is the only comprehensive resource dedicated to building and utilizing the development finance toolbox. The Practitioner's Guide provides the insight and practical information needed to...

The Revolving Loan Fund Reference Guide offers an in-depth look at RLF program development, implementation and management. This guide demonstrates how a RLF program can complement economic development strategies, encourage investment and assist...

Overall, 2009 saw a decrease in the total dollar amount of private-activity bonds issued. In 2009, $11.92 billion of PABs were issued, a $1.74 billion decrease over issuance in 2008. This represents a 12.7% decrease from 2008. Issuances of IDBs...

This page provides links to presentations from the 2010 CDFA Annual Development Finance Summit. These presentations can also be found in the Online Resource Database by searching for keywords related to the session topic.

CDFA has calculated 2010 private activity bond volume caps for all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. CDFA, through the National Volume Cap Resource Center, continues to be the leader in news, information and research related to...

CDFA has calculated the 2010 private activity bond volume cap for all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico using data from the Census Bureau and the Internal Revenue Service. Additional information about volume cap allocations by...

In 2008, $13.7 billion of PABs were issued, a $14.8 billion decrease over issuance in 2007. This represents a 51.9% decrease from 2007. Carryforward of volume cap, not including the additional housing cap, jumped from $16.5 billion in 2007 to $24.3...

This page provides links to presentations from the 2009 CDFA Annual Development Finance Summit. These presentations can also be found in the Online Resource Database by searching for keywords related to the session topic.

CDFA continues to be the leader in monitoring the use of the new stimulus bond provisions. As the first source for getting timely information out to the industry, this article provides an update on the use of the newly created Build American Bonds...

The CDFA 2008 TIF State-By-State Report is a detailed review of the current state statutes and related regulations governing the use of tax increment and similar special district financing tools throughout the country. This information has been...

CDFA has developed these recommended practices to serve as a set of guiding principles when developing or implementing a Tax Increment Finance (TIF) program. TIF has played an increasingly important role in financing economic development and...

The Federal Home Loan Banks (FHLBs) have begun to mobilize and implement new legislation included in the recently passed housing bill. One provision of the bill permits FHLBs to issuer letters of credit (LOCs) on tax-exempt bond deals.

This article examines four programs that serve as excellent models of the role a RLF can play in economic development as part of a larger development finance toolkit. They also represent four different approaches, ranging from a regional fund to a...

Problems with the auction-rate securities market have dominated industry headlines for the last several months. With the erosion of the once commonly used, low-cost bond financing option, issuers have been looking for cost effective alternatives....

Overall, 2007 saw an increase in the total dollar amount of private-activity bonds (PABs) issued. In 2007, $28.5 billion of PABs were issued, representing a $3 billion increase over issuance in 2006. States also used their allocations more...

This page provides links to presentations from the 2008 CDFA Annual Development Finance Summit. These presentations can also be found in the Online Resource Database by searching for keywords related to the session topic.

Since late 2007, the municipal bond insurance industry has been unstable as a result of their loss exposure to collateralized debt obligations (CDO’s) and related concerns. Many questions exist regarding the value and utility of bond insurance and...

This article, written by Doug Lamb, a renewable energy bond expert provides a current update on the use of Clean Renewable Energy Bonds (CREBs). The article covers a variety of aspects from current law, usage and long term potential for the CREB...

Revolving loan funds (RLFs) have become a widely used financing tool, but they are sometimes misunderstood or underutilized. This article examines three different programs that demonstrate the versatility of RLFs. One case study demonstrates how...

LISC Milwaukee commissioned CDFA to produce a White Paper that summarize the status of TIF in Milwaukee and make recommendations for achieving greater results in the future.

The Council of Development Finance Agencies (CDFA) conducted an industry survey to better understand and benchmark the economic development finance industry. CDFA launched the survey during the 2007 CDFA Annual Development Finance Summit in Miami,...

