All About Medium Term Notes

An MTN refers to a note that has an average maturation age of five to 10 years. Corporations can offer investors MTNs continuously via a dealer where the investor is able to pick the maturation age ranging from between nine months to 30 years. Typically, though, corporate MTN maturation ages range from one to 10 years.

The benefits of MTNs is that they offer investors a third option other than traditional investments that are either short-term or long-term. They are an ideal opportunity for investors who want to invest for longer periods of time than municipal bonds or short-term bank notes can provide but who do not want to commit to long-term investments. Medium turn notes can provide a business with a steady cash flow from the investors and they can be offered wit or without the option to call.

MTNs with call options are offered at a higher rate but they also carry the risk of being able to be called, or retired, before they reach maturity. This allows the company offering the MTNs to take advantage of low rates. MTNs that do not carry a call option do not have that risk but are also offered at a lower rate.

MTN notes allow a company to tailor its debt issuance to adhere to its particular financial needs. The notes also allow the company to only have to file once with the Security and Exchange Commission versus many times if they were issuing notes with varying maturities.

These notes are highly regarded by asset liability management professionals because of their relative safety and reliability in a recession. Compared to the reward that one receives from them, there is very little risk in investing in them. While some MTNs can be collateralized by such things as mortgages, amortizing notes, or subordinate notes, most MTNs that are issued are backed strictly by the issuer’s creditworthiness.

Contact a financial adviser to see if MTNs would make a great addition to your portfolio. There is little to lose and everything to gain. In the constant flux of money markets, reliable returns are a good thing.

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