- Whether you have a local bank account and it accepts savings bonds, inquire if it will accept yours. The answer may be contingent on the length of time you’ve had an account there. If the bank will cash your check, find out if there is a monetary restriction on redemptions and what kind of identification and other documentation you’ll need.
- Send these, along with FS Form 1522, to Treasury Retail Securities Services (download or order). The bonds are not required to be signed. You’ll need to verify your identity. The instructions are on FS Form 1522, in the “Certification” section. Our address is also included in the form.
How do I redeem my bonds?
NEWS: The new Series I savings bonds have an initial interest rate of 7.12 percent. I bonds can be purchased at that rate until April 2022.
- Is it necessary to get my signature certified if I cash my bonds by mail using FS Form 1522?
- Does it make sense to cash my old I bonds that were issued at a lower rate and acquire new I bonds when the interest rate on new I bonds is high?
- How can I find out what my I bond’s current interest rate and redemption value are?
- I observed savings bonds were being auctioned on auction sites like eBayTM, but I assumed they were non-transferable. What is the mechanism behind this?
If I cash my bonds by mail, using FSForm 1522, must I have my signature certified?
It is debatable. You can send us a copy of your driver’s license, passport, state ID, or military ID instead if the current redemption value of your bonds is $1,000 or less.
When the interest rate on new Ibonds is high, does cashing my old I bonds that were issued at a lower rate andbuying the new bonds make sense?
Notnecessarily. Your I bond’s rate fluctuates every six months, and it may be higher now than when you first bought it. A new I bond had a rate of 3.54 percent in May 2021, for example. A new I bond has a rate of 1.38 percent in November 2013. In May 2021, however, the bond issued in November 2013which had a rate of 1.38 percent at the timehad a rate of 3.74 percent. It has a higher interest rate than the bond due in May 2021.
How canI find the current interest rate and current redemption value of my I bond?
Go to your TreasuryDirect account to order an electronic I bond. Use the Savings BondCalculator to calculate a paper I bond.
How is the interest rate of an I bond determined?
- A fixed rate of return that does not change over the life of the I bond.
- Variable semiannual inflation rate for all urban consumers based on changes in the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U). The rates are announced by the Bureau of the Fiscal Service every May and November. The difference between the CPI-U statistics from the preceding September and March is the semiannual inflation rate announced in May; the difference between the CPI-U figures from the preceding March and September is the inflation rate announced in November.
The interest rate on an I bond is sometimes referred to as the composite rate or the overall rate because it combines two rates.
When are earnings added to the I bond?
I bonds gain value on the first of every month, and interest is compounded semiannually based on the issuance date of eachI bond. The issuance date of an I bond is the month and year in which the bond is fully paid.
What is the difference between EE and I bonds?
The EE bonds we sell now have a set rate of interest and are guaranteed to double in value in 20 years, regardless of the rate. Today’s I bonds earn a variable rate of interest that is linked to inflation; as inflation happens, the bond’s value rises. An I bond’s value isn’t guaranteed to rise to a set level.
Are there tax benefits to using I bonds to finance education?
Yes. You may be able to totally or substantially exclude savings bond interest from federal income tax under the Education Savings Bond Program. When you pay qualified higher education expenses at an eligible institution or through a state tuition plan in the same calendar year that you redeem eligible I and EE bonds issued in January 1990 or later, this can happen. When purchasing bonds, you are not needed to state that you intend to use them for educational purposes, but you must ensure that the program’s conditions are completed; some apply when the bond is purchased (s). See IRS Publication 970, “Education Tax Benefits.”
Electronic bonds as gifts
You can buy an electronic I bond as a gift for someone and keep it in your TreasuryDirect account’s “Gift Box” until you’re ready to give it to them.
Before you can give savings bonds as gifts, you must keep them in your TreasuryDirect account for at least five working days. Treasury is protected against loss by the five-day hold, which ensures that the ACH debit has been performed satisfactorily before the cash can be moved.
You must submit the recipient’s Social Security Number if you buy an electronic I bond as a gift. To be able to transfer the bond to the gift receiver, they must first open or already have a TreasuryDirect account. A parent must open a TreasuryDirect account and link it to a Minor Linked account if the receiver is a minor. The gift bond will be delivered to the Minor Linked account. If the receiver does not have a TreasuryDirect account, you may keep an EE or Ibond that you bought as a gift until it matures.
Paper I bonds as gifts purchased with your IRS tax refund
I bonds make excellent gifts for a variety of events. A paper I bond can be mailed to you using your tax refund so that you can personally hand it to the receiver. Download a gift card when you purchase the I bond. On the I bond, the word “gift” will not display.
