[lindaelane]

Eveyone does realize that the fixed interest rate is 0 percent?

9.62% is the variable interest rate in effect for six months. Then this rate will change, depending on what inflation is.

Inflation could come down, yet you must hold for five years to avoid penalties.

Basically, you will get a little more than inflation (or zero if we have deflation with a recession).

Right now, there is no lower-risk investment that keeps up with inflation other than this (and perhaps TIPs). But if or when inflation goes down again in the next five years, there may be more appropriate choices.