Category Archives: Cash alternatives

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

Posted on April 7, 2025 by Tipswatch

It had a real yield negative to inflation. And it was a winner. By David Enna, Tipswatch.com One of the basic rules of investing in Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities is: Get the highest possible real yield and ignore all the other … Continue reading →

Posted in Cash alternatives, I Bond, Inflation, Investing in TIPS | Tagged investing, personal-finance, Treasury investments | 15 Comments

My I Bond fixed-rate projection just fell to 1.10%

Posted on April 3, 2025 by Tipswatch

The benchmark 5-year real yield continues to fall. By David Enna, Tipswatch.com April 11, 2025, update: Welcome to the I Bond ‘buying season’ April 10, 2025, update: I Bond’s variable rate will rise to 2.86% on May 1 Amid all this week’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Cash alternatives, I Bond, Inflation, Investing in TIPS, Savings Bond, TreasuryDirect | Tagged economy, finance, inflation, investing, personal-finance, The Treasury | 25 Comments

The unique serenity of holding TIPS at TreasuryDirect

Posted on February 2, 2025 by Tipswatch

By David Enna, Tipswatch.com Want to find your happy place? Sometimes you have to go your own way. The consensus advice is to buy individual Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities in a tax-deferred account, most likely a traditional IRA. These bonds pay … Continue reading →

Posted in Cash alternatives, Inflation, Investing in TIPS, Retirement, Taxes, TreasuryDirect | 36 Comments

TreasuryDirect is sending out a survey on the savings bond gift-box. Here are the details.

Posted on January 8, 2025 by Tipswatch

By David Enna, Tipswatch.com As I have noted many times in recent months, I believe there are changes coming in TreasuryDirect’s “gift box” program, which creates a loophole for buying I Bonds beyond the $10,000 per person annual limit for … Continue reading →

Posted in Cash alternatives, EE Bonds, I Bond, TreasuryDirect | Tagged bonds, economy, finance, gifts, investing, personal-finance, Treasury investments | 35 Comments

A great mystery: I Bond buying guide for 2025

Posted on January 5, 2025 by Tipswatch

By David Enna, Tipswatch.com April 11, 2025, update: Welcome to the I Bond ‘buying season’ April 10, 2025, update: I Bond’s variable rate will rise to 2.86% on May 1 Update, Jan 31, 2025: I noted in this article that I was … Continue reading →