Survival And Prosperity

City Of Chicago On Review For ‘Possible Downgrade’ By Moody’s

“We still have a very strong bond rating. Our fiscal position is getting better every year and we are aggressively managing our liabilities and obligations.”

-City of Chicago Comptroller Amer Ahmad, July 20, 2012, as noted in a July 22, 2012, Chicago Sun-Times article

I’ve been warning Survival And Prosperity readers for some time that the City of Chicago’s finances are not as peachy keen as City Hall would like outsiders to believe.

So much so, the City’s credit rating is on review for a possible downgrade by Moody’s Investors Service. From the Moody’s website earlier today:

Moody’s has announced its final approach to the way it will analyze and adjust pension liabilities as part of its credit analysis of state and local governments. These changes reflect the rating agency’s view that pension obligations are a significant source of credit pressure for governments and warrant a more conservative view of the potential size of the obligations. As a result of this new approach, Moody’s has also placed the general obligation ratings of the cities of Chicago, Cincinnati, Minneapolis, and Portland, OR, and of 25 other US local governments and school districts on review for possible downgrade. The entities whose ratings have been placed on review have large adjusted net pension liabilities relative to their rating category…

Moody’s rates over 8,000 local governments in the United States. Less than 1% of those with general obligation or equivalent ratings have been placed under review because of the new pension adjustments.

(Editor’s note: Italics added for emphasis)

Great. Chicago is in another “select group” it really doesn’t want to belong to these days.

You can read the entire announcement on the Moody’s website here.

By Christopher E. Hill, Editor
Survival And Prosperity (www.survivalandprosperity.com)

Tags: Amer Ahmad, Chicago, City of Chicago, credit ratings, Illinois, local government, Moody's, pensions, public pensions

Illinois Bond Issue Halted Due To Credit Concerns

Today, residents of the state of Illinois saw the repercussions of having $8 billion of unpaid bills, a $96.8 billion pension funding gap, and falling credit ratings. Karen Pierog reported on the Reuters website:

Illinois yanked a $500 million general obligation bond issue slated for Wednesday because of credit concerns that could boost its borrowing costs, in the latest financial blow to the state, which has failed to fix its bloated public pensions.

Investment banks that planned to bid on the debt indicated investors would demand higher yields on the 25-year bonds, said John Sinsheimer, Illinois’ capital markets director.

“We were getting indications of higher spreads than we were anticipating,” said Sinsheimer, who declined to discuss specific spread levels. “We felt it was prudent to pull the deal for the time being.”

(Editor’s notes: Italics added for emphasis)

Pierog pointed out:

Illinois is already faced with the highest spreads – 137 basis points in the latest week – over Municipal Market Data’s benchmark triple-A scale among states and cities tracked by MMD, a unit of Thomson Reuters.

Over the weekend, I noted Standard & Poor’s downgraded the State of Illinois on Friday to an “A-” rating with a negative outlook- last among all 50 states. I added that among other major credit rating agencies, Moody’s also ranks Illinois last of all the U.S. states and Fitch ranks it 49th but on watch for a possible downgrade.

As for Illinois taxpayers? They may have to pay tens of millions of dollars more in interest when the state looks to borrow more money- like what almost happened today.

By Christopher E. Hill, Editor
Survival And Prosperity (www.survivalandprosperity.com)

Source:

Pierog, Karen. “UPDATE 2-Illinois pulls $500 mln bond sale amid credit concerns.” Reuters. 30 Jan 2013. (http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/30/illinois-bonds-idUSL1N0AZ6TQ20130130). 30 Jan. 2013.

Tags: credit ratings, Fitch, government bonds, Illinois, John Sinsheimer, Moody's, pension crisis, pensions, public pensions, S&P, Standard & Poor's, state government, State of Illinois

S&P Downgrades Illinois Credit Rating To Worst In Nation

When I heard a major credit rating agency had downgraded Illinois Friday, the term “death spiral state” quickly came to mind.

And then my thoughts turned to the tens of millions of dollars Illinois taxpayers might be on the hook for down the road.

Ray Long and Monique Garcia reported on the Chicago Tribune website Friday:

Illinois fell to the bottom of all 50 states in the rankings of a major credit ratings agency Friday following the failure of Gov. Pat Quinn and lawmakers to fix the state’s hemorrhaging pension system during this month’s lame-duck session.

Standard & Poor’s Ratings Service downgraded Illinois in what is the latest fallout over the $96.8 billion debt to five state pension systems. The New York rating firm’s ranking signaled taxpayers may pay tens of millions of dollars more in interest when the state borrows money for roads and other projects.

