MBI

Mbia Inc.

A financial guarantee insurer that backstops bonds issued by cities, states, and other public entities, promising to pay bondholders if the issuer defaults. MBIA began in 1973 as the Municipal Bond Insurance Association, a consortium of five insurers created to guarantee municipal bonds—hence the initials in its name. Today it no longer writes new business and instead runs off its existing insurance portfolios, with only a few dozen employees left managing the tail end of its guarantees.