Consumers have a hard time telling a genuine egg from a fake one. This is good news for unscrupulous entrepreneurs, who are even conducting three-day courses in the production of artificial eggs for less than S$150. A reporter with Hong Kong-based Chinese magazine East Week enrolled in one such course.
Series I bonds are sold at face value and mature after 30 years. Redemption rules are the same with Series I bonds as Series EE bonds. Series I bonds earn interest at a rate of 1.94% through Oct. 31, 2014.
You have to hold the bonds for at least one year, so there's no short-term play here. If you redeem the bond within five years, you forfeit the bond's last three months of interest earnings. The longer your investment horizon, the more important it is to focus on the fixed yield paid by the Series I savings bond. Series I savings bonds have two yield components: a fixed rate and an inflation rate. The fixed-rate component stays the same over the life of the bond.