Best Websites to Investigate: Treasury Direct

Photo Credit: (https://www.whitecoatinvestor.com/buy-i-bonds/)

The stock market has been pretty unpredictable recently, and I have been hesitant to deploy more cash with so many experts saying there is a high risk of a recession coming. However, one positive from this market (and the high interest rates/inflation) is the increased return of bonds and savings accounts.

Treasury Direct is a website offered by the government that lets you invest in bonds, bills, and other financial instruments. The website itself is terribly outdated and the UI/UX is awful (it is so bad it almost seems like a scam); however, if you do some research on the offerings there are actually some interesting opportunities.

The most intriguing opportunity to me (at least right now) is I-bonds, which I think is worth doing more research on. I-bonds have to be held for a year, and it is best if you hold them for at least five years (or else you have to pay back the previous 3 months of interest), so they should be considered a more long time horizon investment.

The interest rate on I-bonds changes every six months, but right now the rate is 9.62%. This rate is guaranteed for the next 6 months after purchase, and then it will change to whatever the new rate is (which depends on inflation). For a more detailed breakdown of how I-bonds work (this is not financial advice from me!), I would recommend looking at this helpful article by Investopedia. I-bonds are not for everyone and the rules/restrictions on buying them mean you should do more detailed research before buying; however, I do think they are at least worth investigating in this current economy!

Treasury Direct Recommendation Rating: 4

1: Something worth checking out if you have time

2: Something that is a hit for some people, but not a must for everyone

3: Something worth prioritizing if interested

4: Something worth making time to check out

5: An absolute home run, worth going out of your way for

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