Gyroscopic Investing

Kbg wrote: ↑Mon Jan 06, 2020 9:07 pm What strategies are folks using to decide (that aren't simply trying to predict the future) between normal Ts and I-bonds.

: If you are just starting, don’t buy STTs or savings bonds until your TMMF covers 6 months living expenses. After that, add STTs and savings bonds in equal amounts. When Cash reaches 2 years living expenses, put all new money in your savings bond ladder. I-bonds really hit their stride in the 5-30 year time frame after they become penalty-free, as well as inflation-adjusted and tax-deferred. The older they get, the more important these last two features become.

jhogue wrote: ↑Tue Jan 07, 2020 3:05 pm

Kbg wrote: ↑Mon Jan 06, 2020 9:07 pm What strategies are folks using to decide (that aren't simply trying to predict the future) between normal Ts and I-bonds.

: If you are just starting, don’t buy STTs or savings bonds until your TMMF covers 6 months living expenses. After that, add STTs and savings bonds in equal amounts. When Cash reaches 2 years living expenses, put all new money in your savings bond ladder. I-bonds really hit their stride in the 5-30 year time frame after they become penalty-free, as well as inflation-adjusted and tax-deferred. The older they get, the more important these last two features become.

But you need to eat them at 30 years, as no more interest accrues

I have both, but other than calculating post tax equivalent rates I don't have a good plan and I tend to ETFs as I like the convenience/instant liquidity aspect. I'm just beginning to get my head around post career retirement planning and it appears to be highly temporal in nature (i.e. what is best is based on how various milestones and needs flow through time more than anything)

What did everyone end up doing? Who has already purchased up to their limit for 2020 I Bond purchases?

It seems that buying them by May 1, 2020 is advised?

Plenty of time to do the $10,000 via Treasury Direct? But what would be the deadline to get your tax return submitted so as purchase the other $5,000 limit and to take advantage of the prevailing rates prior to them changing (most likely decreasing?) on May 1, 2020?

Vinny

I purchased my full annual allotment of electronic I-bonds the day before yesterday.

I have not yet filed my 2019 federal tax return due to the delay of some additional forms. I will still purchase my full allotment of paper I-bonds regardless of whether the order is filled before or after 1 May 2020.

The higher rate would be nice to have (especially the 30 year fixed rate of +0.20), but my long range plan to acquire as many rungs in my I-bond ladder as possible remains intact.

Go ahead and buy, Vinny. I don't think you will be disappointed. If you are, you can always redeem them in a year and probably still earn as much or more as you would in a 1 year CD.