Treasury securities are debt obligations of the US federal government. T-bills mature in 1 year or less, T-notes in 2–10 years, T-bonds in 20–30 years, and TIPS (Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities) adjust principal with inflation. I-bonds are savings bonds with an inflation-linked component.
Treasuries are the closest thing to a risk-free asset in investing — backed by the full faith and credit of the US government. They're also exempt from state and local income tax, which makes them more valuable in high-tax states than most retirees realize.
A bond is a loan you make to a government or corporation. In exchange, the issuer pays you periodic interest (coupon) and returns your princ…
A CD ladder splits your cash across multiple certificates of deposit with staggered maturities (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 years). As each CD matur…
Savings vehicles for money you need in the next 0–5 years include high-yield savings accounts (HYSA), money market funds, certificates of de…
A bond ladder is a portfolio of bonds with staggered maturity dates. Each year, one bond matures — providing predictable cash flow and autom…