I might also mention EE bonds, which nobody talks about anymore. Had you bought EE bonds (up to a limit…
There was a 40 year gap in significant inflation but the difference is now there is a $38 trillion deficit,…
I view TIPs as insurance--in this case insurance against unexpected inflation. I don't have them as part of my portfolio…
The TIP ETF can out-perform in the short-term (sometimes several years) when real yields fall dramatically, as happened during Federal…
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 investing, personal-finance, Treasury investments
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 economy, finance, investing, money, personal-finance, stocks, Treasury investments
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 debt limit, economy, finance, investing, personal-finance, stocks, The Treasury
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 finance, investing, Treasury investments
12 Comments
Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities 
My last 2025 income investment was 50% in a 5 year TIPS and 50% in a 5 year CD yielding…