About

Advocacy

Events

Membership

Sponsor

Education

Newsletters

Resources

Advisory Services

×
Advanced Bond Finance Course
October 6, 2026
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM Eastern

Register Today

-Overview

The Advanced Bond Finance Course is designed for professionals who already have an understanding of tax-exempt bond financing and seek detailed instruction on complex financing techniques. Expert speakers will explore topics including the application of financial derivatives, advance refundings, investing bond proceeds, and how to spot arbitrage issues.

This course is an ideal opportunity to enhance your knowledge and maximize your community's ability to finance economic development using tax-exempt bonds.

For professionals who are interested in learning the basics of bonds, CDFA offers an Intro Bond Finance Course.

This course qualifies for the CDFA Training Institute's Development Finance Certified Professional (DFCP) Program. Join us online, and start down the road to personal and professional advancement today.

Register


Course Objectives

  • Understand trends and forces impacting today's volatile bond market
  • Examine key principles of interest rate swaps, when to consider them, and the risks and benefits associated with swaps
  • Discover best practices for negotiating professional fees in a bond transaction
  • Learn about investing bond proceeds, spotting arbitrage issues, calculating yield, and advance refundings
  • Hear from representatives at the IRS and MSRB about current regulatory matters in the bond markets
  • Discuss various forms of credit enhancement and the availability of this form of financing given current market conditions
  • Hear expert panelists explain common challenges in bond transactions and how to overcome them

Topics Covered

  • IRS and financial markets update
  • Interest rate swaps
  • Arbitrage and rebate concepts
  • Advanced refundings
  • Credit enhancement techniques
  • MSRB rules and disclosure requirements
  • Investing bond proceeds

Who Should Attend?

  • Bond Issuers
  • Economic Development Professionals
  • Community Development Professionals
  • Brokers/Dealers and Underwriters
  • Elected Officials
  • Government and Nonprofit Finance Officers
  • Corporate Trustees
  • Legal Counsel
  • Underwriters
  • Commercial Bankers
  • Accountants

Course Advisor

Toby Rittner Toby Rittner
Council of Development Finance Agencies
President & CEO
Toby Rittner is the President & CEO of Council of Development Finance Agencies (CDFA), a national association dedicated to the advancement of development finance concerns and interests. CDFA is comprised of the nation’s leading and most... (More)

-Agenda

Thursday, August 6, 2026

Thu 11:00 AM - 11:10 AM
Welcome & Overview
Welcome to the course! This session will introduce CDFA, explain how to use the online software, and discuss the framework for the Advanced Bond Finance Course.
Thu 11:10 AM - 11:30 AM
The Role of Bonds in Complex Finance Deals
This opening session sets the stage for the day by framing how bonds operate across complex development finance transactions. Participants will align around the day’s focus: execution, structuring, and strategy in modern bond deals.
Thu 11:30 AM - 12:25 PM
Bond Markets in Motion: Conditions, Volatility & Investor Behavior
In volatile markets, it is essential to stay current and understand the investor audience. This session delivers a focused read on current capital and municipal bond market conditions and how they shape issuance strategy. Participants will examine the drivers of volatility, issuer challenges, and how market dynamics influence investor demand and deal execution.
Thu 12:25 PM - 1:20 PM
Strengthening the Deal: Credit Enhancement & Refundings
Credit enhancement and refundings remain powerful tools for strengthening a bond deal when used strategically. This session examines when they add value, how they improve pricing and financial flexibility, and the legal and structural considerations shaping their use today. Case studies illustrate how practitioners apply both tools in practice.
Thu 1:20 PM - 1:30 PM
Break
Thu 1:30 PM - 2:00 PM
Regulatory Environment: What Issuers Need to Know
This session provides a clear overview of the regulatory framework governing bond issuance, with a focus on oversight from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (MSRB). Participants will examine current priorities, compliance risks, and practical implications for issuers across the transaction lifecycle.
Thu 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Leveraging the Issuer Platform: Expanding the Toolkit
Issuing bonds is only part of the mission. This session explores how issuing authorities extend their impact through loan programs, pooled funds, guarantees, and strategic deployment of bond proceeds while maintaining compliance with rules governing bond proceeds, rating agency expectations, and arbitrage limitations.
Thu 3:00 PM - 3:10 PM
Break
Thu 3:10 PM - 3:45 PM
Arbitrage & Rebate: The Rules That Drive Compliance
Arbitrage and rebate rules remain among the most technical and critical aspects of bond financing. This session clarifies the core tax restrictions governing arbitrage, explains rebate requirements, demystifies yield calculations, and outlines practical approaches to maintaining compliance.
Thu 3:45 PM - 4:20 PM
Interest Rate Swaps: Strategy, Risk & Execution
Interest rate swaps can offer flexibility, savings, and risk management, but their complexity requires disciplined execution. This session explains how swaps work, when they add value, and how issuers evaluate pricing, benefits, risks, and long-term debt management implications.
Thu 4:20 PM - 4:55 PM
Building the Deal Team: Selecting & Managing Professionals
The right professionals and fees can make or break a bond deal. This session focuses on strategies for attracting, selecting, and negotiating fee arrangements with the partners involved in a bond deal in a way that maximizes value and accountability with expertise.
Thu 4:55 PM - 5:00 PM
Closing Discussion / Final Questions

-Location

The Advanced Bond Finance Course will take place on Zoom. The course will meet from 11:00 AM-5:00 PM Eastern. Attendees must have access to a computer and the internet to attend the course.

-Registration

This training course qualifies for the CDFA Training Institute's Development Finance Certified Professional (DFCP) Program. Start down the road to personal and professional advancement today.

Scholarships are available to attend this event. Learn more about the CDFA Scholarship Program, and submit your application today. Please note that the application deadline is two weeks prior to the course start date.

CDFA permits only one person to log in and participate in the course. If multiple people are accessing the course without paying to attend, we will terminate the connection and access. CDFA offers group discounts for organizations that wish to register multiple people.
Early Bird Rates
(Ends September 18)
CDFA Member: $500
Non-Member: $825
Standard Rates
(After September 18)
CDFA Member: $625
Non-Member: $950


Register