[washadjeffmad]

I'd encourage anyone interested to go to treasurydirect.gov, sign up for an account, and try to buy an I Series Saving Bond. It takes 15 minutes and couldn't be easier. If you want to be able to paste your password, just F12 and change the readonly flag on the login page.

Also, callback services have been around for decades. If you don't want to wait on hold, use one. No one needs a middleman to buy bonds.

Note: If you want to play it savvy, wait to buy until the November rates are announced later this month. If they're higher, you can just lock in 6mos at that rate instead.