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☆ These are the kinds of San Francisco roads Tesla's FSD had a hard time dealing with, report says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

It's unclear if other aspects of Sunset's grid trip up Tesla's FSD more than other San Francisco neighborhoods. A Tesla makes an unprotected left turn on Lincoln Way, a major road in San Francisco's Sunset District. Another street that was once notoriously difficult for Tesla's FSD to work in was Lombard Street, a steep and windy road northwest of San Francisco. When asked about using the FSD feature in the Sunset, she told BI that she had "no problems" with it. AdvertisementA Tesla parked in San Francisco's Sunset District, where company employees rigorously tested the car's Full Self-Driving technology, according to a report.

Persons: Tesla, —, Elon Musk's, Musk's, Lloyd Lee, FSD, Francisco's, Tayfun, John Bernal, Musk, Walter Huang Organizations: The, Service, X, Railway, San, Sunset District, Lincoln, BI, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Tesla, Washington Post, P Global Mobility, California Department of Motor Vehicles, Los Angeles Times Locations: Sunset, San Francisco, city's, Judah, San Francisco Municipal, Lincoln, Francisco, San, San Francisco San Francisco, Lombard

☆ Income investors can find double-digit yields at a discount with this play
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Darla Mercado | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Enter the closed-end fund, a relative of the traditional, open-end mutual fund. Gundlach highlighted closed-end funds on CNBC's " Closing Bell " Wednesday afternoon, noting that it's "a pretty good environment for moderate risk assets." "For retail investors, closed-end funds have gone back to trading at discounts broadly, and with some leverage involved there, there's double-digit yields available without taking a ton of credit risk," he said. Searching for discounts Drivers of these closed-end fund discounts, particularly those that hold bonds, include sharp spikes in yields. The Abrdn National Municipal Income Fund (VFL) , for instance, is trading at a 15% discount to its net asset value, according to Nuveen's CEF Connect, a database of closed-end funds.

Persons: Jeffrey Gundlach, Gundlach, Eaton Vance Organizations: Income Fund, Income Trust, Fidelity Locations: Eaton Vance California

☆ It’s prime time to lock in yields on this tax-free income play, UBS says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Darla Mercado | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

UBS doesn't see the Federal Reserve embarking on rate cuts until September — and that means now is the time to snap up tax-free municipal bonds. Bond yields and prices move inversely, so a decline in rates will come with price appreciation for the underlying issues. "Against that backdrop, we believe that yields on quality municipal bonds look attractive at current levels," wrote UBS Wealth Management senior municipal bond strategist Kathleen McNamara in a report last week. The kicker of tax-free income Muni bonds are generally backed by the full faith and credit of the issuer, which makes them less of a default risk compared with corporates. Large diversified municipal bond funds can be cheap, but state-focused funds tend to be a little more costly.

Persons: Kathleen McNamara, McNamara, FKTFX Organizations: UBS, Federal, UBS Wealth Management, Bond, SEC, Vanguard California, Franklin, Franklin California Tax, Income Fund, Muni Bond ETF, Vanguard New Locations: There's, New York , California, New Jersey, California, Franklin California

☆ Nuveen's Dan Close on why the muni market is benefitting from the Fed's stance on rates
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailNuveen's Dan Close on why the muni market is benefitting from the Fed's stance on ratesDan Close, head of municipals at Nuveen, joins CNBC's 'The Exchange' to break down how the muni market has reacted to the Fed's rate outlook, 'oppor(muni)ties' to buy, and more.

Persons: Dan, Dan Close Locations: Nuveen

☆ New ETF looks to profit from municipal bonds
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-06 | by ( Emily Glass | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A new ETF is trying to capture profits in the municipal funds space. BondBloxx's Joanna Gallegos is behind the IR+M Tax-Aware Short Duration ETF (TAXX) — which launched less than a month ago. "When you think about municipal bond portfolios, you really want people to think beyond them and look for the relative value of after-tax income," the firm's co-founder and COO told CNBC's "ETF Edge" on Monday. Gallegos sees actively managed municipal bond exchange-traded funds as an income-generating opportunity in a high rate environment. FactSet describes the fund as "tax efficient" — balancing strong after-tax income opportunities with capital preserved through both municipal and taxable short-duration fixed income securities.

