-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
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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
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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
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Course Advisor
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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 ... knowledgeable members of the development finance community representing hundreds of public, private and non-profit development finance agencies. Mr. Rittner runs the day-to-day operations of the Council including the organization’s various educational, advocacy, research, resources, and networking initiatives. He also serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors for the CDFA Foundation.
Rittner is one of the most vocal and recognized leaders of the development finance industry nationwide and has advised local, state, and federal leaders, including Presidents Biden and Obama, on economic development finance policy. Through his leadership and guidance, CDFA was successful in preserving private activity bonds and other critical development finance tools during the 2017 tax reform deliberations and has had numerous pieces of legislation introduced in the United States Congress. In 2021, Rittner successfully led a national effort to reauthorize and fund the $10B State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) program as part of the American Rescue Plan Act. He has written and crafted dozens of strategic finance plans for development finance agencies and advised communities throughout the world on development finance approaches.
Rittner focuses on sustainable finance with an emphasis on infrastructure, clean energy, food systems, small business, and innovations in the development finance industry to drive sustainable outcomes. He has written extensively about impact ready initiatives that leverage and engage capital in ways that drive local sustainability in business and industry and the environment and economy.
Rittner is a frequent speaker at local, state, and national conferences and events focused on economic development finance. He has been featured in The Bond Buyer, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, NPR and other national media publications concerning the advancement of development finance tools. He is the author of CDFA's highly acclaimed Practitioner's Guide to Economic Development Finance and co-author of CDFA's Unlocking Capital: A Handbook for Becoming a High Performing Development Finance Agency.
Rittner is an adjunct faculty member at The Ohio State University and Carnegie Mellon University. He is also a Development Finance Certified Professional (DFCP) and has completed the prestigious Oxford University Sustainable Finance Foundation Course.
Mr. Rittner previously served on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental Financial Advisory Board and is a member of the Advisory Board for the National Community Fund I. Mr. Rittner holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Master's of City and Regional Planning degree from The Ohio State University. Mr. Rittner was awarded the Ohio State University College of Engineering Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2016. (More)
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-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.
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| Thu 11:10 AM - 11:40 AM |
Market Update
The training course will begin with an update on market conditions during a time of exceptional volatility in the capital and municipal markets. We will explain the challenges issuers are facing and other forces affecting the bond markets.
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| Thu 11:40 AM - 12:10 PM |
Who Buys Bonds?
An entire world of investors exists outside of the private placement option. This session will look at the variety of buyers participating in the bond markets, including mutual and pension funds, insurance companies, and institutional investors. Speakers will discuss how market forces affect investors’ choices and how to engage investors in a deal.
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| Thu 12:10 PM - 12:55 PM |
Credit Enhancement
In the past, over 60% of tax-exempt bonds were issued with some form of credit enhancement. Since 2008, this percentage has declined dramatically, yet some forms of credit enhancement are still viable. This session reviews forms of credit enhancement other than letters of credit, including senior and subordinate bond structures, bond insurance, and state credit enhancement programs.
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| Thu 12:55 PM - 1:25 PM |
Refundings
This session explains how advance refundings work and why issuers utilize them. Speakers will cover general prohibitions, limitations, and how the arbitrage rules apply, along with several case studies to illustrate the material.
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| Thu 1:25 PM - 1:35 PM |
Break
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| Thu 1:35 PM - 2:10 PM |
Regulator Update
This session will discuss the role of the Internal Revenue Service and the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board with particular attention paid to regulations that are most critical to issuers in the bond financing process.
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| Thu 2:10 PM - 3:00 PM |
Leveraging Resources
An issuing authority can do more than issue bonds. This session will look at creative ways to leverage authorities by developing special loan programs, creating new bond funds, or providing guarantees. Speakers will discuss the essential rules for investing bond proceeds including rating agency requirements and potential arbitrage restrictions.
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| Thu 3:00 PM - 3:10 PM |
Break
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| Thu 3:10 PM - 3:40 PM |
Arbitrage, Rebate & Calculating Yield
Understanding arbitrage and rebate is a necessary component of the bond financing process. During this session, basic tax restrictions on arbitrage will be explained, as well as adjustments for guarantee fees and adjustments for payments and swaps. Learn about the rules associated with a rebate, how to calculate yield, and other considerations for fixed-rate and variable-rate issuances.
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| Thu 3:40 PM - 4:15 PM |
Interest Rate Swaps
The key principles of interest rate swaps are the focus of this session. The speakers will explain common types of swaps, why issuers consider swaps, the risks involved, and pricing and financial benefits. Case studies of various interest rate swap structures will also be presented.
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| Thu 4:15 PM - 4:55 PM |
Negotiating Professional Fees
The key to negotiating fees paid to bond professionals is to make their selection as competitive as possible. This session will discuss how to select the most competent and qualified professionals, including bond counsels, underwriters, placement agents, financial advisors, and trustees.
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| Thu 4:55 PM - 5:00 PM |
Closing Discussion / Final Questions
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-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.
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CDFA Member: $500
Non-Member: $825
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CDFA Member: $625
Non-Member: $950
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Register