New Web Community for Bond Market Players Unveiled

A new Web-based community that targets fixed-income investors and professionals,  http://www.fixedincomecolor.com/,  was recently unveiled and released to the public.

The Web site, which is free to join, is aimed at facilitating the exchange of information among bond market investors and professionals. It was developed by Berliner Consulting & Research, a Southern California-based firm specializing in mortgages, MBS, and capital market advisory work.

“The Web site is intended to provide a venue for commentary and research on the fixed-income
markets,” said Bill Berliner, president of Berliner Consulting. “Given the dislocations on Wall Street and the lack of data and information available in many markets, I thought it was an opportunity to create a community to allow for the exchange of market color and analysis. I’m also excited to create a vehicle that researchers and bloggers can use to distribute their analysis and ideas.”

The recently launched site has three main areas. The articles section carries formal research articles and reports while the blogs carry commentary and opinions by market participants. The community section has different forums into which general comments, information, and market color can be posted by members.

It also features sections devoted to mortgages and MBS, municipal bonds, and corporate securities, as well as areas focused on economic and monetary issues.

Berliner noted that the site is always looking for content providers with an informed perspective and strong writing skills. “We are aggressively looking to enhance the content of the site," he said. "We invited researchers and strategists to send samples of their work to us, and also will continue to enlist market participants to write blog entries.”

He also hopes that users will take advantage of the community section to post bid lists, trade
flows, trading levels, and comments on activity and trends in the market. “If nothing else, having a place for people to blow off a little steam is useful,” Berliner remarked.

Berliner Consulting & Research specializes in the mortgage and MBS markets, with a focus on analysis, valuation, and risk management. The firm was formed in late 2008 by Berliner, who ran trade strategies for Countrywide Securities' fixed income research department since 2000.

He was also the co-author, with Frank Fabozzi and Anand Bhattacharya, of Mortgage-Backed Securities: Products, Structuring, and Analytical Techniques. He can be reached at bill@berlinerconsulting.net.