The MSRB on Wednesday launched an online "toolkit" to equip investors with basic information about navigating the municipal market.  Individual investors own about 2/3's of the nearly $3.7 trillion in outstanding municipal securities, either directly or through mutual funds. The MSRB seeks to ensure that individual investors are protected by having the information necessary to understand the features of municipal bonds and to make appropriate investment decisions. Contents of Online Guide. The MSRB’s investor toolkit on www.msrb.org includes an investor guide with sections outlining questions to ask when investing in municipal bonds, how to evaluate a municipal bond’s risk and what to expect from financial professionals, among other resources.  Investors can have the best outcomes in terms of decision-making by preparing for a conversation with a financial professional. The toolkit also includes an introductory video and fact sheets about the disclosures and services available through the MSRB’s  Electronic Municipal Market Access (EMMA) website - e.g., EMMA users can subscribe to free email alerts when new disclosure documents are posted or trades are reported for individual municipal securities. When investors click to access the INVESTOR GUIDE they will learn about investing in municipal securities, along the following categories:

• Getting Started
• Facts About Municipal Bonds
• Seven Questions to Ask When Investing in Municipal Bonds
• Evaluating a Municipal Bond’s Default Risk
• Understanding Official Statements
• Understanding Continuing Disclosures
• What to Expect from Your Financial Professional

For further details, go to:  [MSRB Press Release, 5/30/12].