https://www.doctorofcre
Code:
https://www.doctorofcredit.com/us-treasury-bonds-rate-set-to-increase-to-7-12-rate-i-bonds/
Comparing Series EE and Series I Savings Bonds
https://www.treasurydir
Code:
https://www.treasurydirect.gov/indiv/research/indepth/ebonds/res_e_bonds_eecomparison.htm
1. This 7.12% rate on I bond is for next six months only (April 2022).
2. If, in April inflation is higher than today, they will earn higher, if inflation is less they will earn less for next six months, so basically rate changes every six months based on inflation.
3. You can keep these for 30 years or withdraw earlier (see #4 below)
4. You need to wait for 1 year before you can withdraw
5. If you withdraw between 1 yr and 5 yr, you lose last 3 months of interest (see #2 above, so if based on inflation if interest it was paying was reduced, you lose reduced interest)
6. After 5 year, no penalty so you don't lose last 3 months of interest
7. No state taxes on distribution (as per my understanding)
8. If you used for certain causes (like education) and your AGI is below certain value, you don't pay Federal tax as well (as per my understanding)
9. Buy at the end of month (on the 30th of a 31-day month, or 29th of a 30-day month), interest starts accruing from the 1st of the same month.
10. Interest rate can go down to 0% but not lower. This happened in 2009 during deflation.
Purchasing for others - https://slickdeals.net/f/15497017-us-treasury-series-i-savings-bonds-inflation-rate-earnings-nov-21-april-22-7-12-interest-limit-10k-year-per-person?p=152307
FAQs Concerning the Change in the Annual Purchase Limit for Savings Bonds [treasurydirect.gov]
Buy I Bonds as a Gift: What Works and What Doesn't [thefinancebuff.com]
Historical bond rate chart:
https://www.treasurydir
Code:
https://www.treasurydirect.gov/indiv/research/indepth/ibonds/IBondRateChart.pdf
May 2021 3.54%
Nov 2020 1.68%
May 2020 1.06%
Nov 2019 2.22%
May 2019 1.9%
Nov 2018 2.83%
One trick to max out these I bonds: Overpay your estimated taxes now, by at least $5000, and then you can apply your refund of up to $5000 to buy $5000 more of I bonds, so it brings your total per year up to $15,000. The $5000 will come as paper I bonds, but you can mail them to the Treasury and convert them into electronic bonds.
Track inflation and iBond here
Update Apr 2022 [wordpress.com]
About this offer:
How do I buy a Series I bond?
Must register or sign-in to your free TreasuryDirect.gov account and link a bank account.
Electronically: Online via TreasuryDirect (including through payroll direct deposit)
Paper: By mail when you file your federal tax return
Click here to view a Guided Tour
What is a Series I bond? (source)
"A savings bond that earns interest based on combining a fixed rate and an inflation rate."
You may use Series I bonds to:
Save in a low-risk product that helps protect your savings from inflation
Supplement your retirement income
Give as a gift
Pay for education
Click here for more information about Series I Bonds
What interest does a Series I bond earn? (source)
A combination of a fixed rate that stays the same for the life of the bond and an inflation rate that is set twice a year.
For bonds issued from November 2021 through April 2022, the combined rate is 7.12%
On May 1, 2022, the rate is scheduled to update, and is expected to be over 9%. Source 1 [cnbc.com] Source 2 [tipswatch.com]
How to buy: After registering and logging in, click on "BuyDirect" on the top menu bar. Check the "Series I" radio button.
This post can be edited by most users to provide up-to-date information about developments of this thread based on user responses, and user findings. Feel free to add, change or remove information shown here as it becomes available. This includes new coupons, rebates, ideas, thread summary, and similar items.
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You can copy/paste password at treasurydirect.gov
Auto method:
1. setup a bookmarklet in Firefox or Chrome by creating a new bookmark and putting the following in the URL section and save:
Code:
javascript:Array.from(document.getElementsByTagName("input")).forEach((el)=>el.removeAttribute("readonly"))
Manual method:
1. Press F12 to show the raw HTML code
2. Click the Picker and click on the read-only password editbox
3. Delete the readonly stuff in code
4. The password box is no longer readonly to you. Now you can enter the password without using virtual keyboard or press the Auto fill button on your password manager and log in
Per @cinderblockfist -- Form 5444 on the Treasury site has been updated (Aug 2022) to allow notary signatures.
This is a good article that provides step-by-step instructions on how to buy Series I bonds from Treasury Direct. "Bonds' Record-High Rates Are Worth the Hassle: How to Purchase Savings Bonds Online":
https://www.cnet.com/personal-fin...ds-online/
Top Comments
Also, it is highly unlikely that inflation is going to go down to 0% anytime soon, so most of us will just leave the money in there for at least 5 years if not longer. Sure beats the 0.5% - 1% savings interest I was getting.
Buy today: 7.12% for next 6 mo + 9.6% for 6 mo after + (unknown)% for next 6 mon
Buy in May: 9.6% for 6 mo after + (unknown)% for next 6 mon + (unknown)% for next 6 mon
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2.2K Comments
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How can the government offer such great rates? They are not, it only appears that way. With the fixed rate being 0% and inflation so high, you are essentially just getting back the same money you put in after the government inflated the currency. That is if you actually believe the CPI numbers are not understated. Still, the bonds are the best game in town right now for safe cash investments. If interest rates on savings accounts and CDs were determined by the market and not artificially kept low by the fed these bonds would not seem so good. Bank interest rates would be much better with inflation this high.
Buy today: 7.12% for next 6 mo + 9.6% for 6 mo after + (unknown)% for next 6 mon
Buy in May: 9.6% for 6 mo after + (unknown)% for next 6 mon + (unknown)% for next 6 mon
"You may, however, choose to report the interest every year." But... "Once you start to report the interest every year (for example, for a child in the child's Social Security Number), you must continue to do so every year after that for all your savings bonds (or, for example, the child's bonds) and any you acquire (or, the child acquires) in the future." [I think that kind of sucks...but that's an option.]
Another confusing part is the limit. It's "Electronic: $10,000, total, each calendar year." In addition... you can get "Paper: $5,000, total, each calendar year." But the catch... you can only get the Paper I bonds "By mail when you file your federal tax return."
Another trick that I learned here... you can pay the estimated tax with credit card at www.pay1040.com. There's a cost to it, but the credit card bonus could make it worthwhile.
And I agree with a lot of others' comments... the federal websites all look very suspicious and obsolete. Scary, but they seem to be legit. Hope this helps.
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