The good news is we have all heard the government stimulus package will create thousands of public projects and hundreds of thousands of jobs in the construction industry. The bad news is what many hopeful contractors don't know-to even be considered on a publicly-funded project, a contractor must be "bondable."

Tags: 2009 September Issue , bonds , management , public sector work , risk

In economic boom times, credit conditions tend to ease. It's easier to get financing and bonding for most projects under the assumption that there's a high likelihood of success. Conversely, as economic growth decelerates, obtaining financing and bonding becomes more difficult. But several other factors compound this natural ebb and flow of the surety market.

Tags: 2006 March Issue , insurance