The face value of an HH bond is equal to its face value. If the bond says $500, it was purchased for $500 and now has a value of $500.
You cannot cash a savings bond that you find in someone else’s possession or that you purchase on an internet auction site. Savings bonds are not transferable, sellable, or tradeable.
See “Death of a Savings Bond Owner” if you inherit a bond through the death of the bond owner.
How do I find out how much a bond is worth?
- Choose your paper bond’s series and denomination from the series and denomination drop down boxes once it’s opened.
- Fill in the issue date found on the paper bond.
- Note: Two-digit months (e.g. 01, 12) and four-digit years must be entered (e.g. 1985 or 2001).
- See our bond diagram if you’re not sure where to look for your paper bond’s issue date or serial number.
Is it necessary to pay taxes on HH bonds?
Yes, interest payments on HH bonds must be reported as interest income.
every year on your federal income tax return This is a non-transferable interest.
Income taxes imposed by the state or local governments. The Treasury Department publishes an interest income statement.
(Form 1099-INT from the Internal Revenue Service)
each year by January 31st, demonstrating the interest you earned the previous year.
You can also owe taxes on deferred interest.
“Is there any tax liability when I cash HH bonds?” is answered below.
What is the maturity date for Series HH bonds?
The last of these investment vehicles will mature in August 2024, as Series HH savings bonds have a 20-year maturity. That implies there’s a good chance there are still some Series HH savings bonds floating around out there. Because these bonds can be redeemed early, there may be fewer bonds left than when they were first issued in the early 2000s. The bonds that are still in circulation will continue to pay interest until they reach their 20-year maturity date.
What is the value of a $50 savings bond?
A $50 EE bond, for example, costs $50. EE bonds are available in any denomination up to the penny for $25 or more. A $50.23 bond, for example, could be purchased.
What is the current value of a $50 savings bond from 1986?
Savings bonds in the United States were a massive business in 1986, because to rising interest rates. In some minds, they were almost as hot as the stock market.
Millions of Series EE savings bonds purchased in 1986 will stop generating interest at various periods throughout 2016, depending on when the bond was issued, and will need to be cashed in the new year.
No one will send you notices or redeem your bonds for you automatically. It’s entirely up to you to decide.
In 1986, almost $12 billion in savings bonds were purchased. According to the federal Bureau of the Fiscal Service, there were more than 12.5 million Series EE savings bonds with 1986 issue dates outstanding as of the end of October.
According to Daniel Pederson, author of Savings Bonds: When to Hold, When to Fold, and Everything In-Between and president of the Savings Bond Informer, only a few years have seen greater savings bond sales. (Other significant years include 1992, when $17.6 billion in bonds were sold, 1993, when $13.3 billion was sold, and 2005, when $13.1 billion was sold.)
For the first ten years, bonds purchased from January to October 1986 had an introductory rate of 7.5 percent. Beginning in November 1986, the interest on freshly purchased bonds was due to drop to 6%, thus people piled on in October 1986.
In the last four days of October 1986, Pederson’s previous office at the Federal Reserve Bank branch in Detroit received more than 10,000 applications for savings bonds, according to Pederson. Before that, it was common to receive 50 applications every day.
What is the true value of a bond? A bond with a face value of $50 isn’t necessarily worth $50. For a $50 Series EE bond in 1986, for example, you paid $25. So you’ve been generating buzz about the $50 valuation and beyond.
The amount of money you get when you cash your bond depends on the bond and the interest rates that were paid during its existence. You can find the current value of a bond by using the Savings Bond calculator at www.treasurydirect.gov.
How much money are we discussing? In December, a $50 Series EE savings bond depicting George Washington, issued in January 1986, was valued $113.06. At the next payment in January 2016, the bond will earn a few more dollars in interest.
In December, a $500 savings bond with an image of Alexander Hamilton, issued in April 1986, was worth $1,130.60. In April 2016, the next interest payment will be made.
Until their final maturity date, all bonds purchased in 1986 are earning 4%. Keep track of when your next interest payment is due on your bonds.
For the first ten years, savings bonds purchased in 1986 paid 7.5 percent. For the first 12 years, bonds purchased in November and December 1986 paid 6%. Following that, both earned 4%.
Bonds can be cashed in a variety of places. Check with your bank; clients’ bonds are frequently cashed quickly and for big sums. Some banks and credit unions, on the other hand, refuse to redeem savings bonds at all.
Chase and PNC Banks, for example, set a $1,000 limit on redeeming savings bonds for non-customers.
If you have a large stack of bonds, you should contact a bank ahead of time to schedule an appointment. According to Joyce Harris, a spokeswoman for the federal Bureau of Fiscal Service, it’s also a good idea to double-check the bank’s dollar restrictions beforehand.
Don’t sign the payment request on the back of your bonds until you’ve been instructed to do so by the financial institution.
What types of taxes will you have to pay? You’ll have to calculate how much of the money you receive is due to interest.
The main component of the savings bond, which you paid when you bought it, is not taxable. Interest is taxed at ordinary income tax rates, not at a capital gains tax rate. If you cashed a $500 bond issued in April 1986 in December 2015, it would be worth $1,130.60. The bond was purchased for $250, and the interest earned would be taxable at $880.60.
What if you cashed all of the 1986 bonds that came due in 2016? On your 2016 tax return, you’d pay taxes on those bonds.
It’s critical to account for interest and keep all of your papers while preparing your tax returns. Details on who owes the tax can be found on TreasuryDirect.gov.
When I cash in my savings bonds, will I receive a 1099?
On January of the following year, 1099-INTs are posted in TreasuryDirect. Use the ManageDirect page’s URL.
If you cash at a bank, the paperwork is provided. The bank may give you the form right away or mail it to you later, maybe after the year in which you cash the bond has ended.
If you cash with Treasury Retail Securities Services, the form will be mailed to you in January of the following year.
What is the distinction between an EE and an HH bond?
HH bonds pay current interest every six months at a rate set at the time of purchase. The interest rate resets to the current HH rate on the bond’s tenth anniversary, and the bonds continue to pay for another ten years. Fixed interest rates are also paid on EE bonds issued after May 2005. On May 1 and November 1 of each year, this rate adjusts for new bonds. The bonds earn interest until they reach full maturity, which is 30 years, but you only get it when you redeem them.
Is it still possible to convert Series EE bonds to Series HH bonds?
Owners of Series EE and E bonds will no longer be able to swap them for HH bonds after the close of business on August 31, and owners of matured HH/H bonds will no longer be able to reinvest their holdings in HH bonds.
What is the procedure for reporting a Series HH bond?
The interest collected on your HH bonds every six months must be reported on your federal income tax return for the year in which it was earned. We give the bond owner an IRS Form 1099-INT reflecting the interest earned in the preceding year by January 31 of each year.
Should I redeem my redeemed savings bonds?
If you hold Series E or EE bonds released after 1974, you can use the Treasury Hunt tool to determine if any bonds registered with your Social Security number have stopped paying interest.
If your savings bonds have reached maturity, you should cash them in and invest the proceeds elsewhere. Whether you have paper bonds, check with your bank to see if they cash them (not all banks do, and some will cash in savings bonds only for customers who have had accounts for at least six months). See How to Cash in Savings Bonds for more information.