On Capitol Hill, yeoman’s work is needed to achieve consensus on the thorniest of issues, the legislative product of the most contentious of negotiations. This week, the whips on both sides of the aisle and in both chambers of Congress are hard at work trying to rapidly round up votes for a bill that will suspend the debt limit, set some new federal spending guidelines, and address other issues that have, for various reasons, suddenly fallen under the umbrella of extreme urgency. It is not unlike the annual effort to enact a budget framework and then an omnibus spending bill. The whole process is described as being like trying to put socks on an octopus.
Continue readingMarket Commentary: Pointing Fingers
Fingers are being pointed in every direction down in the nation’s capital and there is evidently not much humor to lighten the mood. Hard-working Americans once again, through no fault of their own, face serious financial problems as a result of the pandemic, inflation and various fiscal and monetary policies. . Total consumer debt has risen past $17 trillion for the first time according to the New York Fed, and the share of current debt becoming delinquent has increased for the fifth straight quarter for most types of credit.
Continue readingMedford Leas (May 2023)
HJ Sims completes $37 million Bank Financing, for campus renewal and replacement projects, at attractive long-term fixed interest rates and terms for New Jersey non-profit LPC – successfully navigating volatile financing conditions.
Continue readingHJ Sims 2nd Annual Private Wealth Management Summit
Market Commentary: Who Wants This Job?
All great leaders are defined by how they lead during times of uncertainty and danger. Right now, in the midst of great uncertainty over when or whether our leadership will come to agreement on a new debt limit and spending priorities, we are mostly going
easy on our elected officials. There are few cries for impeachment, no major civil unrest and no major recall elections underway despite high inflation, high interest rates, sky-high federal and household debt, rampant crime, and our grim outlook for the economy.
Market Commentary: On the Brink Again
We are near the peak of another debt ceiling drama, one that will keep the world on edge for several more weeks. In the back rooms and basements of federal buildings throughout Washington, away from the principals and cameras, the proverbial frenzy of negotiations is underway. History repeats itself again with a new cast.
Continue readingThe Cliff Notes on Golden State Charter School Bonds
Director of Credit Analysis, Gayl Mileszko provides a summary of the recent S&P California Charter School Brief.
Continue reading2023 LeadingAge New Jersey & Delaware Annual Meeting + Expo
Market Commentary: April Showers Bring… What Next?
May has arrived with its extra hours of sunlight and the excitement of imminent graduations, reunions, weddings and summer vacations. The dark days of winter and muds of early spring are in the rearview mirror, with all around us looking green and bright. Well, not everything. We just got the taxes behind us, the school year is about to end, and it is prime time for enjoying baseball, basketball, hockey and the NFL draft. But, seemingly out of the blue, we have become seized by worry about our bank accounts now that we have seen three of the four largest bank failures in our history occur in the last two months. Our hopes for buying a new home have been dashed by mortgage rates that are right around the highs of 2003; the 30-year fixed rate is 6.98%. Our wish to sell our home is vexed by the limited pool of eligible buyers who have seen 134 straight months of home price increases.
Continue readingHJ Sims Welcomes Jenny Wade as Senior Vice President, Investment Banking
HJ Sims is pleased to announce that Jenny Wade joins the firm as Senior Vice President. With over 21 years of municipal and nonprofit finance experience, Wade is well known for her technical skills including the development of complex financial models.
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