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Savings Bonds Revisited Justus
Morgan |
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On several occasions in
the past (2003 & 2005), I have discussed the use of U.S. Savings Bonds as
worthwhile tools in building diversified investment portfolios. Well, times
have changed. There have been several developments since the beginning of the
year that have made these staples of a well balanced portfolio less
desirable. Two changes in particular
have soured me on using savings bonds for the time being. First, effective
January 1st the annual purchase limit was reduced from $30,000 per
person to $5,000. While this may not affect the casual purchaser of savings
bonds, someone trying to accumulate a sizable position will be thwarted in
their efforts. There has been a pattern of limiting investors’ ability to
purchase savings bonds over the past five years. First, the Treasury
Department discontinued the ability to purchase bonds with credit cards (a
nice way to accumulate frequent flyer miles). Now they are restricting the
amount of bonds you can purchase even further. The second, more important
change was the reduction in the fixed interest rate component of Series I
Savings Bonds to zero percent effective May 1st. There are two
components to the amount of interest earned from Series I Savings Bonds:
inflation rate and fixed rate. The inflation rate is changed every six months
based on the previous six months’ inflation - currently 4.84 percent. The
fixed rate is set when the bond is purchased and lasts for the life of the
bond (up to thirty years). Needless to say, a zero
percent fixed rate is not very attractive. Previously, the fixed rate has
ranged from 1 percent to 3.6 percent. The zero percent rate
is unusual and disturbing because you receive no additional return over the inflation
rate. Although I would be
hesitant to purchase new savings bonds, investors already owning Series I
Bonds will see their interest rates soar to between six and eight percent.
The inflation adjusted rate of 4.84 percent is the second highest inflation
rate since I Bonds were first issued in 1998. For those of you who purchased
your bonds after my previous two columns, you are being rewarded handsomely. Unfortunately, the other
type of savings bonds commonly available now is the Series EE Bond which is
even less desirable. The interest rate for new Series EE Bonds purchased
after May 1st is 1.4 percent. This paltry interest rate is fixed
for the next twenty years. If you already own savings
bonds, my recommendation would be to continue to hold them as their rates are
competitive with anything you’ll find elsewhere. As for money to invest,
prospects are fairly dim right now for higher yielding bond investments.
Keeping your money accessible in short-term investments (money markets &
less than one year CDs) will provide you the opportunity to reinvest it as
interest rates rise. Justus Morgan is a
Certified Financial Planner with Financial Service Group, Inc., a registered
investment advisory firm in |