HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC Resolution 15308 (City Investment Policy) RESOLUTION NO. 15308
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN RAFAEL TO
APPROVE THE CITY OF SAN RAFAEL INVESTMENT POLICY
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of San Rafael exercises its responsibility for
the stewardship of the City’s public funds through adoption of policies and practices related
to cash management and investments; and
WHEREAS, the investment policy is intended to provide a long-term strategy for
prudent care of the City’s cash; and
WHEREAS, all funds are invested in accordance with the investment policy and
applicable sections of the California Government Code; and
WHEREAS, in order to remain current and consistent with applicable statutes and
best practices, the City’s Investment Policy requires annual review and re-adoption;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of San
Rafael hereby adopts the updated Investment Policy that is attached hereto as Exhibit A.
I, LINDSAY LARA, Clerk of the City of San Rafael, hereby certify that the foregoing
resolution was duly and regularly introduced and adopted at a regular meeting of the City
Council of said City held on Monday the 17th day of June 2024, by the following vote, to wit:
AYES: COUNCILMEMBERS: Bushey, Hill & Mayor Kate
NOES: COUNCILMEMBERS: None
ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBERS: Kertz & Llorens Gulati
LINDSAY LARA, City Clerk
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City of San Rafael Investment Policy
PROPOSED June 17, 2024
The City Council of the City of San Rafael (the City) has adopted this Investment Policy (the
Policy) in order to establish the investment scope, objectives, delegation of authority,
standards of prudence, reporting requirements, internal controls, eligible investments and
transactions, diversification requirements, risk tolerance, and safekeeping and custodial
procedures for the investment of the funds of the City. All such funds will be invested in
accordance with this Policy and with applicable sections of the California Government Code.
This Policy was endorsed and adopted by the City Council on the approved date noted above.
It replaces any previous investment policy or investment procedures of the City.
SCOPE
It is intended that this Policy cover all short-term operating funds and investment activities of the
City. These funds are accounted for in the annual audit report, and include:
• General Fund
• Special Revenue Funds
• Debt Service Funds
• Capital Projects Funds
• Enterprise Funds
• Internal Service Funds
• Fiduciary Funds
Additional funds that may be created from time to time shall be administered in accordance with
the provisions of this Policy.
All cash shall be pooled for investment purposes. The investment income derived from the
pooled investment account shall be allocated to the contributing funds based upon the
proportion of the respective average balances relative to the total pooled balance in the
investment portfolio. Investment income shall be distributed to the individual funds not less
than annually.
OBJECTIVES
The City’s funds shall be invested in compliance with all applicable City Municipal Codes,
California State statutes, and Federal regulations, and in a manner designed to accomplish
the following objectives, which are listed in priority order:
1. Preservation of capital and protection of investment principal.
2. Maintenance of sufficient liquidity to meet anticipated cash flows.
3. Attainment of a market value rate of return.
4. Diversification to avoid incurring unreasonable market risks.
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DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY
The management responsibility for the City’s investment program is delegated annually by
the City Council to the Treasurer pursuant to California Government Code Section 53607.
The Treasurer may delegate the authority to conduct investment transactions and to manage
the operation of the investment portfolio to other specifically authorized staff members. The
Treasurer shall maintain a list of persons authorized to transact securities business for the
City. No person may engage in an investment transaction except as expressly provided under
the terms of this Policy.
The City Manager and the Treasurer jointly shall develop written administrative procedures
and internal controls, consistent with this Policy, for the operation of the City's investment
program. Such procedures shall be designed to prevent losses of public funds arising from
fraud, employee error, misrepresentation by third parties, or imprudent actions by employees
of the City.
The City may engage the support services of outside investment advisors in regard to its
investment program, so long as it can be clearly demonstrated that these services produce a
net financial advantage or necessary financial protection of the City's financial resources.
PRUDENCE
The standard of prudence to be used for managing the City's investments shall be California
Government Code Section 53600.3, the prudent investor standard which states, “When
investing, reinvesting, purchasing, acquiring, exchanging, selling, or managing public funds,
a trustee shall act with care, skill, prudence, and diligence under the circumstances then
prevailing, including, but not limited to, the general economic conditions and the anticipated
needs of the agency, that a prudent person acting in a like capacity and familiarity with those
matters would use in the conduct of funds of a like character and with like aims, to safeguard
the principal and maintain the liquidity needs of the agency.”
The City's overall investment program shall be designed and managed with a degree of
professionalism that is worthy of the public trust. The City recognizes that no investment is
totally without risk and that the investment activities of the City are a matter of public record.
Accordingly, the City recognizes that occasional measured losses may be desirable in a
diversified portfolio and shall be considered within the context of the overall portfolio's return,
provided that adequate diversification has been implemented and that the sale of a security
is in the best long-term interest of the City.
The Treasurer and authorized investment personnel acting in accordance with written
procedures and exercising due diligence shall be relieved of personal responsibility for an
individual security's credit risk or market price changes, provided that the deviations from
expectations are reported in a timely fashion to the City Manager and appropriate action is
taken to control adverse developments.
