Series EE Bonds vs I Bonds 2027

Compare Series EE vs Series I savings bonds 2027 — EE doubles in 20 years (3.53% guaranteed), I tracks inflation. Different use cases.

How It Works

Standard time-value-of-money calculation. Compounding annually at stated rate. Pre-tax and post-tax shown.

All IRS limits indexed annually for inflation. Use most recent year. Catch-up contributions for 50+ and new 60-63 super catch-up under SECURE 2.0.

Max tax-advantaged accounts first (401k match → HSA → Roth IRA → 401k). Then taxable brokerage. Bonds/CDs for stable yield component.

Forgetting employer match (free money). Holding tax-inefficient funds in taxable. Withdrawing early (penalties). Not rebalancing.

Source: treasurydirect.gov EE bond rates, irs.gov bond tax treatment. Last updated: May 2026.