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Interpretive Guidance - Interpretive Notices
Publication date:
Comparison of Inter-Dealer Deliveries That Do Not Represent Inter-Dealer Transactions—”Step Out" Deliveries: Rules G-12(f) and G-14
Rule Number:

Rule G-14

The MSRB reminds dealers of trade reporting procedures with respect to “step outs” and other inter-dealer deliveries that are not the result of inter-dealer transactions.

Rule G-14 requires that inter-dealer purchase-sale transactions eligible for comparison through the National Securities Clearing Corporation (NSCC) automated comparison system (RTTM) be reported to the MSRB Transaction Reporting System. For these inter-dealer transactions, trade reporting to the MSRB is accomplished by both the purchasing and selling dealers submitting the trade for comparison following NSCC’s procedures, and ensuring that the trade record includes certain additional data required by Rule G-14.  NSCC then forwards each dealer’s trade submission to the MSRB. In effect, the comparison submission to NSCC doubles as the trade report to the MSRB.

In certain situations, deliveries of securities occur between two dealers even though the two dealers did not effect a purchase-sale transaction with each other. Dealers using the comparison system to facilitate these deliveries must be careful not to report the deliveries as inter-dealer transactions. A frequent example of this situation occurs when an independent investment advisor effects a transaction with a dealer (the “executing dealer”) and instructs the executing dealer to deliver securities to another dealer (the “custody dealer”) for unnamed clients of the investment advisor. The resulting delivery between the executing dealer and the custody dealer may be handled through NSCC by submitting the delivery to RTTM for comparison, even though there was no purchase-sale transaction between the two dealers. However, in these cases, the executing dealer and the custody dealer each must indicate that the submissions are for RTTM Matching Only (Destination 01, see below) to ensure that the submissions do not also constitute trade reports under Rule G-14. Failure to do so by either party will result in a violation of Rule G-14.[1]

NSCC has published procedures for identifying comparison submissions as step outs, meaning comparison submissions that do not represent reportable inter-dealer transactions.[2] Although the full procedures are not repeated here, they basically require dealers using interactive messaging to submit data to NSCC with “DEST 01” (and no other “DEST”) in the destination indicator message field and dealers using RTTM Web to select the “RTTM” trade reporting indicator.[3] To avoid violations of Rule G-14, dealers also should be careful to use NSCC’s step out procedures only when applicable (i.e., when there is an inter-dealer delivery being compared, but there was no purchase-sale transaction between the dealers).[4]

It is worth noting that comparison submissions will compare against each other in RTTM regardless of whether their step out indicators match. When two dealers submit “mismatched” destination indicators and a comparison occurs, NSCC forwards data about both submissions to the MSRB, but the MSRB is unable to determine which dealer was correct as to whether the comparison represents a transaction or a step out. However, it is clear in such a case that at least one of the dealers has violated Rule G-14, either by reporting a true inter-dealer trade as a step out or by reporting an inter-dealer transaction that did not occur.

The MSRB is developing a report that will identify such “mismatched” inter-dealer trade comparisons as an aid to dealers and enforcement personnel. The MSRB will publish a notice when the report is available. However, dealers should at this time review their comparison and trade reporting procedures to ensure that their comparison submissions correctly use the step out indicator and use it only when appropriate.

Questions about the procedure for processing step out deliveries should be directed to NSCC. Questions about whether a particular type of delivery is reportable as an inter-dealer purchase-sale transaction may be directed to MSRB staff.


[1] In this example, the executing dealer has an additional duty to report its execution of the investment advisor’s order to the MSRB as a dealer sale to a customer; the submission of the “step out” delivery to NSCC does not substitute for this customer trade report. See MSRB Notice 2003-20, “Notice on Reporting and Comparison of Certain Transactions Effected by Investment Advisors: Rules G-12(f) and G-14,” May 23, 2003.

[2] For NSCC’s complete procedure on comparing step out deliveries, see e.g., NSCC Important Notice A5943/P&S5513, “Changes to Municipal Bond ‘Step Out’ Processing,” December 2, 2004, on www.nscc.com.

