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Nov 05, 2008 -- Tax-free municipal bond funds in the era of Obamanomics

It's very likely that the Nov. 4 election results mean we'll see higher taxes for people who make $100,000 or more. So what do you do if you are fortunate enough to earn that kind of money? Where can you look for a safe harbor from potentially higher taxes?

There's phenomenal opportunity right now in tax-free municipal bonds -- which is where state or local governments issue a bond that comes with a lower rate of interest but your earnings are exempt from federal taxes. So even though the yield is lower, the tax-free status makes for a higher effective yield.

Clark recommends tax-free municipal bond funds instead of individual bond choices. That's because the buy/sell spread costs involved with the latter can be too high. Look for intermediate-term bond funds, which usually require a minimum investment of $3,000. And no big surprise here, but Clark thinks Vanguard is a great place to get into a tax-free municipal bond fund.

Still want to buy individual bonds? There are 2 main things to know. First, make sure the bond is not subject to alternative minimum tax (AMT). Second, you must know if the bond is "callable," which means that the state can cash you out prematurely even if you agreed to a longer term.

Finally, Clark believes there will be great opportunity in emerging markets and Third World countries. These funds have done horribly as of late, so that makes them an attractive option since you can buy low. Clark recommends having about 5% or 10% of your portfolio in the international realm.

Unfortunately, Clark won't be able to answer any questions submitted via commenting. If you have a question, please try posting it to our message boards.

