For applicants with good credit, the surety bond premium is often between 1% and 3% of the total value of the surety bond. This means that for a surety bond of $10,000, it is normal for an applicant with strong credit history to pay the surety company between $100 and $300.
Normally, you're limited to purchasing $10,000 per person on electronic Series I bonds per year. However, the government allows those with a federal tax refund to invest up to $5,000 of that refund into paper I bonds.
The composite rate for I bonds issued from November 2022 through April 2023 is 6.89%.
I Bond Cons
The initial rate is only guaranteed for the first six months of ownership. After that, the rate can fall, even to zero. One-year lockup. You can't get your money back at all the first year, so you shouldn't invest any funds you'll absolutely need anytime soon.
As of October 2022, each individual entity can purchase up to $10,000 worth of Series I bonds in a year. All bonds must be registered electronically through TreasuryDirect.
$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).
Once in your TreasuryDirect account, the bond will be registered in your name alone. You can then add either a secondary owner or beneficiary. Once you have a TreasuryDirect account, you can convert other paper bonds you own to electronic bonds.
The biggest red flag for short-term investors: You can't redeem these bonds for a year after you purchase them, and you'll owe a penalty equal to three months' interest if you cash out any time over the first five years of owning the bond.
I bonds cannot be cashed for one year after purchase. If a bond is cashed in year two through five after purchase, the prior three months of interest are forfeited. There is no interest penalty for cashing in the bonds after five years.
I bonds have never been popular due to low interest and low inflation rates. However, inflation has increased, making these safe bonds more attractive. The cap at $10,000 and the annual interest of $689 might not be worth the hassle of owning and keeping up with a separate account.
Effective today, Series EE savings bonds issued May 2022 through October 2022 will earn an annual fixed rate of . 10% and Series I savings bonds will earn a composite rate of 9.62%, a portion of which is indexed to inflation every six months.
Inflation sucks, but there is one upside: It's still a great time to buy a government-backed I bond. Series I savings bonds are conservative, safe investments that rise and fall with inflation, and they're earning far more than the best high-yield savings account or certificate of deposit.
No, I Bonds can't lose value. The interest rate cannot go below zero and the redemption value of your I bonds can't decline.
Series I bonds do offer some tax advantages, too. Interest on the bonds is exempt from state and local taxes, though you'll still have to pay federal taxes on the gains. And using the interest to pay for higher education may help you avoid paying federal taxes on the interest income, too.
Series I savings bonds — commonly known as I-bonds — currently offer an interest rate of 6.89%. While that's lower than the 9.62% they offered during the six months that ended November 1, it's still an attractive rate for savers who would otherwise be putting money into a savings account or CD.
You can buy I bonds in electronic form, at face value, after you open a TreasuryDirect® account. Purchase prices start at $25, and you can buy in any amount above that up to $10,000 per person, per calendar year.
Series I bonds are considered low risk since they are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government and their redemption value cannot decline. But with this safety comes a low return, comparable to that of a high-interest savings account or certificate of deposit (CD).
A survivor is named on the bond(s)
If you are the named co-owner or beneficiary who inherits the bond, you have different options for paper EE or I bonds and paper HH bonds. If only one person is named on the bond and that person has died, the bond belongs to that person's estate.
Individuals, organizations, fiduciaries, and corporate investors may buy Treasury securities through a bank, broker, or dealer.
Bonds, especially bonds from governments and major companies, also tend to be a safe investment. They can also offer much higher return than savings accounts. In exchange for the higher return, you give up flexibility because you cannot redeem bonds at any time.
It has been a long time coming, but 2023 looks to be the year that bonds will be back in fashion with investors. After years of low yields followed by a brutal drop in prices during 2022, returns in the fixed income markets appear poised to rebound.
You can cash in (redeem) your I bond after 12 months. However, if you cash in the bond in less than 5 years, you lose the last 3 months of interest. For example, if you cash in the bond after 18 months, you get the first 15 months of interest.
You can gift a savings bond to adults or children. A child under 18 can have a TreasuryDirect account if the child's parent or other adult custodian has a TreasuryDirect account and sets up a linked account for the child. In TreasuryDirect, you can give anyone either EE or I savings bonds.
Get a certified copy of the death certificate for everyone who has died who is named on any of the bonds. Have each person who is entitled to a distributed bond also fill out and sign the appropriate forms: If they want cash for their bond: FS Form 1522. If it is an EE or I bond and they want to keep it: FS Form 4000.
If you're looking to diversify your portfolio amid the sluggish stock market right now, you might consider Series I bonds as a safe long-term investment with a reliable return. For most people, long-term investing in low-cost index funds is the best path toward financial independence.