Federal, state, and local government reactions to the spread of the novel coronavirus and a surge in COVID-19 cases are leading to a wave of questions about the fundamental credit quality of U.S. municipal bond issuers, given the potential for extended disruptions to economic activity.

To help investors understand BAM’s financial strength and approach to credit selection in the municipal market, we’ve assembled the following answers to frequently asked questions.

S&P Global Ratings today affirmed its AA rating and stable outlook for Build America Mutual, the largest municipal-only bond insurer, recognizing BAM’s “excellent capital and earnings” and other key strengths in assigning BAM the highest rating S&P maintains for any active bond insurer. The rating was affirmed following the adoption of new ratings methodologies for bond insurance that align the sector with S&P’s ratings for other insurers.