What are the disadvantages of Treasury I bonds?
Variable interest rates are a risk you can't discount when you buy an I bond, and it's not like you can just sell the bond when the rate falls. You're locked in for the first year, unable to sell at all. Even after that, there's a penalty of three months' interest if you sell before five years.
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.
It can go up or down. I bonds protect you from inflation because when inflation increases, the combined rate increases. Because inflation can go up or down, we can have deflation (the opposite of inflation). Deflation can bring the combined rate down below the fixed rate (as long as the fixed rate itself is not zero).
But while they are lauded for their security and reliability, potential drawbacks such as interest rate risk, low returns and inflation risk must be carefully considered. If you're interested in investing in Treasury bonds or have other questions about your portfolio, consider speaking with a financial advisor.
That said, there is a $10,000 limit each year for purchasing them. There are several ways around this limit, though, including using your tax refund, having your spouse purchase bonds as well and using a separate legal entity like a trust.
An important advantage of TIPS versus I Bonds is that individual investors face virtually no purchase constraints. (The upper limit on TIPS purchases runs into the millions.) That makes them the only reasonable option for larger investors looking to build a sizable stake in inflation-fighting investments.
Unlike I-bonds, TIPS are marketable securities and can be resold on the secondary market before maturity. When the TIPS matures, if the principal is higher than the original amount, you get the increased amount.
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. For example, if you cash in the bond after 18 months, you get the first 15 months of interest. See Cash in (redeem) an EE or I savings bond.
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.
If you buy an I Bond in April 2024 you will get 5.27% for 6 months, then 4.28% for the next 6 months for a combined 1 year rate of 4.83%.
What is better CD or Treasury bond?
Both certificates of deposit (CDs) and bonds are considered safe-haven investments with modest returns and low risk. When interest rates are high, a CD may yield a better return than a bond. When interest rates are low, a bond may be the higher-paying investment.
- Report interest each year and pay taxes on it annually.
- Defer reporting interest until you redeem the bonds or give up ownership of the bond and it's reissued or the bond is no longer earning interest because it's matured.
Compared with Treasury notes and bills, Treasury bonds usually pay the highest interest rates because investors want more money to put aside for the longer term. For the same reason, their prices, when issued, go up and down more than the others.
| 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 |
Buying I Bonds for Yourself
They can pay federal income tax each year on the interest earned or defer the tax bill to the end. Most people choose the latter. They report the interest income on their Form 1040 for the year the bonds mature (generally, 30 years) or when they're cashed in, whichever comes first.
Yes, since bond purchase limits are based on a person's Social Security number, a married couple could buy up to $30,000 in I bonds annually. Each spouse could buy $10,000 in electronic I bonds and $5,000 in paper I bonds, assuming their federal tax refund is large enough.
Both share similar tax considerations, providing federal tax deferral and state and local tax exemption. The fundamental difference between them is the variable inflation interest rate offered by I bonds and the guaranteed 20 year doubling for EE bonds.
Securities purchased through TreasuryDirect cannot be sold in the secondary market before they mature. This lack of liquidity could be a disadvantage for investors who may need to access their investment capital before the securities' maturity.
- College Savings. Helping a child save for college can help reduce the amount they may one day have to borrow in student loans. ...
- Shares of Stock. ...
- Custodial Account. ...
- Certificate of Deposit. ...
- Savings Bonds. ...
- Donation to a Charitable Organization. ...
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- IRA Contribution.
We guarantee that the value of your new EE bond at 20 years will be double what you paid for it. (If you have an EE bond from before May 2005, it may be earning interest at a variable rate. See more at EE bonds.) We guarantee that the interest rate of an I bond will never fall below zero.
Are I bonds worth the hassle?
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.
If you're holding the bond to maturity, the fluctuations won't matter—your interest payments and face value won't change. But if you buy and sell bonds, you'll need to keep in mind that the price you'll pay or receive is no longer the face value of the bond.
Normally, you're limited to purchasing $10,000 per person on electronic Series I bonds per year. However, the government allows those with a federal tax refund to invest up to $5,000 of that refund into paper I bonds. So most investors think their annual investment tops out at $15,000 – one of the key I bond myths.
I Bonds earn interest each month, and the interest is compounded every six months. You can earn interest on them for as long as 30 years, and can cash them out after 5 years without losing interest. You lose only three months interest if you cash them out before you reach 5 years.
