Are I bonds a good 5 year investment?
I bonds are great, safe investments, but they're paid out at the end of their 30-year maturities. You can cash them in after 12 months. But if you redeem an I bond within five years of purchase, you give up the last three months of interest.
The cons of investing in I-bonds
There's actually a limit on how much you can invest in I-bonds per year. The annual maximum in purchases is $10,000 worth of electronic I-bonds, although in some cases, you may be able to purchase an additional $5,000 worth of paper I-bonds using your tax refund.
You can cash in (redeem) your I bond after 12 months. However, if you cash in the bond in less than 5 years, you lose the last 3 months of interest.
The March 2024 I Bond inflation rate is 3.94%
The November 2023 – April 2024 I Bond inflation rate is announced at 3.94%* based on the September 2023 CPI-U data. This rate is over . 5% higher than the prior rate.
Keep in mind that you don't earn interest on your I Bonds until you complete the month, so cash out early in the month. If it's near the end of the month, plan to cash out after the 1st of next month so you get the interest you've earned.
Another advantage is that TIPS make regular, semiannual interest payments, whereas I Bond investors only receive their accrued income when they sell. That makes TIPS preferable to I Bonds for those seeking current income.
The Series I savings bond has a variable rate that can give the investor the benefit of future interest rate increases. If you're saving for the short term, a CD offers greater flexibility than a savings bond.
“The $10,000 limit is per entity, not per person,” says Parker. “You can have as many entities as you want.” That is, if you have a business, that business can also purchase Series I bonds up to the $10,000 annual limit. That works if you're running a sole proprietorship or even a side hustle.
The interest earned by purchasing and holding savings bonds is subject to federal tax at the time the bonds are redeemed. However, interest earned on savings bonds is not taxable at the state or local level.
However, if a bond is cashed within the first five years after its issue date, interest earned during the three months prior to cashing will be forfeited. Once a Series I bond is five years old, there is no interest penalty for redemption.
What happens to I bonds when inflation goes up?
The combined rate changes every 6 months. It can go up or down. I bonds protect you from inflation because when inflation increases, the combined rate increases.
| Face Value | Purchase Amount | 20-Year Value (Purchased May 2000) |
|---|---|---|
| $50 Bond | $100 | $109.52 |
| $100 Bond | $200 | $219.04 |
| $500 Bond | $400 | $547.60 |
| $1,000 Bond | $800 | $1,095.20 |
How do I cash my electronic bonds? Go to your TreasuryDirect account. Go to ManageDirect. Use the link for cashing securities.
You'll likely want to time your cash-out for three months after your I-Bond's reset date so that the three months' interest you lose are of the new lower rate, not the higher rate you were happier with. To accomplish that, you should hold your I-Bond for at least 15 months.
You can cash in an I bond after a year, but if you withdraw sooner than five years, you'll pay a penalty of the last three months' interest. Because your rate changes every six months, it's smart to withdraw when your penalty will be based on a lower rate—and avoid cashing out when you'd be forfeiting a high rate.
The interest rate on a Series I savings bond changes every 6 months, based on inflation. The rate can go up. The rate can go down. I bonds earn interest until the first of these events: You cash in the bond or the bond reaches 30 years old.
I bonds can be a safe immediate-term savings vehicle, especially in inflationary times. I bonds offer benefits such as the security of being backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, state and local tax-exemptions and federal tax exemptions when used to fund educational expenses.
I bonds issued from Nov. 1, 2023, to April 30, 2024, have a composite rate of 5.27%. That includes a 1.30% fixed rate and a 1.97% inflation rate. Because I bonds are fully backed by the U.S. government, they are considered a relatively safe investment.
The interest rate on EE bonds is fixed for at least the first 20 years, while I bonds offer rates that are adjusted twice a year to protect from inflation. EE bonds offer a guaranteed return that doubles your investment if held for 20 years. There is no guaranteed return with I bonds.
- High-yield savings accounts.
- Certificates of deposit (CDs)
- Bonds.
- Funds.
- Stocks.
- Alternative investments and cryptocurrencies.
- Real estate.
What happens to bonds during a recession?
In every recession since 1950, bonds have delivered higher returns than stocks and cash. That's partly because the Federal Reserve and other central banks have often cut interest rates in hopes of stimulating economic activity during a recession. Rate cuts typically cause bond yields to fall and bond prices to rise.
Currently, Treasuries maturing in less than a year yield about the same as a CD. Therefore, all things considered, it likely makes more sense to choose Treasuries over CDs, depending on your situation, because of the tax benefits and liquidity when considering very short-term maturities.
Your I bond yield adjusts every six months based on your purchase date, not the U.S. Department of the Treasury's rate adjustment. And you won't earn interest for the current month until the next one begins.
You can cash in electronic bonds online with TreasuryDirect, which will send the cash from the bond to your savings or checking account within two business days.
There are advantages to purchasing bonds after interest rates have risen. Along with generating a larger income stream, such bonds may be subject to less interest rate risk, as there may be a reduced chance of rates moving significantly higher from current levels.