(Editor’s note: Italics added for emphasis)

Illinois now has an “A-” rating with a negative outlook from S&P. Among other major credit rating agencies, Moody’s ranks Illinois last among the 50 states and Fitch ranks it 49th but on watch for a possible downgrade.

Regarding the state’s huge pension funding gap, Mark Peters wrote on the Wall Street Journal website Friday:

S&P estimates the pension system in the coming year will see assets fall to 39% of future obligations.

(Editor’s note: Italics added for emphasis)

Hardly any talk about the crisis in the local mainstream media outlets this weekend. Amazing. I can’t understand why more Illinois residents aren’t up in arms over this humongous financial mess the state is in.

By Christopher E. Hill, Editor
Survival And Prosperity (www.survivalandprosperity.com)

Sources:

Garcia, Monique and Long, Ray. “Illinois credit rating sinks to worst in nation.” Chicago Tribune. 25 Jan. 2013. (http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-01-25/news/chi-illinois-credit-rating-sinks-to-worst-in-nation-20130125_1_action-on-pension-reform-robin-prunty-illinois-credit). 27 Jan. 2013.

Peters, Mark. “S&P Cuts Illinois Credit Rating.” Wall Street Journal. 25 Jan. 2013. (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324539304578264293106044944.html). 27 Jan. 2013.

Tags: credit ratings, Fitch, Illinois, Moody's, pension crisis, pensions, S&P, Standard & Poor's, state government, State of Illinois

Motorola CEO: Illinois ‘Asleep At The Switch, And The Day Of Reckoning Will Come’

You know the state of Illinois has real fiscal challenges when a member of the U.S. President’s Management Advisory Board (PMAB) says that’s the case. Greg Brown, President and CEO of Schaumburg-based Motorola Solutions, spoke to Crain’s Chicago Business last week and said the following about his company’s relationship to the Midwestern state:

Illinois remains front and center for us for a variety of reasons: incumbency, skills that are resident, our existing footprint. It’s Illinois’ to lose, but Illinois is on a path to lose it. The state of Illinois is asleep at the switch, and the day of reckoning will come. You can’t have the state’s fiscal house being what it is and be able to attract capital. If Illinois kicks the can and stays in a four-corner offense, then capital will move out of state, including ours. I’ve had governors of Florida and Michigan proactively call me and say: “Would you consider moving a division, opening a plant? Would you consider moving R&D here? Would you deploy a sales division here?” Illinois doesn’t think like that. It needs a complete overhaul. It needs to happen soon.

Judging by the continued inaction in Springfield (seat of Illinois government) on issues of significant fiscal importance to the state and its 12.9 million residents, something tells me that can will keep being kicked down the road until the “day of reckoning” Brown talked about finally arrives.

In the meantime, the State of Illinois continues to languish.

Consider what Ted Dabrowski, Vice President of Policy at the Illinois Policy Institute, wrote back on November 28 on the organization’s website:

Today, Illinois still has more than $9 billion in unpaid bills. The Legislature continues to run structural deficits, appropriating more funds than the revenues it receives. The state’s pension systems are more than $200 billion in the hole and facing insolvency. And the state has been downgraded 10 times by the three major rating agencies since Gov. Quinn took office.

I am truly concerned about what lies in store for the “Land of Lincoln” going forward.

Sources:

Pletz, John. “Motorola’s CEO on taxes, tablets and why Illinois is dying.” Crain’s Chicago Business. 24 Dec. 2012. (http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20121222/ISSUE01/312229987/motorolas-ceo-on-taxes-tablets-and-why-illinois-is-dying). 26 Dec. 2012.

Dabrowski, Ted. “Forget reform: Illinois legislators want to borrow $4 billion.” Illinois Policy Institute. 28 Nov. 2012. (http://illinoispolicy.org/blog/blog.asp?ArticleSource=5283). 26 Dec. 2012.