Persons: BondBloxx's Joanna Gallegos, CNBC's, Gallegos, FactSet, It's, TAXX Organizations: Federal Reserve, muni Locations: Illinois, Pennsylvania, New Jersey , New York, Alabama

☆ Build a tax-efficient portfolio with these funds, Bank of America says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-19 | by ( Darla Mercado | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

April 15 is the deadline for taxpayers to file their income tax returns and pay sums owed for 2023. MLPs themselves aren't subject to federal income taxes, but limited partners owe taxes on the income distributed. MLPX has a total return of 7.6% in 2024, and MLPA's year-to-date total return is 9.3%, according to Morningstar. In 2024, IYK has a total return of nearly 4.7%, while XLU's total return is about 0.7%, according to Morningstar. MFM's total return this year is 3.66%, and NZF has a total return of 3.4% in 2024, according to Morningstar.

Persons: Jared Woodard, Woodard, —, MLPX, IYK, Morningstar, XLU, NZF Organizations: Bank of America, MLP & Energy Infrastructure, X MLP, Morningstar, Consumer Staples, Income Trust, Income Locations: MLPs, Indonesia, America, Nuveen

☆ Flower Arrangements Are Reaching New Heights
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Alice Cavanagh | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

“I have so much admiration for florists who can make haphazard, wild arrangements,” says Miguel Yatco, 30, the floral artist behind the Brooklyn-based studio Agos Muni. If last summer saw the culmination of a trend for sprawling, low-lying floral landscapes, Yatco’s work represents an aesthetic about-face. But these works are also defined by their height, their long stems often extending above or through equally elongated vessels. Compared to the bouffant-like silhouettes of Bosschaert’s assemblages, Boutemy’s were narrow, continuing the line of the cylindrical Venetian bubble-glass vases that held them. “Rigor and clarity are the most important things,” Boutemy says, and an elongated shape means “each flower remains visible and each gives strength to another.”

Persons: florists, ”, Miguel Yatco, Agos Muni, Jacqueline Sullivan —, Thierry Boutemy, Ambrosius Bosschaert, ” Boutemy Organizations: Flemish Locations: Brooklyn, York, Paris, Brussels, Wan

☆ A tale of two muni markets
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailA tale of two muni marketsMatt Fabian, Municipal Market Analytics partner and lead analyst, joins 'The Exchange' with CNBC's Rick Santelli to discuss trends in demand for muni bonds, risks of default, and more.

Persons: Matt Fabian, Rick Santelli Organizations: Analytics

☆ These tax-free bonds could see stellar returns once the Fed starts cutting rates
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-07 | by ( Darla Mercado | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Such a move would bode well for fixed income, including municipal bonds. Recent data from Columbia Threadneedle Investments and Bloomberg, shows that muni bonds can see a jump in cumulative tax-equivalent returns once the Fed begins cutting rates. When taking into account the tax savings, muni bond investors don't have to take that much risk to capture attractive yields. Rising flows and higher yields Investors have been pouring money into muni bond funds lately. BlackRock's iShares National Muni Bond ETF (MUB) , meanwhile, has seen an exodus of more than $1 billion in flows this year, but it experienced inflows of $150.9 million in the past week.

Persons: Jerome Powell, bode, munis, Catherine Stienstra, BlackRock's, Duane McAllister, Baird Organizations: Federal Reserve, Columbia Threadneedle Investments, Bloomberg, York Life Investments, Columbia, Bond, Muni Bond ETF, Baird Asset Management, AAA, BBB Locations: Columbia

☆ These surprise sources of income could cost you during tax season
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Darla Mercado | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Investors are celebrating a year of easy-to-obtain interest income, but the Tax Man will want his slice this spring. Institutions report interest income of $10 or more to their customers and the Internal Revenue Service on Form 1099-INT . For instance, you can be on the hook for an accuracy-related penalty of 20% of the underpayment of the tax. Interest income from these I bonds is subject to federal income tax, but investors don't receive it until they redeem the bond or it matures. "It might be worth it to buy the MLP and pay the tax," Kearns said.

Persons: Elizabeth Buffardi, Buffardi, you'll, Jerrod Pearce, Adam Markowitz, Brian Kearns, Kearns Organizations: Internal Revenue Service, IRS, CPA, Creative Planning, Luminary, CFP, Haddam, Advisors, MLP Locations: Oak Brook , Illinois, Overland Park , Kansas, Windermere , Florida, Evanston , Illinois

☆ Muni trends of 2024: Nuveen's Daniel Close on the search for yield
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailMuni trends of 2024: Nuveen's Daniel Close on the search for yieldDaniel Close, Nuveen's head of municipals, joins 'The Exchange' from the CBOE trading floor to discuss 2024 muni inflow trends, the value of tax exemption in munis, and more.

