A weekly thread to discuss financial matters - from personal all the way up to global.
Ground Rules
- Remember that we're all just Internet randos. Don't bet your life savings on a hot tip from this thread.
- Keep culture war in the culture war thread. Yes, global events may impact our personal finances, but that does not mean we have to incessantly harp on culture war aspects here. If you are going to discuss it, please stick to the practical impacts of it on an individual level.
- Be kind. Remember that everyone here comes from different circumstances. We all have different resources available and different risk tolerances.
- Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Better is better. Celebrate people when they take a step up and work to move their finances in the right direction. Don't flame out because they haven't followed what you consider the optimal path. Everybody has to start somewhere.
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Notes -
Congrats, it can be quite scary.
Assuming you are U.S.-based, I see @Mantergeistmann has already suggested I Bonds. I think, under most circumstances, rolling short-dated T-bills into a ladder of seasoned I Bonds is slightly "better" if you are working a normal-length career, aren't maximally aggressively shopping introductory rates, are planning on keeping a full-year emergency fund, and are willing to replace low-real-rate tranches of I Bonds when reasonable. TreasuryDirect is still clunky, but it has slightly improved. This also has a slight advantage over rolling CDs, as it saves you from having to change banks every six months for the best rate. But, yes, on a modest emergency fund, the real difference is probably smaller than other choices, and you do have to get over the small personal limit and one-year hump for I Bonds.
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