If you’re buying an I bond as a gift and don’t know the recipient’s Social Security number, just use your own. Despite the fact that your number will be printed on the bond, you will not be charged any taxes, and it will not go against your yearly purchase limit. The Social Security Number is only needed to trace the savings bond in the event that it is lost, stolen, or destroyed.
How do I file a claim for lost, stolen, or destroyed paper I bonds?
Write to Treasury Retail Securities Services, PO Box 214, Minneapolis, MN 55480-0214 to file a claim. You’ll have to fill out FS Form 1048. (download or order).
Before we can look for your security record, we need the following information:
- serial number of the bond If you don’t have the serial number for the bond, submit all of the following information, which may be on the bond(s):
Where can I bonds be redeemed?
You can redeem electronic I bonds through the TreasuryDirect program if you have them. You can cash paper I bonds at some local financial institutions or by mail if you own them.
When can I cash (redeem) an I bond if I need the money?
After 12 months, you can cash in your Series I bonds at any time. You’ll get your original purchase price plus any interest earned. I bonds are supposed to be held for a longer period of time; if you redeem one inside the first five years, you will forfeit the last three months’ interest. If you redeem an I bond after 18 months, for example, you’ll get the first 15 months of interest back.
Can EE or E bonds be exchanged for I bonds?
No, but you can sell your EE or E bonds and use the money to purchase I bonds. The interest on the EE or E bonds must be declared on your federal income tax return for the year they were cashed.
What are Gulf Coast Recovery Bonds?
From March 29, 2006, through September 30, 2007, Gulf Coast Recovery Bonds were issued. This special I bond designation was made to encourage continuing public support for hurricane recovery activities in the region. A clause in the Gulf Opportunity Zone Act of 2005 encouraged Treasury to make this designation. The proceeds from the sale of savings bonds went into the Treasury’s general fund and were spent pursuant to appropriations authorized by Congress and signed into law by the President, including those for Gulf Coast rehabilitation.
I noticed savings bonds are being sold through auction sites such as eBayTM, but I thought ownership was non-transferable. How does this work?
Savings bonds are sometimes marketed as collectibles or souvenirs. Because a savings bond is a registered security and ownership is non-transferable, the sale has no effect on the savings bond’s ownership. The owner or co-owners named on the bond still have a contractual connection with the US Treasury, not the individual who acquired the bond at auction. As a result, the person who purchases it at auction is unable to cash it; instead, he is purchasing a piece of paper displaying a bond that remains the property of the owner or co-owners specified on the bond. If the bond was lost and has since been replaced, it may be the property of the United States Treasury. Bottom line: Buying a savings bond at an auction is a bad idea because you don’t get any title or ownership rights to the bond.
What is the maturity date of a Series I savings bond?
Depending on the series you own, savings bonds mature at various intervals.
After 30 years, Series I savings bonds, also known as “I bonds,” reach their full maturity. You can, however, redeem them up to one year after purchase. If you pay them out early, you’ll forfeit the past three months of interest, so make sure you really need the money.
Series I bonds provide a fixed rate of interest that is adjusted for inflation. The I bond rate is 7.12 percent as of November 2021.
Is it wise to invest in I bonds in 2021?
- If you bought bonds in October December 2021 and were expecting to buy more but hit the annual limit, now is a good time to acquire I bonds.
- If you want to “get the greatest deal,” you should keep an eye on the CPI-U inflation indicator.
- The difference between the March figure (released in April) and the September number of 274.310 determines the following I bond rate. The December number is 278.802 as of January 12, 2022. If there is no further inflation, the rate will be 2.66 percent from May to November 2022.
- You may wish to buy your next I bonds in April or wait until May, depending on the CPI number announced in April.
- However, there’s a strong chance you’d rather acquire I bonds in April 2022 or sooner to take advantage of the 7.12 percent rate on new purchases through April 2022.
An I bond is a U.S. Government Savings Bond with a fixed interest rate plus an inflation adjuster, resulting in a real rate of return that is inflation-adjusted. The I bond is an excellent place to seek for savers in a world where inflation is a concern and there are few inflation-adjusted assets.
- If you cash out between the end of year one and the end of year five, you will be penalized by losing the previous three months’ interest.
- You can only purchase $10,000 per year per individual, and you must do it through TreasuryDirect.gov.
Read on for additional information on I Bonds and why November might be a good time to acquire them.
Many of the investors we speak with had never heard of US Series I Savings Bonds (I Bonds), but were recently made aware of them due to the eye-popping yields they began giving in 2021.
When the 6-month ‘inflation rate’ of 1.77 percent was published in May 2021 (which is 3.54 percent annually! ), coverage began in earnest.