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ETHICS AND CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
Elected officials and employees involved in the investment process shall refrain from personal
business activity that could conflict with proper execution of the investment program or that
could impair or create the appearance of an impairment of their ability to make impartial
investment decisions. Employees and investment officials shall disclose to the City Manager
any business interests they have in financial institutions that conduct business with the City
and they shall subordinate their personal investment transactions to those of the City. In
addition, the City Manager and the Treasurer shall file a Statement of Economic Interests
each year pursuant to California Government Code Section 87203 and regulations of the Fair
Political Practices Commission.
AUTHORIZED SECURITIES AND TRANSACTIONS
All investments and deposits of the City shall be made in accordance with California
Government Code Sections 16429.1, 53600-53609 and 53630-53686, except that, pursuant
to California Government Code Section 5903(e), proceeds of bonds and any moneys set aside
or pledged to secure payment of the bonds may be invested in securities or obligations
described in the ordinance, resolution, indenture, agreement, or other instrument providing for
the issuance of the bonds. Within the investments permitted by the Code, the City seeks to
further restrict eligible investments to the guidelines listed below. In the event a discrepancy
is found between this policy and the Code, the more restrictive parameters will take
precedence. In accordance with California Government Code listed above, the “Total
Portfolio” includes all investments and deposits including funds in any money market accounts
and governmental pools such as LAIF. Any percentage limitations are deemed to be
calculated on the “Total Portfolio” and are measured based on the market value of the
investment at the time of purchase. Minimum credit quality requirements apply at time of
purchase.
The City has further restricted the eligible types of securities and transactions as follows:
1. United States Treasury bills, notes and bonds and other government obligations for which
the full faith and credit of the United States are pledged for the payment of principal and
interest with a final maturity not exceeding five years from the date of trade settlement.
There are no limits on the dollar amount or percentage that the City may invest in U.S.
Treasury obligations
2. Federal Agency securities or United States Government-Sponsored Enterprise
obligations, participations, or other instruments, including those issued by or fully
guaranteed as to principal and interest by federal agencies or United States government-
sponsored enterprises with a final maturity not exceeding five years from the date of trade
settlement. No more than 30% of the portfolio may be invested in any single Agency/GSE
issuer. The maximum percent of agency callable securities in the portfolio will be 20%.
3. Mortgage and Asset-Backed Obligations: Any mortgage pass-through security,
collateralized mortgage obligation, mortgage-backed or other pay-through bond,
equipment lease-backed certificate, consumer receivable-pass-through certificate, or
consumer receivable-backed bond from issuers not defined in paragraphs 1 and 2 of the
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Authorized Securities and Transactions section of this policy, with a final maturity not
exceeding five years from the date of trade settlement. Investments in mortgage and
asset-backed obligations shall be be rated in a rating category of “AA” or the equivalent
or better by at least one nationally recognized statistical rating organization (NRSRO).
Purchases of securities authorized by this section may not exceed 20% of the City’s total
portfolio. No more than 5% of the portfolio may be invested in any single asset-backed or
commercial mortgage security issuer.
4. Supranational Securities: United States dollar denominated, senior unsecured and
unsubordinated obligations issued or unconditionally guaranteed by the International Bank
for Reconstruction and Development, International Finance Corporation, or Inter-
American Development Bank, with a maximum maturity not exceeding five years from the
date of trade settlement, and eligible for purchase and sale within the United States.
Investments in supranational securities shall be rated in a rating category of “AA” or the
equivalent or better by at least one NRSRO and shall not exceed 30% of the City’s total
portfolio. No more than 10% of the portfolio may be invested in any single issuer.
5. Medium-Term Notes issued by corporations organized and operating within the United
States or by depository institutions licensed by the United States or any state and
operating within the United States, with a final maturity not exceeding five years from the
date of trade settlement, and rated in a rating category of “A” or the equivalent or better
by at least one NRSRO. No more than 5% of the portfolio shall be invested in medium-
term notes of any one issuer, and the aggregate investment in medium-term notes shall
not exceed 30% of the City’s total portfolio.
6. Negotiable Certificates of Deposits (CDs) issued by a nationally or state-chartered bank,
a savings association or a federal association, a state or federal credit union, or by a
federally licensed or state-licensed branch of a foreign bank rated at least A-1, or the
equivalent or better by at least one NRSRO, or with long-term obligations rated in a rating
category of “A” or the equivalent or better by at least one NRSRO, with maturities not
exceeding five years from the date of trade settlement. Amounts up to the FDIC limit do
not require any credit ratings. Amounts above the FDIC limit must follow the credit
requirements listed above. In addition, the City may not invest in the CD of a state or
federal credit union where any person with investment decision making authority at the
City also serves on the board of directors, or any committee appointed by the board of
directors, or the credit committee or the supervisory committee of the state or federal credit
union issuing the negotiable certificates of deposit. No more than 5% of the portfolio may
be invested in the CDs of any one issuer, and the aggregate investment in CDs shall not
exceed 30% of the portfolio.
