A great reference that is slowly becoming outdated.
Written: Mar 02 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Comprehensive, easy-to-read. A good single-point reference.
Cons: Slowly becoming outdated, due to bond program changes. Some reference information available on the web.
The Bottom Line: A comprehensive reference that can help you make the most of your savings bond investments. Just be aware that some material is outdated, due to changes in the bond program.
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| technofan's Full Review: Daniel J. Pederson - Savings Bonds: When to Hold, ... |
A unique, comprehensive reference book
“Savings Bonds – When to Hold, When to Fold, and Everything In-Between” by Daniel J. Pedersen (4th Edition, 1999) is a comprehensive reference book on U.S. Savings Bonds. Books on savings bonds are not very common. And the thorough, well-organized coverage of this book makes it particularly noteworthy.
Useful coverage of most every major Savings Bond issue
Pedersen’s book covers a broad range of topics on savings bonds. Simply put, he covers the entire life cycle of a savings bond from the initial purchase to the eventual redemption or transfer of a mature bond. He provides useful reference information and, in some cases, guidance on how to deal with the various events that can occur during bond ownership. For example, his book includes discussions on:
· The types of bonds
· How interest rates are calculated
· When to cash bonds
· Transferring ownership
· How to recover lost bonds
· Recording keeping
· Giving bonds as gifts
· Bonds and retirement
· HH bonds
May now be somewhat outdated in some areas
There have been some changes to the savings bond program since this book was released in 1999. Since I Bonds had been recently introduced when this book was published, Pedersen was naturally cautious in his treatment of this new bond product. Also, the minimum holding period for bonds was just recently changed from six months to twelve. And the interest rate on HH bonds was recently lowered.
Consequently, some of the analysis and guidance in this book won’t reflect these changes.
A variety of basic information is available on the Internet
Admittedly, some of the reference information contained in this book is available on the Internet. If you invest some time reading the government’s savings bond website, and browse the few financial planning sites that discuss savings bonds, you can obtain a good, basic education on the nuts and bolts of savings bonds. However, you won’t likely find the easy-to-read analysis and guidance offered in this book.
The author offers a savings bond analysis service (for a fee) that will calculate the current value and yield of your bond inventory. I have not tried this service, so I can’t comment on its utility or accuracy. However, I’ve been using the government’s free bond inventory program called Savings Bond Wizard for years. This software has matured substantially over the last several years and would be an excellent starting point to keep track of your bond inventory. If you find that you need additional analysis of your inventory, or simply want another perspective, then you might consider one of these fee-based services.
Recommendation
Overall, this is an excellent book on savings bonds. Its comprehensive coverage makes it worthwhile for the both the novice and experienced savings bond investor. It would also be a good choice for someone that would rather sit down with a good reference book than comb through several Internet sites to learn about savings bonds. Just be mindful that some of the facts and analysis in this book are becoming outdated.
Recommended:
Yes
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technofan
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