Persons: Nuveen's Daniel Close, Daniel Close Organizations: Muni Locations: munis

☆ Investors should take a look at these high-yield bond ETFs with tax advantages, Bank of America says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Jesse Pound | In Jesse-Pound | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

"Investors have registered $195mn of outflows from HY muni ETFs over the past year while piling $3,130mn into long duration US Treasury bond funds. … In our view, Treasury bond ETFs have too much inflation risk and will continue to underperform Prudent Yield credit assets. Municipal bonds are debt issued by state and local governments whose interest payments can be tax-free for investors. But municipal bonds look relatively safe within that group, according to Bank of America. Bank of America's top-rated municipal bond ETFs include the SPDR Nuveen Bloomberg High Yield Municipal Bond ETF (HYMB) and the VanEck High Yield Muni ETF (HYD) .

Persons: Jared Woodard, Woodard, munis, HYMB Organizations: Bank of America, HY muni, …, Federal Reserve, Bank of America's, Bloomberg, ETF, Muni Locations: HY

☆ Vanguard launches two new ETFs to hit this sweet spot of tax-free fixed income
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Darla Mercado | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Investors with a focus on tax-free income have two new choices to consider from Vanguard as the asset manager launches a pair of municipal bond exchange-traded funds. Tax advantages The biggest selling point for municipal bond funds is the tax-free income they provide. VTEC follows the S & P California AMT-Free Municipal Bond Index, while VTEI tracks the S & P Intermediate Term National AMT-Free Municipal Bond Index. However, in November, $2.8 billion in assets flowed into intermediate-term muni bond funds, followed by another $2.3 billion in December, Morningstar found. said Foos of municipal bond funds.

Persons: Beth Foos, there's, VTEI, Jeffrey Johnson, Johnson, Morningstar, it's Organizations: Vanguard, California, Bond, Federal Reserve, Morningstar, York Life Investments, Free Municipal Bond Index, Free Municipal Bond, muni, Treasury Locations: California

☆ Tax season is underway. Here’s what investors should know to prepare
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Darla Mercado | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Tax filing season officially started on Monday, and investors could pay the price following last year's stock market bonanza. Meanwhile, investors collected yields exceeding 5% in money market funds, certificates of deposit and high yield savings accounts. In New York, the top income tax rate is 10.9%, and it's 13.3% in California. Vanguard's New York Municipal Money Market Fund (VYFXX) has a 7-day SEC yield of 4.25% and an expense ratio of 0.16%. Fidelity offers the California Municipal Money Market Fund (FSPXX) , which has a 7-day yield of 3.54% and an expense ratio of 0.3%.

Persons: Tim Steffen, Brenna McLoughlin, you've, McLoughlin, Vanguard's, Sam Nofzinger, Steffen, it's, There's Organizations: Baird, Wealthstream Advisors, York Municipal Money Market Fund, SEC, Fidelity, Money Market Fund, Public Locations: Milwaukee, New York, California, York, –

☆ Here’s how to squeeze a little more juice out of these tax-advantaged yields
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Darla Mercado | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Indeed, investors get paid for taking a small step down in credit quality in the muni bond space. What's even sweeter is that municipal bond income is generally exempt from federal income tax. This also means high income investors would have to scoop up a higher yielding corporate bond to get the same tax-advantaged yield a muni bond would generate. A measured amount of risk Munis offer lower yields compared to their corporate counterparts, but they also carry significantly less risk. Lower risk, however, doesn't necessarily mean risk free.

Persons: Jennifer Johnston, Franklin Templeton, Lyle Fitterer, munis, corporates, Cooper Howard, Jonathan Mondillo, Franklin Templeton's Johnston Organizations: Federal Reserve, Franklin, AAA, muni, Strategic Municipal Bond Fund, York Life Investments, Moody's Investors Service, Charitable, Schwab Center, Financial Research Locations: muni, Abrdn

☆ These bonds offering tax-free income will still be a good deal in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-27 | by ( Darla Mercado | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Municipal bonds, favored for their tax-free income, are looking at a solid year in 2024 and could be a compelling purchase for investors hoping to lock in attractive yields. "We will likely see positive total returns," said Cooper Howard, fixed income strategist at the Schwab Center for Financial Research. "Munis are one of the best things going in the fixed income space," he said. It provides all the attributes of fixed income, and it serves as ballast to an overall diversified portfolio." Naturally, rates are on the minds of fixed income investors and strategists, as well as recession risk.

