Isn’t buying a US backed bond the opposite of “speculation”?. The rate of return for a US bond has been called the “risk free rate of return” since I was in grad school over two decades ago.
In general, yes. However, unlike other bonds I-bonds have no secondary market, so there's no way to liquidate them in an emergency if you need them before their maturity date (1 year).
With I-bonds you don't need to speculate on whether the bond will default, but it does force you to speculate on what your financial situation will be over the next year.