Tags: budget deficits, credit rating agencies, credit ratings, Greg Brown, Illinois, Illinois Policy Institute, Motorola, Pat Quinn, pension crisis, pensions, PMAB, President’s Management Advisory Board, state government, State of Illinois, Ted Dabrowski

Moody’s Revises Illinois’ Credit Rating Outlook To Negative

Moody’s Investors Service, a major Wall Street credit rating agency, announced yesterday that it has revised its rating outlook for the State of Illinois from stable to negative. Illinois is already Moody’s lowest-rated state. From the agency’s website Thursday:

Rating Action: Moody’s revises State of Illinois’ rating outlook to negative from stable; general obligation rating affirmed at A2

Global Credit Research – 13 Dec 2012

Action applies to approximately $33 billion of outstanding general obligation and related debt

New York, December 13, 2012 — Moody’s Investors Service has revised the State of Illinois’ credit outlook to negative from stable, while affirming the state’s general obligation debt rating at A2. The state has about $28 billion of G.O. bonds outstanding. We have also affirmed related ratings assigned to state borrowings, including about $2.6 billion of debt issued by the Metropolitan Pier & Exposition Authority, rated A3, and the state’s Build Illinois sales tax revenue bonds, rated A2, of which $2.7 billion are currently outstanding. The negative outlook is linked to ratings on the G.O. as well as the related credits.

SUMMARY RATING RATIONALE

The negative outlook reflects our view that the state’s pension funding pressures are likely to persist and perhaps worsen in the near term. Moreover, fiscal 2014 marks the last year before Illinois’ 2011 income tax increases are partly unwound, putting the state on track to deal with simultaneous growth in pension funding needs and loss of revenue. If the legislature in coming weeks or months enacts significant pension reforms, they are almost certain to be challenged, given the state’s constitutional protection of retiree benefits. Political pressures, coupled with the threat of litigation, may mean that any reforms enacted have only a marginal effect on liabilities. Despite a diverse economy with above-average wealth, lackluster demographic and economic characteristics indicate that, even with continued US economic improvement, the state’s existing tax structure will not provide enough revenue to address the rising cost of pension benefits and other state expenses. In addition, the state’s payment backlog remains high.

(Editor’s note: Italics added for emphasis)

Back on January 13, 2011, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signed legislation authorizing a 67 percent increase in the personal income tax of Illinois residents and a 46 percent increase in corporate income taxes on Illinois businesses. In 2015, these taxes are scheduled to be rolled back from 5 percent to 3.75 percent and 7 percent to 5.25 percent respectively. However, as I noted that same day:

The last time income tax rates in the “Land of Lincoln” went up in 1989, politicians also claimed it was as a temporary increase to combat a financial “rough patch.” But the rates never came down and by 1993 were designated permanent. Until now, that is.

I won’t be surprised if lighting strikes Illinois residents and businesses twice.

You can read the entire rating action report on the Moody’s website here.

Tags: credit ratings, government bonds, Illinois, income taxes, Moody's, Moody’s Investors Service, Pat Quinn, pension reform, pensions, state government, State of Illinois, tax hikes

Michigan Lawmaker: ‘We’re Going To Have To Seriously Consider Dissolving The City Of Detroit’

As I’ve said before, once in a while I hear chatter about Chicago being on the path to becoming the next Detroit. Not the hub of America’s auto industry that “old” Detroit once was, but rather “this” Detroit:

“Scary Movie 4 – Detroit: Before & After the Attack”
YouTube Video

I guess conditions in the “Motor City” are getting so bad one Michigan state senator has gone so far as to say the legislature is going to have to “seriously consider dissolving” the city. From The Detroit News website this morning:

State Sen. Rick Jones has a solution for fixing Detroit’s ongoing political and financial problems: Get rid of the city.

“At some point we’re going to have to seriously consider dissolving the City of Detroit,” Jones told Insider.

You read that right.

Jones, R-Grand Ledge, is proposing the Legislature, which has the power to establish municipalities, should make the city part of unincorporated Wayne County.

Jones was unclear about what good it would to do to turn the city and its services for 700,000 residents over to a county with it’s owns financial and political problems.

But he said outstate lawmakers like himself are growing tired of the City Council delaying implementation of the financial consent agreement state and city leaders signed in April, inching perilously closer to payless paydays and bankruptcy.

(Editor’s note: Italics added for emphasis)

Detroit’s finances appear pretty bleak. According to Reuters last night, not only did Moody’s Investors Service lower the city’s debt ratings deeper in the junk category Wednesday, but:

Moody’s also placed a negative outlook on the lowered ratings, citing in part “the rising possibility that the city could file for bankruptcy or default on an obligation over the next 12 to 24 months.”

(Editor’s note: Italics added for emphasis)

Here’s hoping Detroit can find a way out of their serious financial and political mess.

And that chatter about Chicago becoming the next Detroit doesn’t pan out.

Sources:

“Political insider: Senator says to dissolve Detroit if it can’t fix its problems.” The Detroit News. 29 Nov. 2012. (http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20121129/POLITICS02/211290357/Political-insider?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|FRONTPAGE|s). 29 Nov. 2012.

