Comments on: Jane Bryant Quinn: Savings Bonds Face Ill Wind From Treasury http://www.savings-bond-advisor.com/jane-bryant-quinn-savings-bonds-face-ill-wind-from-treasury/ Tue, 06 Jan 2009 01:48:04 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 by: Peter P. http://www.savings-bond-advisor.com/jane-bryant-quinn-savings-bonds-face-ill-wind-from-treasury/#comment-29952 Wed, 22 Oct 2008 18:16:06 +0000 http://www.savings-bond-advisor.com/jane-bryant-quinn-savings-bonds-face-ill-wind-from-treasury/#comment-29952 Why does the U.S.A.keep making it so difficult for the small investor. When I-Bonds were first introduced it was great for the small investor. The Washington lobby for the Banks and Brokers must have put pressure on the Treasury to kill this program which they are doing. Why else would they limit your yearly investment from $30k to $5k There isn't any limit as to how much China can invest in the U.S.A.Treasury. Why isn't our Government encouraging U.S.A. citizens to invest in their Country? Why didn't the fact that for the first time in the history of I-Bonds the rate in May of 2008 dropped to ZERO and no one will say why. Why does the U.S.A.keep making it so difficult for the small investor. When I-Bonds were first introduced it was great for the small investor. The Washington lobby for the Banks and Brokers must have put pressure on the Treasury to kill this program which they are doing. Why else would they limit your yearly investment from $30k to $5k There isn't any limit as to how much China can invest in the U.S.A.Treasury. Why isn't our Government encouraging U.S.A. citizens to invest in their Country? Why didn't the fact that for the first time in the history of I-Bonds the rate in May of 2008 dropped to ZERO and no one will say why.

]]> by: KD Dupont http://www.savings-bond-advisor.com/jane-bryant-quinn-savings-bonds-face-ill-wind-from-treasury/#comment-28991 Tue, 07 Oct 2008 17:05:36 +0000 http://www.savings-bond-advisor.com/jane-bryant-quinn-savings-bonds-face-ill-wind-from-treasury/#comment-28991 What can we do about this? Do we have a voice in any of this? What can we do about this? Do we have a voice in any of this?

]]> by: Tom Adams http://www.savings-bond-advisor.com/jane-bryant-quinn-savings-bonds-face-ill-wind-from-treasury/#comment-27827 Fri, 19 Sep 2008 15:41:20 +0000 http://www.savings-bond-advisor.com/jane-bryant-quinn-savings-bonds-face-ill-wind-from-treasury/#comment-27827 Ethan - the current value of all the Savings Bonds outstanding is about $200 billion. That is tiny compared to the Treasury's total debt - like the difference between a pea and a watermelon. The Treasury has been throwing around lumps of $200 billion the last couple of weeks on various bailouts. So I can assure you no one at the Treasury is worried about its Savings Bond exposure. The irony is that these "free-market" bozos want to close the tiny Savings Bond program but they're in the process of nationalizing the heart of the U.S. financial system. The dysfunction one administration can bring to government is beyond what anyone thought possible. Tom Adams Ethan - the current value of all the Savings Bonds outstanding is about $200 billion. That is tiny compared to the Treasury's total debt - like the difference between a pea and a watermelon.

The Treasury has been throwing around lumps of $200 billion the last couple of weeks on various bailouts. So I can assure you no one at the Treasury is worried about its Savings Bond exposure.

The irony is that these "free-market" bozos want to close the tiny Savings Bond program but they're in the process of nationalizing the heart of the U.S. financial system. The dysfunction one administration can bring to government is beyond what anyone thought possible.

Tom Adams

]]> by: Ethan Finneran http://www.savings-bond-advisor.com/jane-bryant-quinn-savings-bonds-face-ill-wind-from-treasury/#comment-27815 Fri, 19 Sep 2008 12:33:04 +0000 http://www.savings-bond-advisor.com/jane-bryant-quinn-savings-bonds-face-ill-wind-from-treasury/#comment-27815 Could it be that the Treasury has some tremendous exposure on the inflation-type bonds and thus is shutting it down to try to limit that exposure? Do we know how much exposure Treasury has? Back in the beginning, there was a 3.0% fixed rate and the lucky holders of those are gonna get over 9% soon. That's way way over what anyone else can get these days for no risk, not to mention the tax benefits. Did the same people that the Treasury seems to be prejudiced towards now load up big time back when the fixed rate was 3.0%? Will we ever know the answers to any of these questions? Could it be that the Treasury has some tremendous exposure on the inflation-type bonds and thus is shutting it down to try to limit that exposure? Do we know how much exposure Treasury has? Back in the beginning, there was a 3.0% fixed rate and the lucky holders of those are gonna get over 9% soon. That's way way over what anyone else can get these days for no risk, not to mention the tax benefits. Did the same people that the Treasury seems to be prejudiced towards now load up big time back when the fixed rate was 3.0%? Will we ever know the answers to any of these questions?

]]> by: Richard http://www.savings-bond-advisor.com/jane-bryant-quinn-savings-bonds-face-ill-wind-from-treasury/#comment-27522 Sun, 14 Sep 2008 16:22:27 +0000 http://www.savings-bond-advisor.com/jane-bryant-quinn-savings-bonds-face-ill-wind-from-treasury/#comment-27522 I purchased a few Series EE bonds in January of 2006. I knew at the time that these bonds were only going to pay a paltry fixed rate of 3.20% but I felt that the playing field was a bit more favorable towards the little guy with U.S. Savings Bonds as opposed to just leaving the money in the bank. In the current financial crisis that we are in, I think that I'll keep these bonds a while longer. It's not like I have to hold on to these bonds forever! On a positive note, at least the interest rate that these particular bonds are paying, as bad as they looked back then, are more attractive than what the banks are paying now. I purchased a few Series EE bonds in January of 2006. I knew at the time that these bonds were only going to pay a paltry fixed rate of 3.20% but I felt that the playing field was a bit more favorable towards the little guy with U.S. Savings Bonds as opposed to just leaving the money in the bank. In the current financial crisis that we are in, I think that I'll keep these bonds a while longer. It's not like I have to hold on to these bonds forever! On a positive note, at least the interest rate that these particular bonds are paying, as bad as they looked back then, are more attractive than what the banks are paying now.

]]> by: Jon Black http://www.savings-bond-advisor.com/jane-bryant-quinn-savings-bonds-face-ill-wind-from-treasury/#comment-27469 Sat, 13 Sep 2008 01:52:34 +0000 http://www.savings-bond-advisor.com/jane-bryant-quinn-savings-bonds-face-ill-wind-from-treasury/#comment-27469 I have believed that the folks at Treasury are trying to dismantle the Savings Bonds program for several years. It began with the attempted demise of paper bonds. Then they fooled with the mandatory holding period. Then they did away with $10,000 bonds. Then they lowered the maxumum amount one can invest in bonds. No GOOD news seems to come from them. The current Washington regime manages to cut taxes on dividends for the wealthy, but there doesn't seem to be much interest in helping Joe Sixpack save. As both Presidential candidates say..."It is time for change in Washington." I have believed that the folks at Treasury are trying to dismantle the Savings Bonds program for several years. It began with the attempted demise of paper bonds. Then they fooled with the mandatory holding period. Then they did away with $10,000 bonds. Then they lowered the maxumum amount one can invest in bonds. No GOOD news seems to come from them. The current Washington regime manages to cut taxes on dividends for the wealthy, but there doesn't seem to be much interest in helping Joe Sixpack save. As both Presidential candidates say…"It is time for change in Washington."

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