[3] To further distinguish step out submissions, dealers also should include “STEP” in the Trader ID contra party field.

[4] Another example of a transfer of securities between dealers that is not the result of a purchase-sale transaction was described in MSRB Notice 2004-14, “Notice on Certain Inter-Dealer Transfers of Municipal Securities: Rules G-12(f) and G-14,” June 4, 2004.

Interpretive Guidance - Interpretive Notices
Publication date:
Reminder Regarding Modification and Cancellation of Transaction Reports: Rule G-14
Rule Number:

Rule G-14

Executive Summary

The Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (“MSRB”) reminds brokers, dealers and municipal securities dealers (collectively “dealers”) of the need to report municipal securities transactions accurately and to minimize the submission of modifications and cancellations to the Real-Time Transaction Reporting System (“RTRS”). Each transaction initially should be reported correctly to RTRS. Thereafter, only changes necessary to achieve accurate and complete transaction reporting should be submitted to RTRS. Changes should be rare since properly reported transactions should not need to be corrected.

* * *

Under Rule G-14, dealers are required to report all transactions to the MSRB and to report accurately and completely the information specified in the Rule G-14 RTRS Procedures (“Procedures”). Trades that are reported with errors affect the accuracy of the information published in price transparency reports as well as the audit trail information retained in the surveillance database.[1]

The MSRB has published notices to dealers reminding them of their obligation to report transactions correctly and to monitor error reports the MSRB sends them.[2]  Each trade should be reported correctly in the dealer’s initial submission of trade data to RTRS and, for inter-dealer trades, to the Real-time Trade Matching (“RTTM”) system as well. Changes should be rare since properly reported transactions should not need to be corrected. If, however, a transaction is reported with incorrect or missing attributes (such as price or capacity), the Procedures require the dealer to correct the report as soon as possible.[3]  When RTRS sends certain error messages to a dealer, the dealer is required to correct the trade report.[4] Dealers can make those corrections, or other necessary corrections in reported data, by modifying the trade report or by cancelling the report and submitting a correct replacement.[5] If it is necessary to modify a report, modification is preferred over cancellation and resubmission.[6]

Dealers should not change trade reports when the transaction attribute that changes is not required to be reported by MSRB or NSCC. For example, if only the account representative associated with a transaction changes, the report to the MSRB should not be changed, as this information is not required to be reported to the MSRB under Rule G-14. Dealers should take care that, if a modification or cancellation is submitted that is not responding to an RTRS error message, the dealer is correcting or cancelling an erroneous report.[7]

RTRS counts the number of modifications and cancellations submitted by each dealer. The MSRB provides statistics to the NASD and other enforcement agencies that measure dealer performance in modifying and cancelling transactions, as well as error rates of original submissions. Dealers that excessively modify or cancel trade reports will have above-average rates in these statistical reports. Dealers therefore should change trade reports only when appropriate to attain accurate and complete reporting under Rule G-14 and the Procedures.

Dealers can monitor their reporting of transactions in compliance with Rule G-14 in several ways. The MSRB currently provides information to dealers about their reporting performance. Any error detected by RTRS is reported back to the submitter by electronic message and is shown to the submitter and the executing dealer on the RTRS Web screen.[8] RTRS also sends e-mail error messages to dealers on request. The RTRS Web screen lists all trades cancelled by the dealer, under its Advanced Search feature. In addition, beginning in March 2005, the MSRB plans to make available to dealers the same statistics provided to the enforcement agencies, in a report entitled “G-12(f)/G-14 Compliance Data from RTRS.” This will be available monthly on the first Monday after the 15th of the month. A dealer’s report will include its statistics for the most recent full month and for the previous month.[9] It will also include summary statistics for the municipal securities industry so that the dealer can compare its performance to the industry’s. Further information about how a dealer can obtain its compliance statistics will be posted in March on the MSRB web site, www.msrb.org.


[1] Transactions reported to the MSRB are made available to the NASD and other regulators for their market surveillance and enforcement activities

[2] See, e.g., “Reminder Regarding MSRB Rule G-14 Transaction Reporting Requirements” (March 3, 2003) on www.msrb.org.