“Moody’s cuts Detroit debt ratings deeper into junk.” Reuters. 28 Nov. 2012. (http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/28/detroit-moodys-downgrade-idUSL1E8MSDCJ20121128). 29 Nov. 2012.

Tags: Chicago, City of Detroit, county government, credit ratings, Detroit, government bonds, Illinois, local government, Michigan, Moody’s Investors Service, municipal bonds, Rick Jones, state government, Wayne County

Best- And Worst-Run U.S. States In 2012

New York City-based financial news and opinion organization 24/7 Wall St. has just released their 2012 list of best- and worst-run states in America. While they ranked all 50 based on financial health, standard of living, and government services data, 24/7 Wall St. declared the top 5 best-run states to be:

1. North Dakota
2. Wyoming
3. Nebraska
4. Utah
5. Iowa

The top 5 worst-run states are:

1. California
2. Rhode Island
3. Illinois
4. Arizona
5. New Jersey

Last November, 24/7 Wall St. named Illinois the 2nd worst-run state in America. Up to 3rd this year? High-fives all around the “Land of Lincoln” today. Here’s what 24/7 Wall St. had to say about Illinois this year:

48. Illinois

> Debt per capita: $4,790 (11th highest)
> Budget deficit: 40.2% (2nd largest)
> Unemployment: 9.8% (tied-10th highest)
> Median household income: $53,234 (18th highest)
> Pct. below poverty line: 15.0% (25th highest)

Although many states have budget issues, Illinois’ faces among the biggest problems. In 2010, the state’s budget shortfall was more than 40% of its general fund, the second-highest of any state. Both S&P and Moody’s gave Illinois credit ratings that were the second-worst of all states. In addition, the state only funded 45% of its pension liability in 2010, the lowest percentage of any state. Governor Patrick Quinn has made the now-$85 billion pension gap a top priority for the new legislative session beginning in January.

“$85 billion pension gap.” Make that $96.8 billion last I heard.

And as for Wisconsin, where I plan on moving to in a couple of years? 24/7 Wall St. ranked the “Badger State” the 21st best-run state in America this year- down from 16th in 2011.

You can find out where 24/7 Wall St. ranked your state this year by going here on their website.

Tags: 24/7 Wall St., budget deficits, credit ratings, Illinois, Pat Quinn, pension crisis, pensions, public pensions, state government, Wisconsin

Is Illinois Greece?

If California is Greece, then Illinois is Spain.

-Panelist at June’s “State of the Nonprofit” conference in Chicago (hat tip The Greater Good blog)

The proverbial brick wall keeps getting closer in Illinois. And even though the state’s financial woes- and what needs to be done to fix them- are painfully obvious, the politicians carry on as if it were business as usual.

The problem is, it’s not. And years of fiscal mismanagement are really starting to bite the “Land of Lincoln” in its rear-end.

Take the state’s credit ratings, for example. From Karen Pierog on the Chicago Tribune website yesterday:

Illinois lawmakers’ inability to reform a woefully underfunded public retirement system at a special session last Friday is likely to weigh on the state’s already relatively low credit ratings.

“We are in the process of reviewing the total credit picture, including the budget, pensions, etc,” Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services analyst Robin Prunty said on Tuesday.

“But certainly, the lack of action on pensions is not a credit positive.”

Pierog, who is affiliated with Reuters, added:

S&P, which rates Illinois A-plus with a negative outlook, put the state on notice in March that it could face a multiple-notch general obligation rating downgrade if there is no “credible progress” in taming its huge $83 billion unfunded pension liability and on tackling a structural budget imbalance.

Another credit rating agency, Moody’s Investors Service, downgraded the State of Illinois to A2 from A1 earlier this year.

According to the California State Treasurer’s website this morning, California’s S&P and Moody’s credit ratings are A- (lower than Illinois) and A1 (higher than Illinois), respectively.

But it’s not just credit ratings where years of poor policymaking are coming back to haunt the state. Pierog noted:

Investors are demanding higher yields to invest in Illinois’ bonds as its so-called credit spread over Municipal Market Data’s benchmark triple-A scale for 10-year debt is the widest at 157 basis points among major U.S. city and state debt issuers tracked by MMD, a unit of Thomson Reuters. California’s spread by comparison is less than half of Illinois’ at 66 basis points.

Perhaps that panelist got it wrong. California could be Spain, and Illinois, Greece.