Persons: Cooper Howard, who've, Peter Higgins, Ben Barber, Schwab's Howard, Paul Malloy, It's, Beth Foos, Malloy, Howard, you've Organizations: Schwab Center, Financial Research, Morningstar U.S, Municipal, Shelton Capital Management, York Life Investments, Franklin, AAA, Vanguard, Bond, Morningstar Locations: New York , New Jersey, California

☆ Bond yields will come down from their fever pitch in 2024. How to prepare your portfolio
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Darla Mercado | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Expect to work a little harder for those fixed income returns in the new year. As a result, it may be time to start unwinding those big cash positions and adopt a longer-term mentality for fixed income investments. A runup in bond yields is accompanied by a decline in prices, and the two move inversely to one another. The sector "remains well positioned to maintain its high credit quality, driven by solid state credit quality and strong state financial support, despite soft enrollment trends," analyst Kathleen McNamara wrote last week. Consider dollar cost averaging into those longer-dated positions, incrementally building up exposure to intermediate duration bonds.

Persons: Jerome Powell, it's, Kathy Jones, Shannon Saccocia, Jones, Nicholos Venditti, Kathleen McNamara, Schwab's Jones, Barry McAlinden, Michael Bloom Organizations: Schwab Center, Financial Research, Bond, SEC, Muni Bond ETF, Allspring Global Investments, UBS

☆ Risk reduction will lead to higher inflows in 2024, says Franklin Templeton’s Jennifer Johnston
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailRisk reduction will lead to higher inflows in 2024, says Franklin Templeton’s Jennifer JohnstonJennifer Johnston, SVP and director of municipal bond research Franklin Templeton, joins 'The Exchange' to discuss the state of muni bonds, the impact of interest rates, and more.

Persons: Franklin Templeton’s Jennifer Johnston Jennifer Johnston, Franklin Templeton Locations: muni

☆ Rates may have hit their peak. How to get the biggest bang out of cash heading into 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Darla Mercado | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

"It's important to keep sharing this idea to do something with your cash; these rates won't be here forever." Municipal money market funds Rather than tying up money in CDs or T-bills, Sachs prefers municipal money market funds for investors in the highest income tax brackets. Vanguard's Municipal Money Market Fund (VMSXX) has a 7-day SEC yield of 3.53% and carries an expense ratio of 0.15%. Residents in high-tax locales may also want to consider state-specific muni market funds, which have the additional benefit of providing income that's free of state taxes. For instance, there's the Vanguard California Municipal Money Market Fund (VCTXX) and the Fidelity New York Municipal Money Market Fund (FSNXX) .

Persons: –, Catherine Valega, Sallie Mae, Jeremy Keil, Keil, There's, Charles Sachs, Kaufman, Sachs, Michael Bloom Organizations: Federal, Green Bee, Synchrony, Financial, Keil Financial Partners, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp, FDIC, ., CFP, Money Market Fund, SEC, Residents, Vanguard, Fidelity New York Municipal Money Market Fund Locations: Winchester , Massachusetts, New Berlin , Wisconsin, Miami, Vanguard California

☆ Turn to this high-quality income play for the new year, Wells Fargo Investment Institute says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Darla Mercado | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Investors who hope to generate portfolio income while recession fears ramp higher can seek some safety in municipal bonds. Wells Fargo Investment Institute recently issued its fixed income guidance for 2024, forecasting "higher for longer" rates across the yield curve as the Federal Reserve remains vigilant to bring down inflation. Municipal bonds offer a combination of characteristics that appeal to investors: General obligation bonds are backed by the revenue of the municipality issuing them. "Going into a slowdown, you anticipate rates to fall," said Brian Rehling, head of global fixed income strategy at Wells Fargo Investment Institute. The top marginal income tax rate is 13.3% in California and well over 10% in New York and New Jersey.

