Sales of U.S. savings bonds dropped for...

Sales of U.S. savings bonds dropped for the fifth time in six months in September, falling 10.8% to $519 million. The Treasury Department said September sales were $63 million lower than in August, when they had risen 3.4% from the month before. September sales were up 9.5% from the same month a year ago. But sales for fiscal year 1988, which ended Sept. 30, totaled $7.26 billion, a 29.5% decline from fiscal 1987, when sales set a post-World War II record of $10.3 billion.