The interest rate on U.S. I Bonds slightly rises to 4.03%, with the fixed rate lowered but still outpacing most savings products

According to the Zhitong Finance APP, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced on Friday that the annualized interest rate for the new round of inflation-linked savings bonds (I Bonds) is set at 4.03%, effective from this Saturday and will last for six months. This rate is slightly higher than the 3.98% of the past six months, which is generally consistent with the market's previous prediction of "slightly above 4%."

This rate is composed of the change in the U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI) from March to September 2024, plus a fixed rate of 0.90%. It is important to note that this fixed rate has significantly decreased from the previous 1.1%, reflecting a recent decline in the yields of Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS). Once the fixed rate is locked in, it will remain unchanged for the maximum 30-year bond duration, while the floating rate will be updated every six months based on the CPI.

The new rate applies to the first six months of the investor's holding period, after which it will be reset according to the current CPI and the 0.9% fixed rate. The minimum holding period for I Bonds is 12 months, and if investors redeem them before five years, the most recent three months' interest will be deducted as an "early redemption penalty."

I Bonds saw explosive demand in 2022, with rates reaching 9.62% from May to October that year, making them a popular tool for investors to combat high inflation. Now, although the 4.03% rate has significantly decreased compared to the high inflation period, it still exceeds the yields of most U.S. savings accounts and short-term U.S. Treasury bonds.

This bond has several tax and interest structure advantages. Its interest is automatically added to the principal every six months, generating compound interest, rather than paying cash interest periodically like traditional U.S. Treasury bonds, thus eliminating reinvestment risk. Additionally, investors can choose to pay income tax on the interest earned at the time of redemption, effectively enjoying a "tax-deferred account" treatment.

Although market analysis generally believes that the attractiveness of I Bonds has diminished compared to the peak in 2022, in the context of inflation still exceeding the Federal Reserve's 2% target and monetary policy not fully shifting, these bonds still hold allocation value, especially for individual investors outside of institutions, to hedge against inflation erosion and interest rate uncertainty