CDFA Fact Sheet covering strategies for successfully marketing an Industrial Development Bond program with case study examples from 5 issuers.

This article takes a look at some of the subprime mortgage loss impacts on municipal bonds, particularly IDBs (small issues for manufacturers) and 501(c)(3) bonds. It also examines the likely effects of the credit crunch created by subprime...

Understanding volume cap is one of the key components of the bond financing process. Each state has a different process for managing volume cap and this article provides an overview of the general principals behind the volume cap system.

Municipal bonds have consistently lower default rates and higher recovery rates than similarly rated corporate bonds. This article is intended to inform readers about these rates for different categories of municipal bonds so conduit bond issuers...

Rural communities require access to capital and financial resources for new infrastructure, investment, growth and sustainability. However, the challenges facing rural communities are often far removed from urban and suburban needs. Rural...

As a pillar of the development finance industry, Industrial Development Bond (IDB) programs can drive investment in the manufacturing sector and build the local economy while retaining and creating valuable jobs. However, a successful IDB programs...

There are several forms of off-balance sheet financing (OBS). OBS may include a variety of business arrangements such as: investments in the equity of other entities, transfers of financial assets (where there is continuing involvement), certain...

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), plays a significant role in sustaining and revitalizing our nation’s communities. This fact sheet outlines the primary programs that HUD operates to serve the economic development finance...

Clean, renewable energy is a high priority for many state and local governments and their political subdivisions. In July 2005, Congress passed the Energy Tax Incentives Act of 2005 (the “Act”). Among a number of other tax incentives, the Act...

This page provides links to presentations from the 2007 CDFA Annual Development Finance Summit. These presentations can also be found in the Online Resource Database by searching for keywords related to the session topic.

This article explores the world of arbitrage and rebate. Arbitrage and rebate violations in various forms account for a very large percentage of issues audited by the IRS and, in turn, found to have violations. Learn the basics of arbitrage and...

This article examines municipal bond rating agencies.

In December, CDFA surveyed several hundred issuers throughout the country to gauge their use of Industrial Development Bonds (IDBs) in 2006 and gather insight into the legislative challenges facing the use of this important economic development...

This article discusses auction rate securities (ARS). There are two primary variable interest rate products in the municipal marketplace. These are ARS and variable rate demand obligation bonds (VRDO). Issuers need to understand how ARS work and...

Competitive, negotiated and private placement in bond sales all have pros and cons and depend greatly on the type of project and issuance needs of all parties involved. This Learning Corner article examines the best method of sale for qualified...

From targeted credits to broad base business packages, state tax credit options are limitless. State agencies take varying approaches to the use of tax credits for economic development. Some states provide fewer but more targeted programs while many...

This CDFA Fact Sheet showcases five case studies to demonstrate various uses for tax increment financing in communities nationwide. While not an exhaustive list by any means, these projects show just how flexible and important TIF has become in...

This article reviews the recent change in the capital expenditure limitation from $10 million to $20 million for qualified small issue bonds (IDBs) for manufacturers. The article examines what the change means and how it works with the $10 million...

This article provides an overview of Industrial Development Bonds (IDBs), particularly basic legal requirements, and sales methods.

Overview of the emergence of tax credit programs as a stable and reliable economic development tool. Includes links to resources on specific federal tax credit programs.

Tax increment bonds may be issued to cover the present cost of tax increment financing district improvements, from streetscape upgrades to water and sewer infrastructure and site remediation. Among other factors, tax increment bond ratings hinge on...

This article reviews how issuers should go about selecting bond counsel. Bond counsel is a key professional in any municipal bond transaction. In many respects, bond counsel is the quarterback of a municipal bond sale, beyond directly performing...

Mezzanine financing is a gap financing measure that can be used for growth-oriented small businesses that may not entirely qualify for loans or investments through traditional lending institutions. This CDFA Fact Sheet provides an overview of the...