The final day to get Series I savings bonds at a record 9.62% yield has come and gone.
Americans bought more than $3 billion worth of the low-risk, inflation-linked bonds last week. But not everyone was able to get their hands on one of the year’s hottest investments ahead of the Oct. 28 deadline for the higher rate.
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Some struggled with glitches and delays on the government’s notoriously clunky TreasuryDirect website. Others may have procrastinated or simply forgot about the deadline.
Now, the rate for bonds issued between Nov. 1 and the end of April is expected to drop to 6.47%. It’s a letdown for those who missed the previous yield, but financial advisers say it shouldn’t dictate a major strategic shift in client portfolios.
“Investors need not fret,” said Elliot Pepper, financial planner and director of tax at Northbrook Financial in Baltimore.“Worry less about the past and look forward to what you can still do.”
Solid Return
A human bias toward loss aversion — feeling missed opportunities more than those gained — may make the sensation of “losing out” on a higher return particularly acute. But it’s important to remember that 6.47% would still be one of the highest rates on record for these bonds, and looks particularly good in the face of ongoing weakness in the stock and bond markets.
“The yield still exceeds what you would make in a traditional checking or savings account,” said Pepper.
He also notes that in general, a drop in the I bond rate should be seen as good news. The bonds were created in the late 1990s to help protect Americans’ savings from inflation. When their rate goes down, it means inflation is slowing.
“People should welcome this news since lower inflation means the costs of everyday goods and services won’t rise as quickly, and we might start to see a recovery in the broader stock and bond markets,” Pepper said.
Other Options
The drop from 9.62% is making similar fixed-income investments start to look more appealing. These alternatives offer slightly lower rates, but come without many of the limitations of I bonds.
Those limitations include a $10,000 cap on purchases per calendar year. (Those who use their federal income-tax refunds may purchase an additional $5,000, which would bring the annual limit to $15,000.) I bonds also must be held for at least a year, and cashing them in before five years means forfeiting interest from the previous three months. What’s more, they are taxed at a federal level.
Read the full article here by Charlie Wells, Advisor Perspectives.