Persons: Brian Rehling, Jennifer Johnston, Franklin Templeton, Johnston Organizations: Wells, Wells Fargo Investment Institute, Federal Reserve, Fargo Investment Institute, AAA, Muni Bond ETF, Vanguard, Bond, Fed, New York Life Investments, Investors, York State, Metropolitan Transportation Authority Locations: Wells Fargo, Fargo, New, California, New York, New Jersey, York

The nominations for the 2024 Grammy Awards will arrive Friday. Nominees will be announced during a video stream live on the Grammy website and the Recording Academy’s YouTube channel at 8 a.m. Pacific/11 a.m. Eastern. Period.”He continued: “What’s not going to happen is we are not going to give a Grammy or Grammy nomination to the AI portion.”There are also three new categories: best pop dance recording, best African music performance and best alternative jazz album. Previously, the general categories were made up solely of the “Big Four” awards: best new artist, as well as album, record, and song of the year. The 2024 Grammy Awards will air Feb. 4 live on CBS and Paramount+ from the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

Persons: — Buckle, Al ” Yankovic, Jimmy Jam, Jon Bon Jovi, Kim Petras, Samara Joy, Muni, Drake, Savage, “, Michelle Williams, Britney Spears, ”, Harvey Mason, “ What’s Organizations: ANGELES, Recording Academy, Associated Press, CBS, Paramount, Crypto.com Locations: Pacific, Los Angeles

☆ Closed-end funds can generate income – and they’re cheap. Here’s how they might fit in your portfolio
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Darla Mercado | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Closed-end funds offer a fixed number of shares, but they also trade publicly on exchanges. Right now, a confluence of events is resulting in some sharp discounts for closed-end funds, especially for those that hold bonds. Investors in closed-end funds have shed some of those holdings and that's resulting in sharper discounts to net asset value. Closed-end fund plays Financial advisors have called out closed-end funds holding municipal bonds as a way to add duration on the cheap. Closed-end funds offer other ways to pick up income: Paul Winter, CFP and portfolio manager at Five Seasons Financial Planning, likes funds that use buy-write strategies.

Persons: Dave Lamb, Lamb, Jeffrey Gundlach, Robert Finley, Paul Winter, BOE, Nuveen's Lamb Organizations: Treasury, Western Asset, Muni Fund, Asset Management, Five, Virtus, Strategy, BlackRock Locations: New York, York

☆ The compelling value of the muni market is starting to come through, says Baird's Duane McAllister
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailThe compelling value of the muni market is starting to come through, says Baird's Duane McAllisterDuane McAllister, co-lead municipal sector and senior portfolio manager at Baird Funds, joins 'The Exchange' to discuss the state of the bond market, where the buying opportunities are, and more.

Persons: Baird's Duane McAllister Duane McAllister Organizations: Baird Funds

☆ Protect your portfolio income from hefty state taxes with these funds
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Darla Mercado | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Investors in high-tax locales can protect some of their portfolio income from steep levies by adding state-specific municipal bond funds to their fixed-income roster. "In the muni bond fund market, we're seeing yields higher than they have been in more than a decade," said Amy Arnott, portfolio strategist for Morningstar Research Services. That's because while muni bond income is generally free of federal taxes, it can also avoid state levies if the investor resides in the state where the bond was issued. That's where state-specific muni bond funds come into the picture. See below for a chart of 10 large state-focused muni bond funds.

Persons: Bonds, haven't, Amy Arnott, Dan Herron, Herron, Arnott, CNBC's Gabriel Cortes Organizations: Federal Reserve, Muni Bond ETF, Morningstar Research Services, Vanguard, SEC, Vanguard New, CPA, Wealth Advisors, muni Locations: California, New York, Massachusetts, Ohio, Jersey

“'RAW' is just being authentic and being ourselves," says JT, who did most of the speaking in their interview with The Associated Press. Of course, that doesn't mean the album — true to their spirited party records and moments of real vulnerability — came easy. “I feel like, when creating music, it relates so much to your life, and as your life change, your music change. So, it's a lot of pressure from different sides, like people saying, 'Oh, you don’t sound like your old self. When asked about their place in hip-hop — on its 50th anniversary, no less — JT is acutely aware of City Girls' position.

Persons: Drake, JT, Yung, they've, hasn't, ‘, Lil Kim, ”, There's, Lil Durk, Luke, Kim Petras, “ Kim Petras, “, Usher, Chris Brown, Yung Miami, ’, It's Organizations: ANGELES, Girls, Yung Miami, Associated Press, Super, Floridian Muni Locations: Miami, “ City, Lock, ”

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