I Bonds: The Safe High Return Trade Hiding in Plain Sight & Investors Flock to ‘I Savings Bonds’ for Inflation Protection WSJ: I Bonds the Safe High Return Trade Hiding in Plain Sight & Investors Flock to ‘I Savings Bonds’ for Inflation Protection
You’ll be earning twice as much for half of the year when the US government reveals the 6-month inflation rate. The I bonds are priced in semi-annual 6-month terms, although most interest rates are quoted in annual terms. Simply double the 6-month inflation rate to determine the annualized rate and compare it to other rates.
Your $100 investment in December 2021 I bonds will be worth $103.56 in about 6 months. This equates to a 7.12% annualized rate.
You’ll get a new six-month rate after six months, and your money will increase at that pace.
You must hold I bonds for a period of 12 months, and you have no idea what the next 6 months will bring in terms of interest, but what could go wrong?
In the worst-case scenario, you earn 7.12 percent interest for the first six months after purchasing your I bond, then 0 percent thereafter. 6 months later, your $100 would be worth $103.56, and 12 months later, it would still be worth $103.56. If the rate in a year’s time isn’t what you want, you can cash out your I bond in a year’s time, forfeit the three months’ interest (which would be 0% or more), and still have $103.56. (or more).
Since the inception of I bonds in September 1998, there have been 48 declared inflation rate changes, with only two being negative!
Even if inflation is negative, the interest rate on I bonds will never go below 0.0 percent!
Consider how much you can commit to a 12-month interest rate that pays more than 3.5 percent when you open your bank statement and require a microscope to discover the pennies of interest you’re getting. I bonds are dubbed “America’s Best Kept Investing Secret” by Zvi Bodie. Let’s battle the current low interest rates by purchasing some I Bonds and informing everyone we know about this fantastic offer. Go to TreasuryDirect.gov to purchase your I Bonds.
- Jeremy Keil writes, “October 2021 Will Probably Be the Best Month Ever in History to Buy I Bonds.”
Are there any I bonds left?
I bonds can be purchased at that rate until April 2022. Savings bonds in Series I are a low-risk investment. They earn interest and are inflation-protected throughout their lives.
After 30 years, how much is a $50 EE savings bond worth?
Savings bonds are regarded as one of the most secure investments available. The underlying principle is that the value of a savings bond grows over time, but it’s easy to lose track of how much it’s worth over time.
The TreasuryDirect savings bond calculator, fortunately, makes determining the value of a purchased savings bond a breeze. You’ll need the bond series, face value, serial number, and issuance date to figure out how much your savings bond is worth.
If you bought a $50 Series EE bond in May 2000, for example, you would have paid $25. At maturity, the government committed to repay the face amount plus interest, bringing the total value to $53.08 by May 2020. A $50 bond purchased for $25 30 years ago is now worth $103.68.
How long must you keep your I Bonds?
A savings bond that pays interest depending on a set rate and the rate of inflation.
A bond with a fixed rate that stays the same for the duration of the bond and a twice-yearly inflation rate. The total rate for bonds issued from November 2021 to April 2022 is 7.12 percent. How do Ibonds make money?
You may be able to avoid paying federal income tax on your interest if you use the money for higher education.
“Education Planning” is a good place to start.
Unless you cash them first, I bonds pay interest for 30 years.
After a year, you can cash them in. However, if you cash them before the five-year period has passed, you will forfeit the prior three months’ interest. (For instance, if you cash an I bond after 18 months, you will receive the first 15 months of interest.)
Is it possible to cash savings bonds that are not in your name?
When it comes time to cash in your savings bonds, as long as you have the necessary documentation, the process will be relatively simple. It’s important to keep in mind that savings bonds cannot be sold, exchanged, or given away. The only person who can cash in the bond is the person whose name is on it (with a few exceptions, which we’ll discuss shortly).
First and first, you’ll need the bond (unless it’s an electronic bond, in which case there’s no step at all). The monies are deposited into your bank account once you cash it in via the Treasury Web site). However, make certain that the bond may be cashed: It’s been at least a year since it was published (some bonds only require a six-month retention period).
To cash a savings bond, what documentation do I need?
If you want to redeem a paper E/EE or I bond, you’ll need a few items. You’ll also need confirmation of identity, such as a driver’s license from the United States. You’ll also need an FS Form 1522 that hasn’t been signed. They’ll see you sign the document and then certify your signature if you go to your local bank or credit union.
The unsigned bonds, along with the signed FS Form 1522 and, if you’re the bond’s beneficiary, accompanying legal evidence or other papers to indicate you’re entitled to cash the bond, should be sent to the US Department of Treasury at:
The same steps apply for series H or HH paper bonds, only you’ll ship the unsigned bonds to the US Treasury at: