By Sheila Amoroso, Senior Vice President, Director, Municipal Bond Department; Daniel Workman, CFA, Vice President, Portfolio Manager; Jennifer Johnston, Vice President, Research Analyst; and John W. Wiley, Senior Vice President, Portfolio Manager, Franklin Templeton Fixed Income Group
Once upon a time, US municipal bonds were generally considered less risky than corporate bonds. Backed by the full faith and credit of state governments, investors had confidence they would receive their principal plus interest without fail. Times have changed. For some states and local governments, decades of financial mismanagement and massive pension liabilities are threatening to upend