Public finance

A bill would allow homeowners to receive the interest accrued on insurance payments for lost or damaged property, rather than lenders.

The recovery of local governments and utilities from hurricanes Helene and Milton continues but the outlook for next season and beyond is troubling.

The Federal Open Market Committee cut the fed funds target again in December but signaled fewer cuts in 2025. There was some dissent. The markets are watching to see if the Federal Reserve pauses its easing cycle in January. Brian Rehling, head of global fixed-income strategy at Wells Fargo Investment Institute, recaps and parses the previous day's FOMC meeting and Fed Chair Jerome Powell's press conference.

The NFMA has floated best disclosure practices for public power agencies that ask for more data on climate and resiliency goals.

California's IBank has partnered with an insurer and fire resilience fund to pay for fire resilience programs.

The agency cited the closeness of the entities to Florida's government.

When communities can't access affordable insurance, it can decrease home values, tank municipal bond ratings, and cripple the tax base — and this will only get worse if left unaddressed.

Moody's believes Florida will sell bonds to help replenish the CAT fund this spring.

MMA says some risky-sector issuers in the area hit hard by the hurricane may be pushed into technical or payment defaults.

California and Oregon are experiencing yet another record-setting year of wildfires amid increasing uncertainty about FEMA and property insurance backstops.