Generally speaking, there are no limits on how often you can purchase I bonds.
In any one calendar year, you may buy up to $10,000 in Series EE electronic savings bonds AND up to $10,000 in Series I electronic savings bonds for yourself as owner of the bonds. That is in addition to the amount you can spend on buying savings bonds for a child or as gifts.
In a calendar year, one Social Security Number or one Employer Identification Number may buy: up to $10,000 in electronic I bonds, and. up to $5,000 in paper I bonds (with your tax refund)
A given Social Security Number or Employer Identification Number can buy up to these amounts in savings bonds each calendar year: $10,000 in electronic EE bonds. $10,000 in electronic I bonds.
The limit is per person — so if you're married, each spouse is allowed to purchase $10,000 in I bonds (plus the paper bonds if they have a tax return). You can also purchase up to $10,000 in I Bonds for your children, but they must be used for the child, to save for college, perhaps.
Key Points. Pros: I bonds come with a high interest rate during inflationary periods, they're low-risk, and they help protect against inflation. Cons: Rates are variable, there's a lockup period and early withdrawal penalty, and there's a limit to how much you can invest.
The May 2023 I Bond inflation rate is announced at 3.38%* based on the March 2023 CPI-U data.
While there's no limit on how often you can buy I bonds, there is a limit on how much a given Social Security number can purchase annually. Here are the annual limits: Up to $10,000 in I bonds annually online. Up to $5,000 in paper I bonds with money from a tax refund.
$10,000 limit: Up to $10,000 of I bonds can be purchased, per person (or entity), per year. A married couple can each purchase $10,000 per year ($20,000 per year total). 7.12% interest: The yield on I bonds has two components—a fixed rate and an inflation rate.
A single entity can purchase up to $25,000 worth of savings bonds in a year. Series I and EE bonds have annual electronic limits of $10,000 each and up to $5,000 of paper bonds can be purchased in a year using your tax refund.
You also can buy an I bond in paper form, through the Tax Time Purchase Program. Use IRS Form 8888, “Allocation of Refund (Including Savings Bonds Purchases).” Purchase prices start at $50 and you can buy in $50 multiples up to $5,000 per person, per calendar year.
Interest on I bonds is exempt from state and local income taxes and, if you qualify, from federal income tax when used to pay for higher education. You can buy up to $10,000 in electronic I bonds per person in a calendar year, with an online account at TreasuryDirect.gov.
May 1, 2023. Series EE savings bonds issued May 2023 through October 2023 will earn an annual fixed rate of 2.50% and Series I savings bonds will earn a composite rate of 4.30%, a portion of which is indexed to inflation every six months. The EE bond fixed rate applies to a bond's 20-year original maturity.
Key Points. The variable rate on I bonds will drop in May. Those who want short-term returns might prefer to buy I bonds in April to lock in higher rates. Long-term investors might be better served by waiting.
If you feel optimistic that inflation is waning and will go back soon to more normal 2% levels, you may want to buy the full amount now and capture as high a rate as you can. That's also the case if you're not planning on holding your I-bonds for long, and will cash them out once your one-year holding period ends.
By limiting I Bond purchases, Treasury was able to limit the potential tax revenue loss. Investors would have to stick to traditional taxable vehicles such as savings accounts, CDs, bonds and bond funds, nominal Treasuries, etc.
That said, there is a $10,000 limit each year for purchasing them. There are a number of ways around this limit, though, including using your tax refund, having your spouse purchase bonds as well and using a separate legal entity like a trust.
Individuals, organizations, fiduciaries, and corporate investors may buy Treasury securities through a bank, broker, or dealer.
Whether you purchase an I bond for yourself or another person, the cap per person, per year is $10,000 in digitally purchased bonds. But this cap is per recipient. That means buying $10,000 worth of I bonds for yourself and an additional $10,000 in I bonds in another individual's name is possible.
You may purchase up to $10,000 of each savings bond type - EE or I bonds - per person each calendar year. The minimum purchase amount for a Treasury Marketable Security is $100 with multiples sold in the same increment.
I bonds have a 4.30% interest rate until October 31, 2023. If rates stay the same you could earn over $434 in interest in one year.
EE Bond and I Bond Differences
The interest rate on EE bonds is fixed for at least the first 20 years, while I bonds offer rates that are adjusted twice a year to protect from inflation. EE bonds offer a guaranteed return that doubles your investment if held for 20 years. There is no guaranteed return with I bonds.
You can sell back your electronic I bonds through the TreasuryDirect site. Selling I bonds before five years will result in losing the last three months of earned interest. You can try cashing in your bonds through your local bank, but not all institutions offer the service.