[3] See Rule G-14 RTRS Procedures paragraph (a)(iv) and  “Reminder Regarding Accuracy of Information Submitted to the MSRB Transaction Reporting System: Rule G-14” (February 10, 2004) on www.msrb.org.

[4] Messages which indicate a trade report is “unsatisfactory” and which have an error code beginning with “U” require that the trade be modified or that it be cancelled and replaced. See “Specifications for Real-time Reporting of Municipal Securities Transactions,” especially the table and text after the table in section 2.9. This document is on www.msrb.org.

[5] Changes to inter-dealer trades are governed also by National Securities Clearing Corporation (“NSCC”) rules. See, e.g., “Interactive Messaging: NSCC Participant Specifications for Matching Input and Output” on www.nscc.com.

[6] Modification is preferred when changes are necessary because a modification is counted as a single change to a trade report. A cancellation and resubmission are counted as a change and (unless the resubmission is done within the original deadline for reporting the trade) also a late report of a trade. Methods for cancelling and modifying reports are described in Sections 1.3.3 and 2.9 of “Specifications for Real-time Reporting of Municipal Securities Transactions: Version 1.2” on www.msrb.org.

[7] Note that the MSRB does not require a dealer to report a change to the settlement date of a trade in  when-issued securities, if that is the only change.

[8] See “Real-Time Transaction Reporting Web User Manual” on www.msrb.org.

[9] The first report, planned for March 21, 2005, will include statistics only for February, since RTRS went into operation on January 31, 2005.

Interpretive Guidance - Interpretive Notices
Publication date:
Disclosure Of Material Facts--Disclosure Of Original Issue Discount Bonds
Rule Number:

Rule G-47

The MSRB is publishing this notice to remind dealers of their affirmative disclosure obligations when effecting transactions with customers in original issue discount bonds. An original issue discount bond, or O.I.D. bond, is a bond that was sold at the time of issue at a price that included an original issue discount. The original issue discount is the amount by which the par value of the bond exceeded its public offering price at the time of its original issuance. The original issue discount is amortized over the life of the security and, on a municipal security, is generally treated as tax-exempt interest. When the investor sells the security before maturity, any profit realized on such sale is calculated (for tax purposes) on the adjusted book value, which is calculated for each year the security is outstanding by adding the accretion value to the original offering price. The amount of the accretion value (and the existence and total amount of original issue discount) is determined in accordance with the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code and the rules and regulations of the Internal Revenue Service.[1]

Rule G-17, the MSRB’s fair dealing rule, encompasses two general principles. First, the rule imposes a duty on dealers not to engage in deceptive, dishonest, or unfair practices. This first prong of Rule G-17 is essentially an antifraud prohibition. In addition to the basic antifraud provisions in the rule, the rule imposes a duty to deal fairly with all persons. As part of a dealer’s obligation to deal fairly, the MSRB has interpreted the rule to create affirmative disclosure obligations for dealers. The MSRB has stated that the dealer’s affirmative disclosure obligations require that a dealer disclose, at or before the sale of municipal securities to a customer, all material facts concerning the transaction, including a complete description of the security.[2] These obligations apply even when a dealer is effecting non-recommended secondary market transactions.

In the context of the sale to customers of an original issue discount security, the MSRB’s customer confirmation rule, Rule G-15(a), provides that information regarding the status of bonds as original issue discount securities must be included on customer confirmations. Specifically, Rule G-15(a)(i)(C)(4)(c) provides that, “If the securities pay periodic interest and are sold by the underwriter as original issue discount securities, a designation that they are “original issue discount” securities and a statement of the initial public offering price of the securities, expressed as a dollar price” must be included on the customer’s confirmation.

