Category Archives: Cash alternatives

Vanguard backs off on raising its bond-trading minimum to $10,000

IMPORTANT NOTE: I wrote this article on Wednesday to be published Sunday while I am visiting family out of town. It appears that Vanguard has backed off on raising the bond minimum to $10,000, based on Boglehead discussions posted Saturday … Continue reading

Posted in Cash alternatives, Investing in TIPS, TreasuryDirect | Tagged , , | 26 Comments

Let’s offer praise for high interest rates

Do you agree? Probably not. But high interest rates benefit savers. By David Enna, Tipswatch.com Let’s step back in time, to 1965: I was 12 years old and folks from a nearby Savings and Loan came into my classroom to … Continue reading

Posted in Bank CDs, Cash alternatives, Federal Reserve, Inflation, Retirement, Treasury Bills | 36 Comments

The TIP ETF just hit a meaningless milestone

For some reason, the $110 net asset value is a marker for me. By David Enna, Tipswatch.com I have been writing about Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities for more than 14 years, and that is plenty of time to dream up “significant … Continue reading

Posted in Bank CDs, Cash alternatives, Federal Reserve, Inflation, Investing in TIPS | Tagged , , , , , , | 14 Comments

The U.S. T-bill market is feeling the debt pinch

A looming debt-limit crisis is causing yield anomalies. By David Enna, Tipswatch.com In looking over this week’s auctions of Treasury bills, I noticed something unusual, but also predictable: The looming debt-limit crisis is beginning to send tremors through the short-term … Continue reading

Posted in Cash alternatives, Federal Reserve, Treasury Bills, TreasuryDirect | Tagged , , , , , , | 16 Comments

What’s the composite rate for your I Bonds?

By David Enna, Tipswatch.com The Treasury just set the new composite rate for I Bonds purchased from May to October 2025: 3.98% for six months, based on a combination of a permanent fixed rate of 1.10% and an inflation-adjusted variable … Continue reading

Posted in Cash alternatives, I Bond, Inflation, Savings Bond, TreasuryDirect | Tagged , , | 12 Comments