Citigroup Inc. on Monday advised investors to avoid bonds sold by state student loan agencies, citing the risk that more graduates will need to get temporary reprieves from their debts, Bloomberg News reported. A big buyer of the bonds disagrees. Baird Advisors, which by the end of last year owned almost $200 million of municipal bonds sold by student-loan agencies, disputed Citigroup’s view that a “lack of transparency makes it impossible” for an investor to judge the risks if growing numbers of borrowers default. Student-lending agencies in New Jersey, Missouri and Pennsylvania are among those that post quarterly loan updates and servicing reports for bondholders, said Joe Czechowicz, a portfolio manager at Baird. In addition, investors are protected from temporary cash-flow interruptions because, in most cases, the collateral for muni student-loan bonds exceeds the amount issued. “The forbearance rates are not that high and there’s enough overcollateralization that if there was an extension of one year it shouldn’t be a credit issue for any of these borrowers,” said Czechowicz, citing bonds sold by New Hampshire in February that would still be able to provide full payments if almost 40% of the loans defaulted. “If 50% of the portfolio goes into forbearance, yes, we’re going to have a completely different discussion in terms of what these student loan authorities can handle. But we’re nowhere near that.” The debate highlights how the loose disclosure rules that govern the $3.9 trillion municipal market can pose challenges to even the most astute professionals, given lighter regulations that apply to state and local debt issues.
