Tax-Advantaged Strategies for Inflation-Protected Investing

Utilizing U.S. I Savings Bonds

Seth Hammer, , PhD, CPA

As inflationary pressures continue to mount (e.g., 8.3% for the 12-month period ending April 2022), individuals may look to their financial advisors for practical and, where possible, tax-advantaged strategies for addressing this challenging environment. United States I Bonds may potentially allow advisers to address these concerns by serving not only as vehicles for immediate inflation protection, but also as a foundation for achieving long-term tax savings. Key benefits of I Bonds, beyond offering what is often an above-market interest return (9.62% annual rate, recomputed semi-annually, for the period of May 2022 through October 2022), include their extraordinary flexibility and liquidity. This article begins with a brief overview of the structure and operation of I Savings Bonds, and then explains and demonstrates strategies uniquely applicable to these instruments, which taxpayers may employ to generate significant tax savings.