In the premier episode of Full Disclosure – Live!, DebtBook product leaders, Stephen Yokim and James Perez, sit down with Michael Gaughan, Executive Director of the Vermont Bond Bank, to explore how bond banks drive access to affordable capital for communities across Vermont.

Michael shares his unique journey from community planning and public finance banking to leading the Bond Bank, where a staff of just four manages nearly $1 billion in loans supporting schools, infrastructure, clean water, disaster recovery, and more. He takes listeners through the Bond Bank's origins in the 1970s, its innovative state intercept mechanism, and its evolution toward what he calls Bond Bank 2.0, a new financing structure designed to strengthen resiliency while preparing for billions in school construction needs.

The conversation details how Vermont municipalities use pooled lending to finance everything from library renovations to gravel pit acquisitions, the latter proving surprisingly vital during recent flooding. Michael also explains how DebtBook's technology helps the Bond Bank maintain data integrity, streamline consent tracking, and ensure long-term organizational resilience.

From financing history to modern-day innovation, this episode offers a deeper look at how a small but powerful team is reshaping the way local governments in Vermont access and manage capital.

Top Takeaways:

(1) Resilience Through Data Integrity: Moving beyond spreadsheets, Michael explains how DebtBook helps the Bond Bank strengthen institutional memory, track resolutions, and ensure continuity for decades to come.

(2) From Bond Bank 1.0 to 2.0: To prepare for billions in future school construction, Vermont is shifting its pooled loan structure toward a senior/junior lien model that reduces reliance on state moral obligations.

(3) Creative Community Solutions: Beyond traditional schools and libraries, pooled financing has enabled surprising projects like joint gravel pit purchases—proving critical for disaster recovery when floods hit.

In this episode of Full Disclosure, hosts Tyler Traudt and Nina Enholm sit down with Rick White, an independent consultant and veteran of the municipal finance world with over 20 years of experience in underwriting and remarketing tax-exempt variable rate debt. Rick pulls back the curtain on Variable Rate Demand Notes (VRDNs), Tender Option Bonds, and money market eligible products and explains their structure, benefits, risks, and how they've evolved since the 2008 financial crisis.

From his early days on the trading floor at First Union to managing a $30 billion variable rate portfolio at Wells Fargo, Rick provides a front-row view of how the market has shifted over the years. He walks listeners through the mechanics of liquidity facilities, remarketing agents, and the crucial role of bank letters of credit, breaking down complex financial concepts in a clear and candid way.

The episode explores what happened when the auction rate market froze, how banks responded, and why investor trust in liquidity dried up seemingly overnight. The conversation wraps with a look at current rate trends, as Rick, Tyler, and Nina analyze recent charts and discuss what might come next for variable rate debt in today's market environment.

(1) Lessons from the Auction Rate Crisis: The 2008 financial crisis exposed the fragility of auction rate securities and highlighted the importance of strong liquidity support. Rick recounts how frozen markets forced issuers to pivot to VRDNs, often overnight.

(2) Modern Tools, Smarter Strategy: Post-2008 reforms like EMMA brought much-needed transparency to the market. Today, issuers can (and should) monitor rates across multiple series and remarketing agents to make data-informed decisions.

(3) Variable Rate Debt is Evolving: Despite its complexity, variable rate debt can offer real advantages in the right circumstances. With volatility back in the market, and daily vs. weekly reset modes now diverging by 100+ basis points, the time to re-evaluate strategies is now.

In this episode of Full Disclosure, hosts Tyler Traudt and Nina Enholm sit down with Mark Vitner, Chief Economist at Piedmont Crescent Capital, for an in-depth economic update. Mark unpacks key trends shaping the U.S. economy, analyzing the impact of tariffs, Federal Reserve policy, and shifting supply chains on growth and inflation.

With years of experience forecasting economic conditions, Mark provides valuable insights into the current slowdown, explaining how uncertainty in trade policy and capital investment decisions is influencing business strategy. He breaks down the real effects of tariffs on consumer prices and how the Federal Reserve is managing inflation while avoiding recession.

During the episode, you'll gain a deeper understanding of how economic conditions are evolving and what to watch for in the coming months, from potential rate cuts to shifts in housing and manufacturing. If you're looking for an analysis of where the economy is headed, this is an episode you won't want to miss.

Featured Guest:

Mark Vitner is the Chief Economist at Piedmont Crescent Capital, where he provides strategic economic insights and forecasting for clients across industries. With over 30 years of experience in economic analysis, Mark specializes in assessing U.S. and regional economic conditions, financial markets, and geopolitics, with a focus on their impact on consumers, local economies, housing, and commercial real estate.

Before founding Piedmont Crescent Capital, Mark spent nearly three decades at Wells Fargo as a Managing Director and Senior Economist, where he led macroeconomic research and regularly briefed corporate leaders, investors, and policymakers. His expertise also extends to roles at Wachovia, First Union National Bank, and Barnett Bank, where he developed strategic economic outlooks and provided critical analysis for financial institutions.

Mark is a recognized thought leader in economic forecasting and has been a frequent speaker at industry conferences, corporate events, and policy discussions. He has also contributed to numerous publications on inflation, monetary policy, and economic development.

Top Takeaways from Episode 03:

1. Tariffs & Trade Policy Impact – Tariffs can distort supply chains and increase costs, but their inflationary impact is often overstated. The long-term effects depend on whether they're used for revenue generation, trade leverage, or reshoring efforts.

2. The Federal Reserve's Balancing Act – The Fed faces the difficult task of cutting rates to sustain growth while avoiding a resurgence of inflation. Mark predicts three rate cuts in 2025 but sees potential rate hikes resuming in 2026.

3. Federal Debt & Fiscal Concerns – Interest payments on national debt have surpassed defense spending, raising long-term concerns. Future policy shifts may focus on entitlement reform, tax policy adjustments, and government efficiency to curb deficits.