Financial Advisor Services

The Vendor is required to provide financial advisor services for university.
- General advisory responsibilities
• Serve as the university’s independent financial advisor and always act in the best financial interest of the university.
• Maintain independence and not serve as an underwriter or placement agent for any university transaction during the term of the engagement.
• Disclose any actual or potential conflicts of interest, including relationships with underwriters, banks, or other financing participants for advisory services provided to the university.
- Market analysis and strategic advisory
• Advise university on market conditions and trends for bonds and capital leases, including but not limited to, new money bond issues, refunding bond issues, new products, investor preferences, other related analysis and recommendations.
• Ongoing analysis of municipal market conditions, including interest rates, credit spreads, and investor demand.
• Furnish periodic written market updates and transaction-specific analyses.
• Advise university on financing opportunities, including new money issuances, refunding transactions, and alternative financing structures (e.g., bank placements, direct loans, leases).
• Conduct scenario analysis under varying market conditions.
- Debt structuring and financing strategy
• Develop and recommend appropriate debt structures, including fixed versus variable rate debt, taxable versus tax-exempt debt, maturity schedules (serial and term bonds), and call provisions.
• Evaluate and recommend the method of sale (competitive, negotiated, or private placement).
• Support all recommendations with quantitative analysis.
- Transaction execution and management
• Coordinate and participate in all phases of bond transactions, including development of financing schedules and cash flow models.
• Assist in the preparation and review of preliminary and final official statements and related disclosure documents.
• Review financing and closing documents for completeness and accuracy.
• Develop and maintain transaction timelines and monitor adherence to key milestones.
- Rating agency and credit strategy
• Advise university on credit strategy and rating agency engagement.
• Assist in the preparation of rating agency presentation materials.
• Participate in rating agency meetings and provide post-meeting analysis and recommendations.
- Marketing and pricing strategy
• Advise university on strategies to enhance the marketability of the university’s debt.
• Provide guidance on investor targeting and pricing strategy.
• Monitor order flow and provide real-time advisory support during pricing.
- Sale oversight and bid evaluation
• Oversee bond sale processes and provide independent evaluation.
• Evaluate bids for competitive sales and recommend award.
• For negotiated sales, evaluate underwriter pricing, spreads, and performance.
• Assess pricing relative to market conditions and comparable transactions.
- Post-sale analysis and reporting
• Prepare post-sale reports, including benchmark comparisons (e.g., mmd and comparable issuers), true interest cost (tic) analysis, and cost of issuance review.
• Identify and explain variances in pricing outcomes.
• Assist in the preparation of required closing and tax documentation.
- Debt portfolio management and capital planning
• Provide ongoing analysis of the university’s debt portfolio, including debt capacity, affordability, and risk exposure.
• Assist with long-term capital planning and financial modeling.
• Identify and evaluate refinancing opportunities.
- Policy development and best practices
• Assist in the development and periodic review of debt management policies, post issuance compliance policies, and related financial guidelines.
• Recommend and apply industry best practices and established standards.
• Provide key performance indicators and related benchmarks on a least annual basis, or as requested.
- Procurement and financing team support
• Assist in the procurement and selection of financing team members, including underwriters, bond counsel, disclosure counsel, verification agents, trustees, and other service providers.
• Support proposal evaluations and provide comparative analyses.
- Post-issuance compliance
• Provide guidance on post-issuance compliance requirements, including arbitrage rebate, yield restriction, use of proceeds, and continuing disclosure obligations.
• Assist in the development and maintenance of compliance procedures and documentation.
- Regulatory and legislative monitoring
• Monitor and advise on regulatory and legislative developments affecting municipal finance.
• Assess potential impacts to the university and recommend appropriate actions.
- Audit and inquiry support
• Assist the university in responding to audits, examinations, or inquiries from federal or state agencies related to debt issuances or other financing activities.
- Evaluation of financing proposals
• Independently analyze financing proposals from underwriters, banks, and other financial institutions.
• Provide objective, data-supported recommendations.
- Data transparency and deliverables
• Provide all financial models, analyses, and supporting assumptions in editable formats.
• Clearly document methodologies, assumptions, and data sources.
• Maintain organized and accessible records of all analyses and transaction materials.
- Performance standards and accountability
• Adhere to established timelines and deliverables for each engagement.
• Provide timely and responsive support to university personnel.
• Demonstrate measurable value, including competitive pricing outcomes, cost efficiencies, and analytical quality.
• Participate in performance evaluations as requested by the university.
• Assist the university in establishment and maintenance of sound financial goals and objectives addressing short-term and long-range financial impacts and sustainable financial stability.
• Perform such additional services as are customary, necessary, or incidental to the issuance and management of debt and the financing of university capital and operational needs.