In the last five years, an intriguing trend has emerged in fixed income markets around the world. Across all classes of fixed income securities, from municipal bonds to corporate bonds, markets have seen an immense inflow of cash into bonds and various fixed income funds. With investors pouring money into fixed income and bond funds, there has also been a notable concentration of buyers, especially in the municipal bond market.

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Lenders pay attention – how you say “no” to a loan request often says more than how you say “yes”.

In a marketplace, everyone is watching and paying attention all the time. We do not operate in a vacuum. Borrowers, investment bankers and other lenders pay attention to how lenders operate. They are paying attention to how you say “no” as much or more than how you say “yes”. There is definitely an art to how to say “no” to a loan request. In many respects, it is harder to decline a loan request effectively than it is to approve it. And the memory of declined loans can leave as significant of an impact as loan approvals.

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