7. Non-negotiable Certificates of Deposit and savings deposits with a maturity not exceeding
five years from the date of trade settlement, in FDIC insured state or nationally chartered
banks or savings banks that qualify as a depository of public funds in the State of California
as defined in California Government Code Section 53630.5. No more than 5% of the
portfolio may be invested in the CDs of any one issuer, and the aggregate investment in
CDs shall not exceed 20% of the portfolio.
Deposits in excess of the insured amount shall be secured pursuant to California
Government Code Section 53651 and 53652. The City shall comply with and act to secure
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compliance with the security (collateralization) system specified in the Government Code
Section 53649 and 56652.
Deposits may be placed using a private sector entity that assists in the placement of
deposits per section 53601.8 and 53635.8 in the Government Code. No more than 5% of
the portfolio may be invested through any one private sector entity that assists in the
placement of such deposits and the aggregate investment in CDs shall not exceed 20%
of the portfolio.
8. Municipal Securities including obligations of the State of California and any local agency
within the State of California, including Special Assessment District Obligations issued by
the City of San Rafael as Limited Obligation Improvement Bonds related to special
assessment districts and special tax districts. Municipal securities shall be rated in a rating
category of “A” or its equivalent or better by at least one NRSRO. No more than 5% of the
portfolio may be invested in any single issuer. No more than 30% of the portfolio may be
in Municipal Securities. The maximum maturity shall not exceed five (5) years. Investment
in Special Assessment District Obligations issued by the City of San Rafael as Limited
Obligation Improvement Bonds requires the approval of the City Council and maturities
may extend to 30 years from the date of trade settlement.
9. Municipal Securities (Registered Treasury Notes or Bonds) of any of the other 49 states
in addition to California, including bonds payable solely out of the revenues from a
revenue-producing property owned, controlled, or operated by a state or by a department,
board, agency, or authority of any of the other 49 states, in addition to California. The
securities are rated in a rating category of “A” or its equivalent or better by at least one
NRSRO. No more than 5% of the portfolio may be invested in any single issuer. No more
than 30% of the portfolio may be in Municipal Securities. The maximum maturity does not
exceed five (5) years.
10. Prime Commercial Paper with a maturity not exceeding 270 days from the date of
purchase with the highest ranking or of the highest letter and number rating as provided
for by at least one NRSRO. The entity that issues the commercial paper shall meet all of
the following conditions in either sub-paragraph A. or sub-paragraph B. below:
A. The entity shall (1) be organized and operating in the United States as a
general corporation, (2) have total assets in excess of five $500,000,000 and
(3) Have debt other than commercial paper, if any, that is rated “A” or higher
by a NRSRO.
B. The entity shall (1) be organized within the United States as a special
purpose corporation, trust, or limited liability company, (2) have program-wide
credit enhancements, including, but not limited to, over collateralization, letters
of credit or surety bond and (3) have commercial paper that is rated “A-1” or
higher, or the equivalent, by a NRSRO.
Purchases of eligible commercial paper may not represent more than 10% of the
outstanding commercial paper of any single corporate issuer. No more than 5% of the
City’s total portfolio, shall be invested in the commercial paper of any one issuer, and the
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aggregate investment in commercial paper shall not exceed 25% of the City’s total
portfolio.
11. Eligible Banker’s Acceptances issued by FDIC insured commercial banks, rated at least
A-1 or the equivalent or better by at least one NRSRO with maturities not exceeding 180
days from the date of purchase. If issuers have senior debt outstanding, it shall be rated
in a rating category of at least “A” or the equivalent or better by at least one NRSRO. No
more than $2,000,000 shall be invested in banker’s acceptances of any one commercial
bank, and the aggregate investment in banker’s acceptances shall not exceed 40% of the
City’s total portfolio.
12. Repurchase Agreements with a final termination date not exceeding one year
collateralized by U.S. Treasury obligations, Federal Agency securities, or Federal
Instrumentality securities listed in items 1 or 2 above with the maturity of the collateral not
exceeding five years. For the purpose of this section, the term collateral shall mean
purchased securities under the terms of the City’s approved Master Repurchase
Agreement. The purchased securities shall have a minimum market value including
accrued interest of 102% of the dollar value of the funds borrowed. Collateral shall be
held in the City's custodian bank, as safekeeping agent, and the market value of the
collateral securities shall be marked-to-the-market daily.
Repurchase Agreements shall be entered into only with broker/dealers who are
recognized as Primary Dealers by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York or have a
primary dealer within their holding company structure. Repurchase agreement
counterparties shall execute a City approved Master Repurchase Agreement with the City.
The Treasurer shall maintain a copy of the City's approved Master Repurchase Agreement
along with a list of the broker/dealers who have executed same.