The MSRB previously has alerted dealers of their obligation to make original issue discount disclosures to customers and has stated that, “The Board believes that the fact that a security bears an original issue discount is material information (since it may affect the tax treatment of the security); therefore, this fact should be disclosed to a customer prior to or at the time of trade.”[3] The MSRB is publishing this notice to remind dealers of their disclosure obligations under Rule G-17 because it remains concerned that, absent adequate disclosure of a security’s original issue discount status, an investor might not be aware that all or a portion of the component of his or her investment return represented by accretion of the discount is tax-exempt, and therefore might sell the securities at an inappropriately low price (i.e., at a price not reflecting the tax-exempt portion of the discount) or pay capital gains tax on the accreted discount amount. Without appropriate disclosure, an investor also might not be aware of how his or her transaction price compares to the initial public offering price of the security. Appropriate disclosure of a security’s original issue discount feature should assist customers in computing the market discount or premium on their transaction.


[1] See Glossary of Municipal Securities Terms, Second Edition (January 2004).

 

[2] See e.g., Rule G-17 Interpretation—Educational Notice on Bonds Subject to “Detachable” Call Features, May 13, 1993, MSRB Rule Book (July 2004) at 135.

[3] Rules G-12 and G-15, Comments Requested on Draft Amendments on Original Issue Discount Securities, MSRB Reports, Vol. 4, No. 6 (May 1994) at 7.

Interpretive Guidance - Interpretive Letters
Publication date:
Supervision of Data Processing Functions
Rule Number:

Rule G-3

Supervision of data processing functions.  I am writing in response to your letter of November 7, 1988 and our subsequent telephone conversation by which you requested an interpretation of the Board’s qualification requirements for municipal securities principals. You asked whether an individual, who is presently qualified as a representative, additionally must be qualified as a municipal securities principal because he has oversight and supervisory responsibility for the firm’s data processing department.

Board rule G-3(a)(i)[*] defines a municipal securities principal as a person directly engaged in the management, direction or supervision of one or more enumerated representative activities. Consequently, whether or not this individual must be qualified as a municipal securities principal depends on whether he is supervising such activities, i.e., whether the data processing department employees are functioning as municipal securities representatives.

You state that the data processing department assists this individual by performing the calculations necessary in the structuring of municipal bond issues and underwritings. Moreover, you note that the employees in the data processing department do not communicate with customers, including issuers, in carrying out their duties and that the above financial advisory and underwriting activities are otherwise supervised by a qualified municipal securities principal.

Based upon the facts set forth above, we are of the view that the individual described supervises only  clerical or ministerial functions, and he is therefore not a municipal securities principal within the meaning of Board rule G-3. MSRB interpretation of December 9, 1988.


[*] [Currently codified at rule G-3(b)(i)]

Interpretive Guidance - Interpretive Notices
Publication date:
Determining Whether Transactions Are Inter-Dealer or Customer Transactions: Rules G-12 and G-15
Rule Number:

Rule G-12, Rule G-15

In December 1984, the Board published a notice providing guidance to dealers in determining whether certain transactions are inter-dealer or customer transactions for purposes of Board rules. Since the publication of this notice, the Board has continued to receive reports that inter-dealer transactions sometimes are erroneously submitted to automated confirmation/affirmation systems for customer transactions. This practice reduces the efficiencies of automated clearance since these transactions fail to compare in the initial comparison cycle. The Board is re-publishing the notice to remind dealers of the need to submit inter-dealer and customer transactions to the correct automated clearance systems.

The Board recently has been advised that some members of the municipal securities industry are experiencing difficulties in determining the proper classification of a contra-party as a dealer or customer for purposes of automated comparison and confirmation. In particular, questions have arisen about the status of banks purchasing for their trust departments and dealers buying securities to be deposited in accumulation accounts for unit investment trusts. Because a misclassification of a contra-party can cause significant difficulty to persons seeking to comply with the automated clearance requirements of rules G-12, and G-15, the Board believes that guidance concerning the appropriate classification of contra-parties in certain transactions would be helpful to the municipal securities industry.

Background

Rule G-12(f)(i) requires dealers to submit an inter-dealer transaction for automated comparison if the transaction is eligible for automated comparison .... Rule G-15(d)(ii) requires dealers to use an automated confirmation/affirmation service for delivery versus payment or receipt versus payment (DVP/RVP) customer transactions if the [transactions are eligible for automated confirmation and acknowledgement].