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What others are saying

  • Muni Bonds
    Liberal toadies? Wow! In looking for a discussion on muni bonds I find instead the same lack of discussion (finger pointing) that seems to be occurring in the national media. First of all, if you make a great deal of money, you could be grateful, because you have skills that are currently in demand - many people work very hard, they just aren't in industries that pay as well. So, back to muni bond funds......
  • Obama The Messiah!
    Let's see now. The Messiah has never held a real job, he has no experience in anything other than "community organizer", yet all the liberal toadies feel that he will "fix" the economy! Brilliant!In the 6+ weeks since the "Messiah" took office, the DOW is down 18.7% and the S&P is down 18.1%! Obviously, the "market" knows that this socialist is not the answer to Americ's problems! How is giving people who pay NO income taxes a tax REBATE anything more than Socialistic redistribution of wealth and property. You democratic "super-liberals" just don't understand that spend and tax, tax and spend will never solve any problems. This country is going down the tubes with the "Messiah" at the helm. He has no clues about anything. By the way, the only reason Obama won is because everyone hated (dispised)Hillary. What a big mistake we made!
  • Small Business.
    "Unsure in cumming" hit the nail right on the head. I feel for you, man!
  • Blame-The-Democrats-For-All-Evils
    No, it's blame Blame-The-Republicans-For-All-Evils world, according to you liberals.
  • Grammar
    Aremora, Check your grammar: "The single mom 'WHO' cleans...not 'THAT' cleans.
  • Greed
    So, what is your point, Aremora?
  • Greed
    Whooee. I have been reading Clark for a while but this is the first time I have read comments. I had no idea Clark had so many Hog-At-Trough Republicans as readers. Blame-The-Democrats-For-All-Evils account for a lot of the rest.
    Check out Michael Lewis’s superb essay, “The End of Wall Street’s Boom,” on Portfolio.com. Lewis, first chronicled Wall Street’s excesses in “Liar’s Poker”. Listen to Alan Greenspan's testimony before Congress.
    And you folks who do not consider youselves lucky because you have to work hard to make $100K - kiss my face. The single mom that cleans for me once a week works in excess of 80 hours per week and does't come close to six figures. She considers herself lucky to be mentally and physically healthy enough to do so, and live in a society that gives her freedom of travel outside the house, as well as just having employment.
  • Clark's "Fortunate" Remark.
    Hey, Clark! What makes you think folks who earn over any amount are "fortunate? "You sound too liberal for me.
  • Diana
    Diana, Where is your head? Where are you getting your news? How about FNN? Get an education, girl!!!
  • Be Careful What You Wish For
    Cuba asked/voted for change in 1959......Be careful what you wish for!
  • In response to "By Diana @ 11/19/08 09:18:39 PM"
    Oh Diana you are really funny. Clark has just made reference to what Obama is planning on doing. Raising taxes on the rich (which Obama has said many times). It is really funny that you are so quick to jump all over Clark over information that Obama is planning on doing. Do us all a favor and think about what you are going to say before you say it.
  • Bad Times
    Ah...yes, but realize too that this recession has really taken effect in the last couple of years....after a DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS was put into power. Think people, THINK!
  • Higher Taxes?
    Who has any money left to invest? After Bush has doubled the National Debt to $10 trillion and increased the Deficit to over $500 billion, and you want to blame Obama? Give me a break!
    Republicans have been in control of both houses for 6 years and the Pres. for 8. Obama hasn't done a thing yet. But, I sure wish he could. He is going to be a great President. The sooner Bush and Cheney get out, the better our country will be. Clark, I can't believe you even posted this statement about increased taxes. Can you at least give our New President a chance?
  • bob brinker
    Don't ever quote Bob Brinker.....a charleton if ever there was one. he sent me a letter in 2001 telling me to buy the NASDAQ. I did and lost a lot of $$$$. Why is this guy still around?????
  • Muni bonds
    Also, make sure individual bonds are "general obligation", rather than "revenue" bonds. (per Bob Brinker)
  • Obamanomics and the demise of our way of life
    Clark, I work very hard to earn my money, including LOTS of overtime hours and time away from my family, so please don't insult folks like me by calling us "Fortunate". We work for it and earn it...we didn't win the lottery.
    Secondly, for all you Obama worshipers out there - remember the Democrats caused this downturn. I know you don't get the full story from the liberal media, but government forcing banks to loan to folks(or be penalized) who could never pay it back caused this whole problem. Don't blame it on Bush - the Democrats have controlled the purse strings for the past 2 years. Wake up America...our way of life is threatened.
  • Politics or Sports
    "The mind will find a way to justify whatever the heart embraces"
    Author unknown.
  • Obama and Taxes
    David, I dare say that I, too, have worked just as hard, or harder than you for the past 30 years. No doubt, you received unfairly some of those promotions (not to mention loans) that I should have, but did not. There are many people who have worked just as hard as folks like you, who never received fair compensation. So everything that looks obvious is not.
  • Hiring Freeze
    Sounds like a good plan Anthony. You won't make any new hires while a democrat is in office because of slightly higher taxes. Ha. How is this tax plan going to be any different from that of '92 - '00. I don't remember small businesses not being able to make it during that time because of higher taxes. Does anyone think balancing the budget is a good idea. It doesn't sound like it.
  • bailout
    The government did not waste a time in socialize bailout, took only two weeks, how many years are we talking about socialized health care? It looks as there isn't anybody in charge of the money. Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase, Citigroup and the rest of the crew are sitting on their bailout checks to pay itself dividents. Goldman & Sachs was very generous with 10% dividents, I hope they did not forget our treasury secretary Mr Poulson! The "Dirty Dividents" will make happy former head of Goldman & Sachs. Wells Fargo is giving 4.4 billion to their shareholders. Corporate welfare at their best.
  • capitalism
    jeff,jeff jeff do your history research. go back to old history books and look at how our country was run. everyone had their own business quite believing everything the schools and colleges teach. think for yourself and do the research.
  • quite blaming bush
    you obamah fans seem to forget that the democrats have ruled the roost the last few years so quit blaming bush for the financial problems. do your research.
  • Toni - if you make less than 15,000 per year, then you don't pay a lot in taxes.
  • get real
    David - I dont care what you believe, but dont try to claim that "everyone had the same opportunity". Yes - there are exceptions - but dont act like a kid born to a single mom living on welfare in the "ghetto" has the same opportunities as a kid born to a rich family. Not saying the poor kid should be handed anything, but dont act like we're all on equal ground here.
  • calm down people
    He's raising taxes by like 4 or 5%. Nobody is going to take "all the profit from you", he's just taking a little bit more of it. If you have a problem with that, then fine, but dont act like youre all the sudden gonna be poor.
  • Obama and taxes
    First place Malinda, you obviously do not understand why we are in this mess. The democrats forced banks under the Community Reinvestment Act to write mortagages for people that could not afford to repay them. Secondly, in typical liberal fashion, you state we should count our blessing for being in the "Greater Group." Fact is I'm in the "Greater Than Group" becuase I broke my ass for the last 30 years. Everyone had the same opportunity its just that some decided not to work for it. In fact, with affirmative action, many had an advantage over me.
  • Obama and Taxes
    The negativity in these posts is so ridiculous. Give Obama a chance, please. Bush is right now still in ofice and is largely responsible for the current state of affairs. What about HOPE? If everyone could just get over the fact that McCain lost and wait and see what happens before jumping to conclusions, we all would be better off. Everyone must pay taxes regardless of who is President and just because Obama suggested raising them for folks/households making over $250K, doesn't mean they will be left penniless. If I had a choice, I would rather be in the greater than group, than the less than group. Instead of complaining, why not count your blessings.
  • Money worries
    I am 72. I lost my hubby and his pension in April. I now am bringing in a pauper amount of $1700.00 a month; $20,000 a yr. What happens to me after January?
  • obamanomics
    We've been redistributing wealth for a long time. It’s all part of the great pyramid scheme called capitalism. Redistributing wealth from poor to rich is called capitalism; redistributing wealth from rich to poor is called socialism. The recession we’re in is the temporary collapse of the pyramid scheme. I’d call Clark Howard’s mantra of “Save more, spend less and avoid rip-offs” to be a bit socialistic as compared to the capitalist mantra of “Spend more, save less and rip people off.”
  • obamanomics
    I am bitter. I just turned 60 I have worked 40+ years, I am still working, I am college educated while working full time and saved all my life. I have never relied on anyone but myself. I will find a way to protect what investments are left from this wall street mess caused by congress. I will get on this socialist band wagon and take what I can from the socialist system. I have paid my dues and now I am fed up with all of them. I will take advantage of socialism and make those young voters pay for what they want. Work hard you young people because I want you to redistribute your wealth to me.
  • Not optimistic
    My fear about this whole "Obama" plan is the increase in taxes, deflation, and if they go after everyones 401K and mutual funds. The long term devastation from that kind of knee jerk reaction is just unimaginable.
    The kind of reverberation through the markets could devastate this economy for decades.
    God help us all.
  • Spreading the Wealth
    Why are people getting bent out of shape with this "redistribution of wealth" and socialism rhetoric? We've had socialism and redistribution of wealth in this country for almost 80 years. It started with FDR's New Deal. Then we got LBJ's Great Society. We've had the Dept Of Public Works, Medicare, Social Security, Welfare, FEMA, Workfare(Clinton) and now our government is bailing out Wall Street. A government owning a piece of any business is socialism folks.
  • Surviving Obamanomics
    Personally, as a small business owner with 71 employees, I'm not doing any hiring until he's voted out in 2012.