13. State of California’s Local Agency Investment Fund (LAIF), pursuant to California
Government Code Section 16429.1.
14. Money Market Funds registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 that (1) are
“no-load” (meaning no commission or fee shall be charged on purchases or sales of
shares); (2) have a constant daily net asset value per share of $1.00; (3) invest only in
United States Treasury securities, United States Agency securities and Federal
Instrumentality securities and (4) have a rating equivalenting the highest letter and
numerical rating by at least two NRSROs. The aggregate investment in money market
funds shall not exceed 20% of the City’s total portfolio.
15. Collateralized Bank Deposits. City’s deposits with financial institutions will be collateralized
with pledged securities per California Government Code, Section 53651. There are no
limits on the dollar amount or percentage that the City may invest in collateralized bank
deposits.
It is the intent of the City that the foregoing list of authorized securities and transactions is
strictly interpreted.
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PROHIBITED INVESTMENT VEHICLES AND PRACTICES
• State law notwithstanding, any investments not specifically described herein are
prohibited, including, but not limited to futures and options.
• In accordance with Government Code, Section 53601.6, investment in inverse
floaters, range notes, or mortgage derived interest-only strips is prohibited.
• Investment in any security that could result in a zero interest accrual if held to
maturity is prohibited. Under a provision sunsetting on January 1, 2026, securities
backed by the U.S. Government that could result in a zero- or negative-interest
accrual if held to maturity are permitted.
• Trading securities for the sole purpose of speculating on the future direction of
interest rates is prohibited.
• Purchasing or selling securities on margin is prohibited.
• The use of reverse repurchase agreements, securities lending or any other form of
borrowing or leverage is prohibited.
• The purchase of foreign currency denominated securities is prohibited.
• Agencies that are not Qualified Institutional Buyers (QIB) as defined by the Securities
and Exchange Commission are prohibited from purchasing Private Placement
Securities. The SEC defines a QIB as having at least $100,000,000 in securities
owned and invested.
• Direct investments in issuers whose primary business revenue is derived from the
exploration, extraction, and processing of fossil fuels.
INVESTMENT POOLS/MUTUAL FUNDS
The City shall conduct a thorough investigation of any pool or mutual fund prior to making an
investment, and on a continual basis thereafter. The Treasurer shall develop a
questionnaire which will answer the following general questions:
• A description of eligible investment securities, and a written statement of investment
policy and objectives.
• A description of interest calculations and how it is distributed, and how gains and
losses are treated.
• A description of how the securities are safeguarded (including the settlement
processes), and how often the securities are priced and the program audited.
• A description of who may invest in the program, how often, what size deposit and
withdrawal are allowed.
• A schedule for receiving statements and portfolio listings.
• Are reserves, retained earnings, etc. utilized by the pool/fund?
• A fee schedule, and when and how is it assessed.
• Is the pool/fund eligible for bond proceeds and/or will it accept such proceeds?
PORTFOLIO MATURITIES AND LIQUIDITY
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To the extent possible, investments shall be matched with anticipated cash flow requirements
and known future liabilities. The City will not invest in securities maturing more than five years
from the date of purchase, unless the City Council has by resolution granted authority to make
such an investment at least three months prior to the date of investment.
MAXIMUM MATURITY
To the extent possible, investments shall be matched with anticipated cash flow requirements
and known future liabilities.
The City will not invest in securities maturing more than five (5) years from the date of trade
settlement, unless the City Council has granted authority to make such an investment either
specifically or as a part of an investment program approved by the City Council no less than
three months prior to the investment. Investment in Special Assessment District Obligations
issued by the City of San Rafael as Limited Obligation Improvement Bonds requires the
approval of the City Council and maturities may extend to 30 years from the date of trade
settlement.
RISK MANAGEMENT AND DIVERSIFICATION
Mitigating Credit Risk in the Portfolio
Credit risk is the risk that a security or a portfolio will lose some or all its value due to a real or
perceived change in the ability of the issuer to repay its debt. The City will mitigate credit risk
by adopting the following strategies:
• The diversification requirements included in the “Authorized Investments” section of
this policy are designed to mitigate credit risk in the portfolio.
• No more than 5% of the total portfolio may be deposited with or invested in securities
issued by any single issuer unless otherwise specified in this policy.
• The City may elect to sell a security prior to its maturity and record a capital gain or
loss in order to manage the quality, liquidity or yield of the portfolio in response to
market conditions or City’s risk preferences.
• If a security owned by the City is downgraded to a level below the requirements of
this policy, making the security ineligible for additional purchases, the following steps
will be taken:
• Any actions taken related to the downgrade by the investment manager will be
communicated to the Treasurer in a timely manner.
• If a decision is made to retain the security, the credit situation will be monitored
and reported to the City Council.
