Category Archives: Cash alternatives

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

I Bond dilemma: Buy in April or just keep waiting?

Posted on April 12, 2026 by Tipswatch

I am buying in April. A lot of you will disagree. There is no wrong answer. By David Enna, Tipswatch.com Let’s take a moment to ponder what happened in March: The United States went to war in the Mideast, gas … Continue reading →

Posted in Cash alternatives, Federal Reserve, I Bond, Inflation, Savings Bond, TreasuryDirect | 69 Comments

March inflation sets I Bond’s new variable rate at 3.34%

Posted on April 10, 2026 by Tipswatch

U.S. all-items inflation rose 0.9% in March to an annual rate of 3.3%. By David Enna, Tipswatch.com The March inflation report — a stunner, but not a surprise — showed that non-seasonally-adjusted all-items inflation rose 0.9% for the month, matching … Continue reading →

Posted in Cash alternatives, I Bond, Inflation, Investing in TIPS, TreasuryDirect | 18 Comments

A 5-year TIPS is maturing April 15. How did it do as an investment?

Posted on April 5, 2026 by Tipswatch

CUSIP 91282CCA7 had one of the ugliest TIPS auctions in history. And yet … it did well versus a nominal Treasury. By David Enna, Tipswatch.com Back in April 2021 I was out-of-my-mind frustrated by ultra-low real and nominal yields that … Continue reading →

Posted in Cash alternatives, Federal Reserve, I Bond, Investing in TIPS, Savings Bond | 14 Comments