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.
Savings bonds include series EE and I bonds. There were HH bonds, but they are no longer issued. If you hold an HH bond, you can get your purchase price back through direct deposit. The EE bonds and I bonds mature in 20 years. You can cash the EE and I series bonds in after 1 year, but you will have to pay a penalty. After 5 years of purchase, you can cash in the bonds without a penalty. The penalty you pay, if you cash in the bonds before the 5 year limit, is the last 3 months of interest that your bond earned. Both EE and I bonds continue to earn interest for another 10 years after the 20 year maturity date.