Mitigating Market Risk in the Portfolio
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Market risk is the risk that the portfolio value will fluctuate due to changes in the general level
of interest rates. The City recognizes that, over time, longer-term portfolios have the potential
to achieve higher returns. On the other hand, longer-term portfolios have higher volatility of
return. The City will mitigate market risk by providing adequate liquidity for short-term cash
needs, and by making longer-term investments only with funds that are not needed for current
cash flow purposes.
The City further recognizes that certain types of securities, including variable rate securities,
securities with principal paydowns prior to maturity, and securities with embedded options,
will affect the market risk profile of the portfolio differently in different interest rate
environments. The City, therefore, adopts the following strategies to control and mitigate its
exposure to market risk:
• The City will maintain a minimum of six months of budgeted operating expenditures
in short term investments to provide sufficient liquidity for expected disbursements.
• The maximum stated final maturity of individual securities in the portfolio will be five
(5) years, except as otherwise stated in this policy.
• The duration of the portfolio will generally be approximately equal to the duration
(typically, plus or minus 20%) of a Market Benchmark, an index selected by the City
based on the City’s investment objectives, constraints and risk tolerances.
SELECTION OF BROKER/DEALERS
The Treasurer shall maintain a list of broker/dealers authorized for investment purposes, and
it shall be the policy of the City to purchase securities only from those authorized firms. To
be eligible, a firm must be licensed by the State of California as a broker/dealer as defined in
Section 25004 of the California Corporations Code, and:
1. be recognized as a Primary Dealer by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York or have a
primary dealer within its holding company structure, or
2. report voluntarily to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, or
3. qualify under Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Rule 15c3-1 (Uniform Net
Capital Rule).
The City may engage the services of investment advisory firms to assist in the management
of the portfolio and investment advisors may utilize their own list of approved Broker/Dealers.
Selection of broker/dealers used by an external investment adviser retained by the City will
be at the sole discretion of the advisor and the list of approved firms shall be provided to the
City on an annual basis or upon request.
In the event that an external investment advisor is not used in the process of recommending
a particular transaction in the City’s portfolio, authorized broker/dealers shall attest in writing
that they have received and reviewed a copy of this policy and annually update a City
approved Broker/Dealer Information Request form which includes the firm's most recent
financial statements. The Treasurer shall maintain a list of the broker/dealers that have been
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approved by the City, along with each firm's most recent broker/dealer Information Request
form.
The City may purchase commercial paper from direct issuers even though they are not on the
approved broker/dealer list as long as they meet the criteria outlined in Item 5 of the
Authorized Securities and Transactions section of this Policy.
COLLATERALIZATION
Certificates of Deposit (CDs). The City shall require any commercial bank or savings and loan
association to deposit eligible securities with a City of a depository approved by the State
Banking Department to secure any uninsured portion of a Non-Negotiable Certificate of
Deposit. The value of eligible securities as defined pursuant to California Government Code,
Section 53651, pledged against a Certificate of Deposit shall be equal to 150% of the face
value of the CD if the securities are classified as mortgages and 110% of the face value of the
CD for all other classes of security.
Collateralization of Bank Deposits. This is the process by which a bank or financial institution
pledges securities, or other deposits for the purpose of securing repayment of deposited
funds. The City shall require any bank or financial institution to comply with the
collateralization criteria defined in California Government Code, Section 53651.
Repurchase Agreements. The City requires that Repurchase Agreements be collateralized
only by securities authorized in accordance with California Government Code:
• The securities which collateralize the repurchase agreement shall be priced at
Market Value, including any Accrued Interest plus a margin. The Market Value of the
securities that collateralize a repurchase agreement shall be valued at 102% or
greater of the funds borrowed against those securities.
• Financial institutions shall mark the value of the collateral to market at least monthly
and increase or decrease the collateral to satisfy the ratio requirement described
above.
• The City shall receive monthly statements of collateral.
COMPETITIVE TRANSACTIONS
Where possible, each investment transaction shall be competitively transacted with
authorized broker/dealers. At least three broker/dealers shall be contacted for each
transaction and their bid and offering prices shall be recorded.
If the City is offered a security for which there is no other readily available competitive offering,
the Treasurer will document quotations for comparable or alternative securities. . When
purchasing original issue instrumentality securities, no competitive offerings will be required
as all dealers in the selling group offer those securities at the same original issue price.
SELECTION OF BANKS
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The Treasurer shall maintain a list of banks that are approved to provide banking services for
the City. To be eligible for authorization, a bank must be a member of the FDIC and shall
qualify as a depository of public funds in the State of California as defined in California
Government Code Section 53630.5.
SAFEKEEPING AND CUSTODY
The Treasurer shall select one or more banks to provide safekeeping and custodial services
for the City, in accordance with the provisions of Section 53608 of the California Government
Code. A Safekeeping Agreement approved by the City shall be executed with each custodian
bank prior to utilizing that bank's safekeeping services. Custodian banks will be selected on
the basis of their ability to provide services for the City's account and the competitive pricing
of their safekeeping related services.
The purchase and sale of securities and repurchase agreement transactions shall be settled
on a delivery versus payment basis. All securities shall be perfected in the name of the City.
