Have you had enough of banks that charge high fees and pay pathetically low-interest rates? If so, you may want to add some Worthy Bonds to your fixed-income portfolio. They’re not FDIC-insured like bank investments, but they pay interest rates nearly 10 times higher than the best-paying banks. All bond investments are secured, and you can access your money at any time.
Worthy Bonds Review
Investment Returns – 10
Customer Service – 5
Ease of Use – 10
Minimum Investment – 10
Account Options – 7
Commission and Fees – 10
8
Total
What Is Worthy Bonds?
Based in Boca Raton, Fla., Worthy Bonds has already paid $1.2 million in interest on $150 million in bonds sold to 90,000 bondholders. On the surface, Worthy Bonds looks like a high-interest bond fund, but it’s actually much more than that.
The money you invest with Worthy Bonds is invested in American businesses. That is, the proceeds provide asset-backed loans to small businesses. In that way, you’re not only investing for a higher return but are also making a real contribution to the grassroots economy.
And the main attraction of Worthy Bonds is that it pays 5% interest rate, and bonds start at just $10. This makes Worthy Bonds an excellent fixed-income play and also a way to invest a small amount of money if you’re just getting started.
How Worthy Bonds Works
When you invest with Worthy Bonds, you invest in private bonds with a term of 36 months each. The bonds are SEC-qualified obligations of Worthy Peer Capital, Inc. Bonds are purchased in increments of $10, with a maximum investment of $50,000 (5,000 bonds).
Under SEC regulations, the company can issue no more than $50 million in securities per year. That means once the company has sold $50 million in bonds in any calendar year, bonds will no longer be issued for that year.
As mentioned, the current interest rate is 5%. But this rate isn’t determined by any specific market factors. For instance, Worthy Bonds doesn’t adjust interest rates based on actions taken by the Federal Reserve, changes in the prime rate, or fluctuations in other interest rate benchmarks. The current rate — which the company indicates it has no intention of changing — is based on rates charged to borrowers for loans that secure the bonds.
Interest compounds daily on your bonds. And if you’re wondering how Worthy Bonds makes money paying 5% interest to investors, they do so by charging a higher interest rate to business borrowers.
At the end of 36 months, you can choose to either renew your bonds, cash them out, or even do a mix of both. You can also withdraw your money from the bonds at any time, penalty-free. Plus, Worthy Bonds has useful features like auto-purchase rules and a spare-change round-up tool you can enable to consistently invest in more bonds.
Is Worthy Bonds Safe?
Worthy Bonds is a low-risk and safer fixed-income investment you can try, although Worthy Bonds are not FDIC insured the way bank investments are. However, each bond is secured by assets owned by the borrowing business. The company limits loans to about two-thirds of a business’s inventory or commercial receivables. It lends less money than a business pledges in assets as security for the loan.
For additional security, a portion of your investment is directed into real estate, U.S. Treasury securities, and certificates of deposit. This is done to create greater diversification beyond small business loans. The company discloses that these other assets may comprise as much as 40% of each bond’s value.
These steps greatly reduce the risk that all of Worthy Bonds’ borrowers default and that the company can’t repay bondholders. But it’s important that investors know that their investments don’t have FDIC or SIPC insurance.
Worthy Bonds Features
| Type | Private bonds |
| Accounts Offered | Individual, businesses, non-profits, trusts and IRAs |
| Investments Offered | Mostly private bonds to small businesses, with a small amount in other investments for diversification |
| Minimum Investment | $10 |
| Maximum Investment | $50,000 for accredited investors; 10% of annual income for non-accredited investors |
| Investor Accreditation | Both accredited and non-accredited investors |
| Fees | None |
| Access | Online, mobile apps |
| Customer Service | Phone, email and live chat |
| Account Protection | Bonds are not FDIC insured but are secured by 2/3 of the borrower’s assets |
Funding Your Account
When you sign up to invest, you also choose the type of accoun you invest in. Account options include:
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You also need to connect a bank account for funding purposes. You can fund your account with a one-time deposit, recurring deposits, or through purchase roundups.
The roundup method used by Worthy Bonds is different from those used by savings apps like Acorns. Instead of connecting the roundups to a credit or debit card, the service monitors transactions with a bank account or credit card of your choice (which does not need to be your linked bank account) and uses existing funds to buy bonds.
For example, they’ll monitor debit and credit card purchases within your designated account, and round each up to the nearest dollar. Once total roundups reach $10, they’ll be transferred to purchase bonds.
Transfers between your connected bank account and Worthy Bonds are handled by Dwolla, a payments platform that securely connects your bank or credit union to enable fast transfers.
Worthy Bond Fees
There are no fees to invest in Worthy Bonds. That means no transaction fees on purchase or sale, and no monthly or annual advisory fees. Just as important, there are no transfer fees, reinvestment fees, or early withdrawal penalties if you liquidate your bonds before the 36-month term is up.
To make money, Worthy Bonds charges the companies it lends money to and earns interest. This is a benefit for investors since you don’t have to worry about annual fees eating into your profits.
Who Can Invest With Worthy Bonds?
Virtually anyone can invest in Worthy Bonds, but there are limits to how much you can invest. That’s determined by your status as either an accredited investor or a non-accredited investor.
Referral Program
If you refer someone to Worthy Bonds, and that person signs up for an account using your personal referral invitation link, both of you will receive a $10 bond. The new referral must be a first-time Worthy Bonds investor and have an active account open for at least 90 days before the referral bonds will be paid. You’re limited to 50 bonds ($500) per calendar year.
Is Worthy Bonds Legit?
Worthy Bonds is a legit company with plenty of positive reviews and a track record of paying out bondholders. And the fact you can start investing with $10 is a major selling point. However, many app store reviews complain that the mobile app is buggy and barely usable, so keep this downside in mind.
Worthy Bonds Pros and Cons
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Best Alternatives
If you want a low-risk option to generate 5% APY, Worthy Bonds is worth using. However, investing in stocks or using other strategies like real estate crowdfunding will likely result in greater returns in the long-run. It’s also worth noting that if you’re looking for inflation-proof investments, Worthy Bonds does an alright job, but you could also earn more by investing in I Bonds.
Various high-yield savings accounts like Varo and Aspiration can also pay up to 5% APY if you meet certain requirements, so you have a lot of options. If anything, you can use Worthy Bonds to park some of your cash that you need in the near future so it at least earns something. And the 5% rate is much higher than most checking or savings accounts.
Finally, you can also consider alternatives like Mainvest that let you earn interest by loaning money to growing small businesses in the United States. Mainvest has a $100 minimum investment requirement, and it targets 10% to 25% returns for investors. These loans are much riskier than Worthy Bonds, but the potential returns are higher.
Want Even More Options? >>> The Best Bond Alternatives For Investors.
Bottom Line: Are Worthy Bonds Worth It?
Nearly everyone has money in savings, but those accounts haven’t been paying much interest in recent years. Others have money invested in bonds that pay higher interest than banks, but nowhere near 5%.
That’s why you may want to add this service to your fixed-income portfolio. A small allocation can increase the overall yield on your portfolio, especially if you have bank investments like savings accounts and certificates of deposit.
What’s more, Worthy Bonds aren’t tied to the financial markets. They won’t decline in value when the stock market falls or lower their interest rate when bond rates fall or the Federal Reserve makes a big announcement.
Best of all, you can get started with as little as $10 and cash out at any time. With no fees of any kind, you’ll earn the full 5% on your Worthy Bonds.
You certainly don’t want to put all your liquid assets into these bonds, since there is a risk. But adding just a small sliver to a portfolio of bank investments can easily improve your returns.
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