Author Archives: Tipswatch

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About Tipswatch

Author of Tipswatch.com blog, David Enna is a long-time journalist based in Charlotte, N.C. A past winner of two Society of American Business Editors and Writers awards, he has written on real estate and home finance, and was a founding editor of The Charlotte Observer's website.

U.S. annual inflation falls to 2.7% for November, a surprising drop

Posted on December 18, 2025 by Tipswatch

By David Enna, Tipswatch.com In the messiest inflation report in history, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said today that seasonally-adjusted consumer prices rose just 0.2% over a two-month period (October and November), resulting in an annual rate of 2.7% This … Continue reading →

Posted in Federal Reserve, I Bond, Inflation, Investing in TIPS, Savings Bond | Tagged , , , , , , | 24 Comments

This week’s 5-year TIPS auction still looks solid

Posted on December 14, 2025 by Tipswatch

By David Enna, Tipswatch.com As I noted in a post last week, the Federal Reserve’s recent moves to lower short-term interest rates haven’t caused real yields to decline. Instead, they have been rising. Normally, the 5-year real yield will track … Continue reading →

Posted in Bank CDs, I Bond, Inflation, Investing in TIPS, TreasuryDirect | Tagged , | 14 Comments

The bond market isn’t buying the Fed’s rate cuts

Posted on December 11, 2025 by Tipswatch

By David Enna, Tipswatch.com As the Federal Reserve continues on a path toward lower short-term interest rates, the bond market isn’t tagging along. Instead, yields on medium- and longer-term Treasurys have been increasing, not falling. The Fed began its latest … Continue reading →

Posted in Cash alternatives, Federal Reserve, Inflation, Investing in TIPS, Tariffs, Treasury Bills | Tagged , , , , | 32 Comments

Morningstar says VTIP is having a ‘lousy’ year. It’s not true.

Posted on December 7, 2025 by Tipswatch

By David Enna, Tipswatch.com Morningstar.com published an article last week singling out three of its favorite ETFs as having “a lousy 2025.” I was surprised to see Vanguard’s Short-term Inflation-Protected Securities ETF (VTIP) listed as one of the three. The … Continue reading →

Posted in ETFs, Inflation, Investing in TIPS | Tagged , , | 30 Comments

Car-buying in the age of tariffs

Posted on December 3, 2025 by Tipswatch

Pricing can get a bit tricky. By David Enna, Tipswatch.com In 2026, for the first time, I will be forced by law to take a Required Minimum Distribution from my traditional IRA. That’s bad news, but the good news is: … Continue reading →

Posted in Inflation, Retirement, Tariffs, Taxes | 28 Comments