Sufficient evidence to title shall be consistent with modern investment, banking and
commercial practices.
All investment securities purchased by the City will be delivered by book entry and will be held
in third-party safekeeping by a City approved custodian bank, or its Depository Trust Company
(DTC) participant account.
The City’s custodian shall be required to furnish the City a list of holdings on at least a monthly
basis and safekeeping receipts or customer confirmations shall be issued for each
transaction.
PORTFOLIO PERFORMANCE
The investment portfolio shall be designed to attain a market rate of return throughout
budgetary and economic cycles, taking into account prevailing market conditions, risk
constraints for eligible securities, and cash flow requirements. The performance of the City’s
investments shall be compared to the return of a similar duration readily available market
benchmark.
REPORTING
On a quarterly basis, the Treasurer shall submit to the Council a report of the investment
earnings and performance results of the City’s investment portfolio. The report shall include
the following information:
1. Investment type, issuer, date of purchase, purchase price, date of maturity, par value,
current rate of interest and dollar amount invested in all securities, and investments and
monies held by the City;
2. A description of the funds, investments and programs;
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3. A market value as of the date of the report (or the most recent valuation as to assets not
valued monthly) and the source of the valuation;
4. Overall portfolio yield based on historical cost;
5. Weighted average final maturity and weighted average effective maturity;
6. A statement of compliance with this Policy or an explanation for not-compliance;
7. A description of any of the City's funds, investments or programs that are under the
management of contracted parties, including lending programs; and
8. A statement of the ability to meet expenditure requirements for six months, as well as an
explanation of why money will not be available if that is the case.
The Treasurer shall submit to the Council a report of any changes affecting more than 15%
of the investment portfolio within 30 days of such change.
POLICY REVIEW
This Investment Policy shall be reviewed and approved by City Council annually to ensure its
consistency with the overall objectives of preservation of principal, liquidity, yield and
diversification and its relevance to current law and economic trends. Any additional
amendments to this Investment Policy shall be submitted to the City Council for approval.
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GLOSSARY OF INVESTMENT TERMS
AGENCIES. Shorthand market terminology for any obligation issued by a government-
sponsored entity (GSE), or a federally related institution. Most obligations of GSEs are
not guaranteed by the full faith and credit of the US government. Examples are:
FFCB. The Federal Farm Credit Bank System provides credit and liquidity in the
agricultural industry. FFCB issues discount notes and bonds.
FHLB. The Federal Home Loan Bank provides credit and liquidity in the housing
market. FHLB issues discount notes and bonds.
FHLMC. Like FHLB, the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation provides credit
and liquidity in the housing market. FHLMC, also called “FreddieMac” issues
discount notes, bonds and mortgage pass-through securities.
FNMA. Like FHLB and FreddieMac, the Federal National Mortgage Association was
established to provide credit and liquidity in the housing market. FNMA, also known
as “FannieMae,” issues discount notes, bonds and mortgage pass-through
securities.
GNMA. The Government National Mortgage Association, known as “GinnieMae,”
issues mortgage pass-through securities, which are guaranteed by the full faith
and credit of the US Government.
PEFCO. The Private Export Funding Corporation assists exporters. Obligations of
PEFCO are not guaranteed by the full faith and credit of the US government.
TVA. The Tennessee Valley Authority provides flood control and power and promotes
development in portions of the Tennessee, Ohio, and Mississippi River valleys.
TVA currently issues discount notes and bonds.
ASKED. The price at which a seller offers to sell a security.
ASSET BACKED SECURITIES. Securities supported by pools of installment loans or leases or by
pools of revolving lines of credit.
AVERAGE LIFE. In mortgage-related investments, including CMOs, the average time to
expected receipt of principal payments, weighted by the amount of principal expected.
BANKER’S ACCEPTANCE. A money market instrument created to facilitate international trade
transactions. It is highly liquid and safe because the risk of the trade transaction is
transferred to the bank which “accepts” the obligation to pay the investor.
BENCHMARK. A comparison security or portfolio. A performance benchmark is a partial market
index, which reflects the mix of securities allowed under a specific investment policy.
BID. The price at which a buyer offers to buy a security.
BROKER. A broker brings buyers and sellers together for a transaction for which the broker
receives a commission. A broker does not sell securities from his own position.
CALLABLE. A callable security gives the issuer the option to call it from the investor prior to its
maturity. The main cause of a call is a decline in interest rates. If interest rates decline
since an issuer issues securities, it will likely call its current securities and reissue them
at a lower rate of interest. Callable securities have reinvestment risk as the investor
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Investment Policy
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may receive its principal back when interest rates are lower than when the investment
was initially made.
CERTIFICATE OF DEPOSIT (CD). A time deposit with a specific maturity evidenced by a
certificate. Large denomination CDs may be marketable.
