Savings I-Bonds May 2013 Upcoming Rate: 1.18%

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New inflation numbers for March 2013 were just announced, so it’s time for the usual semi-annual update and rate predictions.

New Inflation Rate
September 2012 CPI-U was 231.407. March 2013 CPI-U was 232.773, for a semi-annual increase of 0.590%. Using the official formula, the variable component of interest rate for the next 6 month cycle will be approximately 1.18%. The new fixed rate is nearly guaranteed to be zero, so the total rate will be 1.18% as well. If you have an older savings bond, your fixed rate may be different.

Purchase and Redemption Timing Reminder
You can’t redeem until 12 months have gone by, and any redemptions within 5 years incur an interest penalty of the last 3 months of interest. A known “trick” with I-Bonds is that if you buy at the end of the month, you’ll still get all the interest for the entire month as if you bought it in the beginning of the month. It’s best to give yourself a few business days of buffer time though, since if you wait too long your effective purchase date may be bumped into the next month.

Buying in April

If you buy before the end of April, the fixed rate portion of I-Bonds will be 0.0%. You will be guaranteed the current variable interest rate of 1.76% for the next 6 months, for a total rate of 0 + 1.76 = 1.76%. For the 6 months after that, the total rate will be 0.0 + 1.18 = 1.18%. Let’s say we hold for the minimum of one year and pay the 3-month interest penalty. If you buy on April 30th and sell on April 1, 2013, you’ll earn a 1.28% annualized return for an 11-month holding period, for which the interest is also exempt from state income taxes. This is better than any 1-year bank CD that I can find right now, keeping in mind the liquidity concerns and the purchase limits. If you hold for longer, you’ll be getting the full 1.47% over the first year.

Given the combination of current low rates and the fact that you lose the last 3 months of interest (again, for holding less than 5 years), it might be better to wait long enough to grab 12 full months of interest by holding for 15 months (14 buying late). If you buy on April 30th and hold until July 1st, 2014, you’d achieve a annualized return of ~1.26% over 14 months. After that, you can see what the new rates are and decide whether to keep holding them.

Buying in May

If you wait until May, you will get 1.18% for the first 6 months. The next 6 months will be based on an unknown rate based on future inflation. If there is high inflation for the next 6-month period, this may get you a higher rate sooner, but buying in April will eventually get you the same rate anyway.

My personal opinion is that you might as well lock in the guaranteed above-market rates for 12 months by buying in April instead of buying in May. You could always wait all the way until in October for the next rate announcement, but if you have the cash now you’ll have the opportunity cost of lower rates until then. Besides, if rates spike, you’ll eventually get the benefit of any higher rates eventually in the future anyway.

Existing I-Bonds

If you have an existing I-Bond, the rates reset every 6 months depending on your purchase month. Your bond rate = your specific fixed rate + variable rate. Even at a low or even zero fixed rate, your existing savings bonds are paying more than current savings accounts and will continue to be hedged against inflation, so weigh carefully whether or not to redeem them.

Annual Purchase Limits
The annual purchase limit is now $10,000 in online I-bonds per Social Security Number. For a couple, that’s $20,000 per year. Buy online at TreasuryDirect.gov, after making sure you’re okay with their security protocols and user-friendliness. If you have children, you may be able to buy additional savings bonds by using a minor’s Social Security Number.

For more background, see the rest of my posts on savings bonds. I’m keeping all of mine for the foreseeable future, due to their tax deferral possibilities and other unique advantages. Compare the rates on these savings bonds to what you’re earning on your FDIC-insured bank deposits or even your TIPS and bond mutual funds, and you may find them a good addition to your portfolio.

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Comments

  1. My wife and I each have $10k in I-bonds we purchased last year. She is a teacher and is starting her masters program. The tuition we will be paying will easily outweigh the amount of interest we’ll earn on these bonds.

    How do I go about avoiding federal taxes on the I-bonds interest for tuition expenses?

    Do the bonds have to be redeemed in the year of the tuition expense in order to get the tax break?

    Half of the I-bonds are under my name. Can I deduct the interest on these for her education expenses?

    Thanks!

  2. @Nick – Here’s the link explaining the requirement for educational tax exclusions per TreasuryDirect:

    http://www.savingsbonds.gov/indiv/planning/plan_education.htm

  3. Awesome – i knew the new rates were due anytime now, and was searching online for them. And then i see your post clearly spelling out all the details – as always very convenient. Thanks.

  4. Shouldn’t the title to your article read “May 2013” instead of “May 2012”?

  5. @dg – Very welcome.

    @orly – Yes! Another copy-n-paste error, thanks for letting me know.

  6. Anyone know if you need separate Treasury Direct accounts for each family member? or can one person open an account and buy for the whole family (spouse & kids) from that account? I just tried opening an account in my name and they want me to send in some forms before they can activate my account. So I am not able to check this.

  7. I used the Savings Bond Wizard monthly but am often aggrivated that rates made known in April are not available in the tool until early May – too bad that can’t update as quick as your postings on these. Thanks for another great post on bonds – I look forward to these every 6 months

  8. @V – You can buy savings bonds for other your family and gifts, but they will be kept in a separate “gift” account. Eventually, those people will need to open an individual account to manage those bonds I believe. But I have had a gift account for 6 or so years now with no problem, just keep buying ore 🙂

    @Jake – I agree, it’s a bit curious. Thanks for reading!

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