I Bonds may be a good investment to maximize short-term savings during periods of high inflation. Learn how I Bonds work and if they're right for you.
Putting away money for savings during periods of market volatility can be a real gut-punch. The higher inflation gets, the more it essentially cancels out any interest you may accrue on a traditional savings account balance. In fact, you’re likely losing purchasing power on any funds you keep in cash. Oof.
It’s left more and more people looking for alternatives to protect their short-term savings against the blow of inflation. And has more and more people talking up Series I Savings Bonds — aka I Bonds — as a go-to inflation-proof investment.
But how true is that? Here’s our guide to I Bonds: what they are, how they work, and if they’re the right investment for you.
I Bonds are a type of government savings bond created to protect your investment from inflation. They earn a combined interest from a fixed rate and an inflation rate. The fixed rate stays the same for the life of the bond, while the inflation rate changes every six months in May and November based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
Because the interest rate I Bonds pay is tied to the CPI, when inflation rises, the interest rate on I Bonds rises, too. It also means that if inflation cools, so does the interest rate on I Bonds.
If rates change every six months, how do you know what interest rate you’ll get? It depends on what month you buy the I Bond:
You can check the current I Bond rate here.
Interest is compounded every six months, too. That means every six months, any interest you’ve earned will be added to the bond’s principal value, and you’ll start earning interest on that interest.
The only thing not on a six-month timeframe is the life of your loan. Your money is locked into an I Bond for one whole year; you can't withdraw it before then.
You can only buy I Bonds directly from the government, and they’re capped at a max of $10,000 per year.
But before you start socking up, here’s how to know if an I Bond is the right thing to do with your savings.
Plus, after that first year, if inflation drops and I Bonds’ interest rates no longer feel worth it to you, you can always cash in the bond and invest in something else. Set yourself a reminder to check the interest rate every six months so you’ll remember to reevaluate. Or talk to a financial expert, who can help you determine if I Bonds are your inflation savings’ silver lining.
Should you be saving or investing right now? Book a complimentary 15-minute call with an Ellevest financial planner to work through your next financial move.
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