you can buy them before Nov 1st but they are paying ( in this 6 month period) about 4.8%. If you bought them in oct. you would get this rate for the next 6 months then they would pay another rate 6 months latter( depending on the calculations of base + inflation). Because the CPI rate that was just relesed was so high, this indicates that a high inflation rate will boost the I-bond rates in November. So if you wait for Nov. they will probably be over 5-6%. Now there are people posting that these may get to 7%. Not sure if that will be the case. However, if they go to 7% for the 6 month period and you bought them in Oct. you would not get that rate (instead you would get 4.8% for 6 months). In other words, you would get the rate within the 6 month period that you bought it. As I mentioned before though, 6 months latter it will be set at a new rate. I am just hedging my bet that I can earn a little more % with the Nov. issue over the October issue. Keep in mind, the rate set Nov. 1st will follow all bonds issued for 6 months.
On the website
www.savingbonds.gov there is a bondwizzard that you can download onto your computer and it will automatically udate your rate, value and interest earned on your bonds to keep track. All you have to do is enter your bond #'s and it is an excellent way to manage your bonds. It also keeps track of the bond numbers in case something happens to the paper bonds. My husband still likes paper but if you loose them it is a hassel to have them search for them. If you have the numbers they can retrieve and honor the bonds. The wizzard manages these and is an electronic record of your bonds. You will also be able to see that depending on when you bought the bonds, they will have different rates each 6 months. I wouldn't worry too much about this factor but that is one reason I am waiting till Nov. Now in the past they have lowered the base rate but I don't think they are going to do that this time. At least there is no indication of that.