This is a pretty limited tool, but in the last year it's caught the attention of people dismayed by low CD and savings account rates. In that context, the argu

This is a pretty limited tool, but in the last year it's caught the attention of people dismayed by low CD and savings account rates. In that context, the argument is that this can be a good place to keep an emergency fund, provided one has enough emergency cash in other places to bridge the first year before the I Bond can be first redeemed. The withdrawal penalty between years 1-5 is 3 months of interest, so not terrible if being withdrawn in an emergency. No one's getting rich off this instrument, but it could be a good low hanging fruit option for some.