The systems available for the automated comparison of inter-dealer transactions and automated confirmation/affirmation of customer transactions are separate and distinct. As a result, misclassification of a contra-party may frustrate efficient use of the systems. For example, a selling dealer in an inter-dealer transaction may misclassify the contra-party as a customer, and submit the trade for confirmation/affirmation through the automated system for customer transactions while the purchaser (correctly considering itself to be a dealer) seeks to compare the transaction through the inter-dealer comparison system. Since, the automated systems for inter-dealer and customer transactions are entirely separate, the transaction will not be successfully compared or acknowledged through either automated system.

Transactions Effected by Banks

The Board has received certain questions about the proper classification of contra-parties in the context of transactions effected by banks. A bank may be the purchaser or seller of municipal securities either as a dealer or as a customer. For example, a dealer may sell municipal securities to a bank's trust department for various trust accounts. Such purchases by a bank in a fiduciary capacity would not constitute "municipal securities dealer activities" under the Board's rules[1] and are properly classified and confirmed as customer transactions. A second type of transaction by a bank is the purchase or sale of securities for the dealer trading account of a dealer bank. The bank in this instance clearly is acting in its capacity as a municipal securities dealer and the transaction should be compared as an inter-dealer transaction.

A dealer effecting a transaction with a dealer bank may not know whether the bank is acting in its capacity as a dealer or as a customer. The Board is of the view that, in such a case, the dealer should ascertain the appropriate classification of the bank at the time of trade to ensure that the transaction can be compared or confirmed appropriately. The Board anticipates that dealer banks will assist in this process by informing contra-parties whether the bank is acting as a dealer or customer in transactions in which the bank's role may be unclear to the contra-party.

Transactions by Dealer Purchasing Municipal Securities for UIT Accumulation Accounts

The Board has also received several inquiries concerning the appropriate classification of a dealer who purchases municipal securities to be deposited into an accumulation account for ultimate transfer to a unit investment trust (UIT). The dealer buying securities for a UIT accumulation account may purchase and hold the securities over a period of several days before depositing them with the trustee of the UIT in exchange for all of the units of the trust; during this time the dealer is exposed to potential market risk on these securities positions. The subsequent deposit of the securities with the trustee of the UIT in exchange for the units of the trust may be viewed as a separate, customer transaction between the dealer buying the accumulation account and the trust. The original purchase of the securities by the dealer for the account then must be considered an inter-dealer transaction since the dealer is purchasing for its own account ultimately to execute a customer transaction. The Board notes that the SEC has taken this approach in applying its net capital and customer protection rules to such transactions.

The Board is of the view that, for purposes of its automated comparison requirements, transactions involving dealers purchasing for UIT accumulation accounts should be considered inter-dealer transactions. The Board also notes the distinction between this situation, in which a dealer purchases for ultimate transfer to a trust or fund, and situations where purchases or sales of municipal securities are made directly by the fund, as is the case with purchases or sales by some open-end mutual funds. These latter transactions should be considered as customer transactions and confirmed accordingly.

Other Inter-Dealer Transactions

In addition to questions on the status of a dealer bank and dealers purchasing for accumulation accounts, the Board has received information that a few large firms are sometimes subtracting trades with regional securities dealers into the customer confirmation system. The Board is aware that these firms may classify transactions with regional dealers or bank dealers as "customer" transactions for purposes of internal accounting and compensation systems. The Board reminds industry members that transactions with other municipal securities dealers will always be inter-dealer transactions and should be compared in the inter-dealer automated comparison system without regard to how the transactions are classified internally within a dealer's accounting systems. The Board believes it is incumbent upon those firms who misclassify transactions in this fashion to promptly make the necessary alterations to their internal systems to ensure that this practice of misclassifying transactions is corrected.


[1] Section 3(a)(30) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 defines a bank to be a municipal securities dealers if it "is engaged in the business of buying and selling municipal securities for its own account other than in a fiduciary capacity." For purposes of the Board's rule G-1, defining a separately identifiable department or division of a bank dealer, the purchase and sale of municipal securities by a trust department would not be considered to be "municipal securities dealer activities."