CERTIFICATE OF DEPOSIT ACCOUNT REGISTRY SYSTEM (CDARS). A private placement
service that allows local agencies to purchase more than $250,000 in CDs from a
single financial institution (must be a participating institution of CDARS) while still
maintaining FDIC insurance coverage. CDARS is currently the only entity providing
this service. CDARS facilitates the trading of deposits between the California institution
and other participating institutions in amounts that are less than $250,000 each, so
that FDIC coverage is maintained.
COLLATERAL. Securities or cash pledged by a borrower to secure repayment of a loan or
repurchase agreement. Also, securities pledged by a financial institution to secure
deposits of public monies.
COLLATERALIZED MORTGAGE OBLIGATIONS (CMO). Classes of bonds that redistribute the cash
flows of mortgage securities (and whole loans) to create securities that have different
levels of prepayment risk, as compared to the underlying mortgage securities.
COMMERCIAL PAPER. The short-term unsecured debt of corporations.
COST YIELD. The annual income from an investment divided by the purchase cost. Because it
does not give effect to premiums and discounts which may have been included in the
purchase cost, it is an incomplete measure of return.
COUPON. The rate of return at which interest is paid on a bond.
CREDIT RISK. The risk that principal and/or interest on an investment will not be paid in a timely
manner due to changes in the condition of the issuer.
CURRENT YIELD. The annual income from an investment divided by the current market value.
Since the mathematical calculation relies on the current market value rather than the
investor’s cost, current yield is unrelated to the actual return the investor will earn if
the security is held to maturity.
DEALER. A dealer acts as a principal in security transactions, selling securities from and buying
securities for his own position.
DEBENTURE. A bond secured only by the general credit of the issuer.
DELIVERY VS. PAYMENT (DVP). A securities industry procedure whereby payment for a security
must be made at the time the security is delivered to the purchaser’s agent.
DERIVATIVE. Any security that has principal and/or interest payments which are subject to
uncertainty (but not for reasons of default or credit risk) as to timing and/or amount, or
any security which represents a component of another security which has been
separated from other components (“Stripped” coupons and principal). A derivative is
also defined as a financial instrument the value of which is totally or partially derived
from the value of another instrument, interest rate, or index.
DISCOUNT. The difference between the par value of a bond and the cost of the bond, when
the cost is below par. Some short-term securities, such as T-bills and banker’s
acceptances, are known as discount securities. They sell at a discount from par, and
return the par value to the investor at maturity without additional interest. Other
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Investment Policy
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securities, which have fixed coupons, trade at a discount when the coupon rate is
lower than the current market rate for securities of that maturity and/or quality.
DIVERSIFICATION. Dividing investment funds among a variety of investments to avoid
excessive exposure to any one source of risk.
DURATION. The weighted average time to maturity of a bond where the weights are the present
values of the future cash flows. Duration measures the price sensitivity of a bond to
changes in interest rates. (See modified duration).
FEDERAL FUNDS RATE. The rate of interest charged by banks for short-term loans to other
banks. The Federal Reserve Bank through open-market operations establishes it.
FEDERAL OPEN MARKET COMMITTEE. A committee of the Federal Reserve Board that
establishes monetary policy and executes it through temporary and permanent
changes to the supply of bank reserves.
LEVERAGE. Borrowing funds in order to invest in securities that have the potential to pay
earnings at a rate higher than the cost of borrowing.
LIQUIDITY. The speed and ease with which an asset can be converted to cash.
LOCAL AGENCY INVESTMENT FUND (LAIF). A voluntary investment fund open to government
entities and certain non-profit organizations in California that is managed by the State
Treasurer’s Office.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT INVESTMENT POOL. Investment pools that range from the State
Treasurer’s Office Local Agency Investment Fund (LAIF) to county pools, to Joint
Powers Authorities (JPAs). These funds are not subject to the same SEC rules
applicable to money market mutual funds.
MAKE WHOLE CALL. A type of call provision on a bond that allows the issuer to pay off the
remaining debt early. Unlike a call option, with a make whole call provision, the issuer
makes a lump sum payment that equals the net present value (NPV) of future coupon
payments that will not be paid because of the call. With this type of call, an investor is
compensated, or "made whole."
MARGIN. The difference between the market value of a security and the loan a broker makes
using that security as collateral.
MARKET RISK. The risk that the value of securities will fluctuate with changes in overall market
conditions or interest rates.
MARKET VALUE. The price at which a security can be traded.
MARKING TO MARKET. The process of posting current market values for securities in a portfolio.
MATURITY. The final date upon which the principal of a security becomes due and payable.
MEDIUM TERM NOTES. Unsecured, investment-grade senior debt securities of major
corporations which are sold in relatively small amounts on either a continuous or an
intermittent basis. MTNs are highly flexible debt instruments that can be structured to
respond to market opportunities or to investor preferences.
MODIFIED DURATION. The percent change in price for a 100 basis point change in yields.
Modified duration is the best single measure of a portfolio’s or security’s exposure to
market risk.