Source:

Pierog, Karen. “Illinois’ inaction on pensions in rating agency crosshairs.” Chicago Tribune. 21 Aug. 2012. (http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-rt-us-illinois-pension-ratingbre87k0uj-20120821,0,6367324.story). 22 Aug. 2012.

Tags: budget deficits, California, credit ratings, government bonds, Greece, Illinois, Illinois bonds, Illinois credit ratings, Illinois General Assembly, Moody's, pensions, public pensions, Spain, Standard & Poor's

Moody’s Says Greece Default ‘Virtually 100%’

While Jim Rogers and I don’t anticipate an authentic U.S. default in the coming days, one European nation is heading in that direction. From Moody’s Investors Service yesterday:

Moody’s Investors Service has today downgraded Greece’s local- and foreign-currency bond ratings to Ca from Caa1 and has assigned a developing outlook to the ratings.

The combination of the announced EU support programme and debt exchange proposals by major financial institutions implies that private creditors will incur substantial economic losses on their holdings of government debt. The rating’s developing outlook reflects the current uncertainty about the exact market value of the securities creditors will receive in the exchange. After the debt exchanges have been completed, Moody’s will re-assess the credit risk profile of any outstanding or new securities issued by the Greek government.

The announced EU programme along with the Institute of International Finance’s (IIF’s) statement (representing major financial institutions) implies that the probability of a distressed exchange, and hence a default, on Greek government bonds is virtually 100%. The magnitude of investor losses will be determined by the difference between the face value of the debt exchanged and the market value of the debt received. The IIF has indicated that investor losses are likely to be in excess of 20%.

(Editor’s note: Italics added for emphasis)

According to Moody’s Global Credit Research unit, all is not lost in Greece. They noted:

Looking further ahead, the EU programme and proposed debt exchanges will increase the likelihood that Greece will be able to stabilize and eventually reduce its overall debt burden. The support package for Greece also benefits all euro area sovereigns by containing the severe near-term contagion risk that would likely have followed a disorderly payment default or large haircut on existing Greek debt. However, Greece will still face medium-term solvency challenges: its stock of debt will still be well in excess of 100% of GDP for many years and it will still face very significant implementation risks to fiscal and economic reform.

(Editor’s note: Italics added for emphasis)

I blogged about the potential consequences for the United States should Greece default back on June 2 and July 6.

You can read Moody’s entire explanation for their downgrade of Greek debt on their website here.

Tags: credit ratings, Greece, Greek government bonds, Moody's, sovereign debt crisis

Weiss Ratings Downgrades U.S. Debt

The Weiss Group (which includes Weiss Research and Weiss Ratings, an independent provider of bank and insurance company financial strength ratings) has done it again. They’ve downgraded their outlook on U.S. debt. This time, from C to C-minus. From an e-mail I received Friday from chairman Martin Weiss, author of The Ultimate Depression Survival Guide: Protect Your Savings, Boost Your Income, and Grow Wealthy Even in the Worst of Times:

Weiss Ratings, an independent rating agency of U.S. financial institutions and sovereign debts, has downgraded the debt of the United States government from C to C-minus.

The C-minus rating for the U.S. reflects a continued deterioration in the weaknesses cited in the Weiss Ratings release of April 28, 2011, including heavy debt burdens, shaky international stability, and poor economic health.

Weiss Ratings senior financial analyst Gavin Magor commented: “Our downgrade today is not contingent on the outcome of the debt ceiling debate in Washington. It is driven exclusively by the numbers, which indicate that, in addition to a decline in the long-standing weaknesses we noted three months ago, the U.S. has already lost the golden halo that helped guarantee liquidity and acceptance of its government securities in global markets.”

On the Weiss Ratings scale, which ranges from A (excellent) to E (very weak), a C-minus rating is the approximate equivalent of a triple-B-minus on the scales used by other credit rating agencies, or approximately one notch above speculative grade (junk).

(Editor’s note: Italics added for emphasis)

Dr. Weiss noted in his e-mail:

Although we are not predicting a default, this downgrade adds urgency to our earlier recommendations to avoid all medium- or long-term government securities. You can still hold short-term T-bills. But be sure to hedge against the growing dollar risks with gold or equivalent.

(Editor’s note: Italics added for emphasis)

(Editor’s note: I am not responsible for any personal liability, loss, or risk incurred as a consequence of the use and application, either directly or indirectly, of any information presented herein. See “Legal Disclaimer” on “Disclaimer and Policies” page for more information.)

Tags: credit ratings, gold, long-term U.S. bonds, Martin Weiss, medium-term U.S. bonds, short-term T-bills, U.S. bonds, Weiss Ratings