Kiplinger's: Boost Returns on Cash
Kiplinger's writes "Boost the Returns on Your Cash in Retirement." They explain, "You can be forgiven if you have ignored your safe-haven investments for the past few years. In brokerage sweep accounts, money-market mutual funds and other ultra-conservative vehicles available in brokerage and retirement accounts, yields have generally been laughably low-and the gaps between them trivial. But now, the question of where to stash cash is starting to get serious again." The article tells us, "2017 was really the first year in almost a decade that it mattered where you had your cash, says Peter Crane, president of money-fund tracker Crane Data. As the Federal Reserve raises rates, yields on safe-haven holdings get a boost. The rising tide lifts some boats much faster than others. The yield on the average brokerage sweep account is stuck at roughly 0.1%, according to Crane Data. But yields on many money market funds have now climbed well above 1%, after scraping along near zero for much of the past decade. And stable value funds, which are available in 401(k)s and other savings plans, yield roughly 2% and are inching higher." Kiplinger's adds, "For some investors, the whole purpose of a money market fund is to have instant access to cash-making potential withdrawal restrictions a non-starter. These investors might instead consider government money market funds, which are not required to impose withdrawal restrictions, or ultra-short term bond funds."