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MONEY MARKET. The market in which short-term debt instruments (T-bills, discount notes,
commercial paper, and banker’s acceptances) are issued and traded.
MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH SECURITIES. A securitized participation in the interest and principal
cash flows from a specified pool of mortgages. Principal and interest payments made
on the mortgages are passed through to the holder of the security.
MUNICIPAL SECURITIES. Securities issued by state and local agencies to finance capital and
operating expenses.
MUTUAL FUND. An entity which pools the funds of investors and invests those funds in a set
of securities which is specifically defined in the fund’s prospectus. Mutual funds can
be invested in various types of domestic and/or international stocks, bonds, and money
market instruments, as set forth in the individual fund’s prospectus. For most large,
institutional investors, the costs associated with investing in mutual funds are higher
than the investor can obtain through an individually managed portfolio.
NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED STATISTICAL RATING ORGANIZATION (NRSRO).
A credit rating agency that the Securities and Exchange Commission in the United
States uses for regulatory purposes. Credit rating agencies provide assessments of
an investment's risk. The issuers of investments, especially debt securities, pay
credit rating agencies to provide them with ratings. The three most prominent
NRSROs are Fitch, S&P, and Moody's.
NEGOTIABLE CD. A short-term debt instrument that pays interest and is issued by a bank,
savings or federal association, state or federal credit union, or state-licensed branch
of a foreign bank. Negotiable CDs are traded in a secondary market and are payable
upon order to the bearer or initial depositor (investor).
PREMIUM. The difference between the par value of a bond and the cost of the bond, when the
cost is above par.
PREPAYMENT SPEED. A measure of how quickly principal is repaid to investors in mortgage
securities.
PREPAYMENT WINDOW. The time period over which principal repayments will be received on
mortgage securities at a specified prepayment speed.
PRIMARY DEALER. A financial institution (1) that is a trading counterparty with the Federal
Reserve in its execution of market operations to carry out U.S. monetary policy, and
(2) that participates for statistical reporting purposes in compiling data on activity in
the U.S. Government securities market.
PRUDENT PERSON (PRUDENT INVESTOR) RULE. A standard of responsibility which applies to
fiduciaries. In California, the rule is stated as “Investments shall be managed with the
care, skill, prudence and diligence, under the circumstances then prevailing, that a
prudent person, acting in a like capacity and familiar with such matters, would use in
the conduct of an enterprise of like character and with like aims to accomplish similar
purposes.”
REALIZED YIELD. The change in value of the portfolio due to interest received and interest
earned and realized gains and losses. It does not give effect to changes in market
value on securities, which have not been sold from the portfolio.
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REGIONAL DEALER. A financial intermediary that buys and sells securities for the benefit of its
customers without maintaining substantial inventories of securities and that is not a
primary dealer.
REPURCHASE AGREEMENT. Short-term purchases of securities with a simultaneous agreement
to sell the securities back at a higher price. From the seller’s point of view, the same
transaction is a reverse repurchase agreement.
SAFEKEEPING. A service to bank customers whereby securities are held by the bank in the
customer’s name.
STRUCTURED NOTE. A complex, fixed income instrument, which pays interest, based on a
formula tied to other interest rates, commodities or indices. Examples include inverse
floating rate notes which have coupons that increase when other interest rates are
falling, and which fall when other interest rates are rising, and "dual index floaters,"
which pay interest based on the relationship between two other interest rates - for
example, the yield on the ten-year Treasury note minus the SOFR rate. Issuers of such
notes lock in a reduced cost of borrowing by purchasing interest rate swap
agreements.
SUPRANATIONAL. A Supranational is a multi-national organization whereby member states
transcend national boundaries or interests to share in the decision making to promote
economic development in the member countries.
TOTAL RATE OF RETURN. A measure of a portfolio’s performance over time. It is the internal
rate of return, which equates the beginning value of the portfolio with the ending value;
it includes interest earnings, realized and unrealized gains, and losses in the portfolio.
U.S. TREASURY OBLIGATIONS. Securities issued by the U.S. Treasury and backed by the full
faith and credit of the United States. Treasuries are considered to have no credit risk,
and are the benchmark for interest rates on all other securities in the US and overseas.
The Treasury issues both discounted securities and fixed coupon notes and bonds.
TREASURY BILLS. All securities issued with initial maturities of one year or less are issued as
discounted instruments, and are called Treasury bills. The Treasury currently issues
three- and six-month T-bills at regular weekly auctions. It also issues “cash
management” bills as needed to smooth out cash flows.
TREASURY NOTES. All securities issued with initial maturities of two to ten years are called
Treasury notes, and pay interest semi-annually.
TREASURY BONDS. All securities issued with initial maturities greater than ten years are called
Treasury bonds. Like Treasury notes, they pay interest semi-annually.
VOLATILITY. The rate at which security prices change with changes in general economic
conditions or the general level of interest rates.
YIELD TO MATURITY. The annualized internal rate of return on an investment which equates
the expected cash flows from the investment to its cost.