Category Archives: Federal Reserve

U.S. inflation rose 0.6% in August; what does it mean for TIPS, I Bonds and Social Security?

By David Enna, Tipswatch.com As expected, rising gasoline prices pushed U.S. inflation higher in August, rising a seasonally-adjusted 0.6% for the month and increasing 3.7% year-over-year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Core inflation, which removes food and energy, … Continue reading →

Posted in Federal Reserve, I Bond, Inflation, Investing in TIPS, Retirement, Social Security | 15 Comments

Question: What is a ‘normal’ real yield?

By David Enna, Tipswatch.com One of the very first Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities I ever bought — CUSIP 912810FH6 — was auctioned on April 7, 1999, with a real yield to maturity of 3.899% and a coupon rate of 3.875%. I … Continue reading →

Posted in Federal Reserve, Investing in TIPS | 11 Comments

Now is an ideal time to build a ladder of inflation-protected TIPS

Update July 1, 2026: Although this article was posted in August 2023, the logic of ladder building holds true today. According to Tipsladder.com, investors today can build a 30-year TIPS ladder with a composite real yield of 2.6% and a … Continue reading →

Posted in Federal Reserve, Investing in TIPS, Retirement, TreasuryDirect | 68 Comments

U.S. inflation rose 0.2% in July; what does it mean for I Bonds, TIPS and Social Security COLA?

By David Enna, Tipswatch.com Markets got fairly positive news today with the release of the July inflation report: The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers rose 0.2% on a seasonally adjusted basis, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Over … Continue reading →

Posted in Federal Reserve, I Bond, Inflation, Investing in TIPS, Retirement, Social Security | 22 Comments

Was July full of good news? Not exactly.

By David Enna, Tipswatch.com After a long journey home Monday — flying from Budapest to Munich and then on to Charlotte — I am just about ready to rejoin the real world. But with jet lag. On our entire trip … Continue reading →

Posted in Federal Reserve, Investing in TIPS, Treasury Bills | 12 Comments