NOTE: Revised to reflect subsequent amendments.

Interpretive Guidance - Interpretive Letters
Publication date:
Advertisements Showing Current Yield
Rule Number:

Rule G-21

Advertisements showing current yield. This is in response to your letter concerning the application of rule G-21, on advertising, to advertisements that include information on current yield of municipal securities. [1] You have asked for the Board’s views whether including current yield information in advertisements for municipal securities, alone or with other yield information, would be materially misleading. You also ask if a dealer may advertise current yield if other yield information is included but is in smaller print. The Board has considered this issue and authorized this reply.

Rule G-21 prohibits a dealer from publishing an advertisement concerning a municipal security that the dealer knows or has reason to know is materially false or misleading. The Board has stated that an advertisement showing a percentage rate of return must specify whether it is the coupon rate or the yield. The Board noted that, if a yield is presented, the advertisement must indicate the basis on which the yield is calculated.[2]

The Board frequently has stated that the yield to call or yield to maturity is the most important factor in determining the fairness and reasonableness of the price of any given transaction in municipal securities. Such yields typically are used as a basis for dealers and customers to evaluate an investment in municipal securities. The disclosure of yield to call or yield to maturity is the longstanding practice of the municipal securities industry and this practice is reflected in rule G-15(a) which requires dealers to disclose yield to call or yield to maturity on customer confirmations.[3] A customer who purchases a municipal security relying only on the current yield information disclosed in an advertisement would be confused upon receipt of the confirmation when the yield to call or yield to maturity of the security is different. Moreover, a customer would not be able to compare municipal securities advertised at a current yield with those advertised at a yield to call or yield to maturity.[4]

The Board has determined that the use of current yield information in municipal securities advertisements without other yield information would be materially misleading under rule G-21. Thus, dealers may not show only current yield in municipal securities advertisements.

 

The Board also has determined that, while showing only current yield information in advertisements is materially misleading, if advertisements also include, at a minimum, the lowest of yield to call or yield to maturity, current yield may be used if all the information is clearly presented as discussed below. The Board notes that including yield to call or yield to maturity in municipal securities advertisements would give customers a more realistic view of the yield they can expect to receive on the investment and would enable them to compare the security advertised with other municipal securities. In addition, the yield to call or yield to maturity information would be consistent with the yield information disclosed on customer confirmations. If the yield to call is used, the call date and price also should be noted.

The Board is concerned that, even if dealers comply with this interpretation of rule G-21 and include current yield and other yield information in municipal securities advertisements, such advertisements still could be misleading due to the size of type used and the placement of the information. For example, it would not be appropriate for the type size of the current yield to be larger than other yield information. Thus, whether a particular advertisement is materially misleading requires the appropriate regulatory body, for example, an NASD District Business Conduct Committee, to consider a number of objective and subjective factors. The Board urges the regulatory authorities to continue to review advertisements on a case-by-case basis to make a determination whether any such advertisements, in fact, are misleading. MSRB interpretation of April 22, 1988.


[1] Current yield is a calculation of current income on a bond. It is the ratio of the annual dollar amount of interest paid on a security to the purchase price of the security, stated as a percentage. If the securities are sold at par, the current yield equals the coupon rate on the securities. Current yield, however, does not take into account the time value of money. Thus, generally, if a bond is selling at a discount, the current yield would be less than the yield to maturity and, if the bond is selling at a premium, the current yield would be greater than the yield to maturity.

[2] Frequently Asked Questions Concerning Advertising, MSRB Reports, Vol. 3, No. 2 (Apr. 1983), at 21-23.

[3] Rule G-15(a)(i)(1) [currently codified at rule G-15(a)(i)(A)(5)] requires that the yield or dollar price at which the transaction was effected be disclosed on customer confirmations, with the resulting dollar price (if the transaction is done on a yield basis) or yield (if the transaction is done on a dollar basis) calculated to the lowest of dollar price or yield to call, to par option or to maturity. In cases in which the resulting dollar price or yield shown on the confirmation is calculated to call or par option, this must be stated and the call or option date and price used in the calculation must be shown.