    Hiring workers will be more of a liability, as the current and new costs for each is going to be much more significant.
    The incentive to grow and take risks is being taken away by Obama.
    For those who've voted him in, you can thank him for the promised European style economics of high-unemployment and zero growth.
  • Small Business
    I have taken all the RISK involved in starting and running my business and now this.... I didn't work my butt off saving my company through the good and the bad times to have some jack&^% who gets elected to take any profit from me to "spread the wealth". If my company goes down so do the men and their famines I employ. Under Obama's plan it DOES NOT encourage me to grow it behooves me to stay as small as possible to avoid the extra taxes. That's "growth"?!? Rest assured with his new secret ballot, that none of us heard about until today, I'll shut my company down before the "give me all your money we'll take care of you" union gets a hold of it - Again real economy boosting growth! If America was stupid enough to vote him in we deserve EVERYTHING we are about to get. Welcome kiddo's to the OLD SOVIET UNION!! And don't get me started on the health care "plan"!
  • "Whatever happened to Obama's promise that if you make under $250,000 your taxes won't be raised??????"

    You actually believed that garbage? All you law school grads, medical school grads, and business owners can now spread the wealth to all the the slackers who sat on the bus ramp during lunch smoking weed. Who looks smart now?
    (says a very sarcastic conservative)
  • Taxes for those over $100K
    Let's face it, Obama flat out lied to the public. If you make over $75k, you'll be taxed for sure.
  • Taxes
    Obama stated that seniors, making $50,000 or less will pay no taxes,that I'd like to see. Maybe seniors over 95 years old. So many promises were made, lets see how many are kept.
  • Fortunate Enough?
    Clark,
    I work 70 hours a week in order to make over $100k. I am trading time away from my family to work more hours to provide more money. I don't call that fortunate -- I call it HARD WORK. I shouldn't be punished for working overtime just to give to those who work undertime. Please don't refer to me as fortunate. Use that term if I win the lottery.
    Thanks,
    Hardworker in Atlanta
  • Obama taxes for incomes over $250,000
    What else do you recommend to help ease the tax burden of individuals making over $250,000? I already know about tax managed funds at Vanguard. Any advice?
  • Taxes for people earning more than $100,000
    Whatever happened to Obama's promise that if you make under $250,000 your taxes won't be raised??????
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