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.

Energy shock sends U.S. inflation to a three-year high

Posted on May 12, 2026 by Tipswatch

By David Enna, Tipswatch.com The lingering war in the Mideast, and its oil-price shock, sent U.S. seasonally-adjusted inflation 0.6% higher in April and pushed the annual rate to 3.8%, its highest level since May 2023, the Bureau of Labor Statistics … Continue reading →

Posted in Federal Reserve, I Bond, Inflation, Investing in TIPS | Tagged , , , | 41 Comments

I filled out the top end of my TIPS ladder last week

Posted on May 10, 2026 by Tipswatch

By David Enna, Tipswatch.com One morning last week on Bloomberg, a fixed-income analyst was asked about the effect of a 5% nominal yield on a 30-year Treasury bond. He said: “Then you’ll see bond investors attacking like seagulls in Finding … Continue reading →

Posted in Inflation, Investing in TIPS, Retirement, TreasuryDirect | Tagged , , | 30 Comments

Treasury holds I Bond fixed rate at 0.90%; composite rate rises to 4.26%

Posted on April 30, 2026 by Tipswatch

I Bonds remain an attractive investment for capital preservation. By David Enna, Tipswatch.com The Treasury announced this morning it is holding the fixed rate of the U.S. Series I Savings Bond at 0.90%, the rate in effect since since November … Continue reading →

Posted in Cash alternatives, I Bond, Inflation, Savings Bond, Treasury Bills, TreasuryDirect | 37 Comments

TreasuryDirect, ditch the ‘gift box’ and raise the I Bond purchase cap

Posted on April 26, 2026 by Tipswatch

My solution: Double the purchase cap to at least $20,000 a year. By David Enna, Tipswatch.com Last week, TreasuryDirect again sent emails asking holders of savings bonds in gift boxes to deliver them as quickly as possible. I have written … Continue reading →

Posted in Cash alternatives, EE Bonds, I Bond, Inflation, Retirement, TreasuryDirect | Tagged , , | 81 Comments

5-year TIPS auction gets a real yield of 1.367%

Posted on April 23, 2026 by Tipswatch

By David Enna, Tipswatch.com On a day when real and nominal yields were creeping higher, the Treasury’s auction of $26 billion in a new 5-year Treasury Inflation-Protected Security got a real yield to maturity of 1.367%, a good result for … Continue reading →

Posted in Federal Reserve, Inflation, Investing in TIPS, TreasuryDirect | Tagged , , | 25 Comments