[4] The Board also notes that some dealers have used current yield in municipal securities advertisements in an attempt to compete with municipal securities mutual funds, which often use a “current yield” in their advertisements. However, a mutual fund “yield” is not directly comparable to a municipal securities yield because a mutual fund “yield” represents historical information, while the yield on a municipal security represents a future rate of return.

Interpretive Guidance - Interpretive Notices
Publication date:
Published Quotations
Rule Number:

Rule G-13

The Board has received complaints regarding published quotations, such as those appearing in The Blue List. The complaints, which have been referred to the appropriate enforcement agency, state that municipal securities offerings published by dealers often do not reflect prices and amounts of securities that currently are being offered by the quoting dealer.

Board rule G-13, on quotations, prohibits the dissemination of a quotation relating to municipal securities unless the quotation represents a bona fide bid for, or offer of, municipal securities. The term quotation is defined to mean any bid for, or offer of, municipal securities. A quotation is deemed to be bona fide if the dealer on whose behalf the quotation is made is prepared to purchase or sell the municipal securities at the price stated and in the amount specified at the time the quotation is made.

Under rule G-13, the price stated in a quotation for municipal securities must be based on the best judgment of the dealer making the quotation as to the fair market value of such securities at the time the quotation is made. The Board has stated that the price must have a reasonable relationship to the fair market value of the securities, and may take into account relevant factors such as the dealer's current inventory position, overall and in respect to a particular security, and the dealer's anticipation of the direction of the market price for the securities.

Rule G-13 also prohibits a dealer from entering a quotation on behalf of another dealer if the dealer entering the quotation has any reason to believe that the quotation does not represent a bona fide bid for, or offer of, municipal securities. In addition, participants in a joint account are prohibited from entering quotations relating to municipal securities which are the subject of the joint account, if such quotations indicate more than one market for the same securities. Rule G-13 does not prohibit giving "nominal" bids or offers or giving indications of price solely for informational purposes as long as an indication of the price given is clearly shown to be for such purposes.

A dealer that publishes a quote in a daily or other listing must stand ready to purchase or sell the securities at the stated price and amount until the securities are sold or the dealer subsequently changes its price. If either of these events occur, the dealer must withdraw or update its published quotation in the next publication. Stale or invalid quotations violate rule G-13. Rule G-13 does permit a dealer to publish a quotation for a security it does not own if the dealer is prepared to sell the security at the price stated in the quotation. If the dealer knows that the security is not available in the market or is not prepared to sell the security at the stated price, the quotation would violate rule G-13.

Interpretive Guidance - Interpretive Letters
Publication date:
Advertising of Securities Subject to Alternative Minimum Tax
Rule Number:

Rule G-21, Rule G-32

Advertising of securities subject to alternative minimum tax. This is in response to your letter concerning the application of rule G-21, on advertising, to advertisements for municipal securities subject to the alternative minimum tax (AMT). You state that advertisements for municipal securities usually note that the securities are "free from federal and state taxes." You ask whether an advertisement for municipal securities subject to AMT should note the applicability of AMT if such advertisements describe the securities as "tax exempt." The Board has considered the issue and authorized this reply.

Rule G-21(c) prohibits a broker, dealer or municipal securities dealer from publishing any advertisement concerning municipal securities which the broker, dealer or municipal securities dealer knows or has reason to know is materially false or misleading. The Board has stated that the use of the term "tax exempt" in advertisements for municipal securities connotes that the securities are exempt from all federal, state and local income taxes. If this is not true of the security being advertised, the Board has required that the use of the term "tax exempt" in an advertisement must be explained, e.g., by footnote[1] In regard to municipal securities subject to AMT, the Board has determined that advertisements for such securities that describe the securities as being exempt from federal income tax also must describe the securities as subject to AMT. MSRB Interpretation of February 23, 1988.


[1] Frequently asked questions concerning advertising, MSRB Reports, Vol. 3, No. 2 (April 1983), at 22.

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