To file a claim for a savings bond that is lost, stolen, or destroyed, complete a Claim for Lost, Stolen, or Destroyed United States Savings Bonds (FS Form 1048). (FS Form 1048). Please sign the form in the presence of a certifying officer who is authorized to do so (available at a bank, trust company, or credit union).
Where can I look for my uncashed savings bonds?
To look for uncashed savings bonds in your name, go to the Treasury Department’s TreasuryDirect website. To see results, enter your social security number or Employee Identification Number (EIN) into the Treasury Hunt page’s search area and click the “Search” button.
Is it possible to cash a savings bond without the bond itself?
- Whether you have a local bank account and it accepts savings bonds, inquire if it will accept yours. The answer may depend on how long you’ve held an account there. If the bank will cash for you, find out what dollar limit, if any, it has on redemptions and what identity and other documentation you need.
- Send them, 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.
Is it possible to look for savings bonds by name?
The TreasuryDirect service maintained by the federal government can help you discover any outstanding or unclaimed savings bonds in your name.
How do I locate missing bonds?
You can verify if you have any lost bonds before submitting anything, according to Leslie H. Tayne, founder of the Tayne Law Group. “Treasuryhunt.gov, which lists matured, uncashed savings bonds, is a shortcut you can employ to find lost savings bonds,” Tayne explains.
Treasury Hunt is an online service provided by the Treasury Department. In 2017, the tool was retired, but it was resurrected in 2019.
Fill out Form 1048
Fill out Form 1048, “Claim for Lost, Stolen, or Destroyed United States Savings Bonds,” on the US Treasury’s website at treasurydirect.gov to look for lost savings bonds.
Tayne advises, “Fill out as much of the form as possible.” “Try to collect the Social Security numbers of the purchaser and expected period of the purchase.
Verify for your form
Don’t just sign your form after you’ve completed it to the best of your ability. It must be accredited. This isn’t easy, according to Justin Pritchard, a financial consultant at Approach Financial. “Getting your signature validated is the most difficult element of the procedure,” Pritchard explains. “To finish the process, you’ll need a signing guarantee or another appropriate kind of documentation. Unfortunately, a notarized paper is not sufficient.
Go to your local financial institution, such as a bank or credit union, to have your form confirmed. You will sign the form and have it confirmed by the institution’s certifying officer rather than a notary. Make an appointment with your bank or other financial institution ahead of time to see whether they have a certifying officer.
What happens to savings bonds that aren’t claimed?
The majority of savings bonds have a 20- to 40-year original maturity. The Bureau does not notify bondholders when savings bonds reach their final maturity and stop earning interest. The Bureau has no active program to find bondholders and pay them the proceeds to which they are due for fully matured notes that have not been redeemed. The registered owner has traditionally been responsible for remembering to redeem the matured bond decades after the initial purchase. As a result, the US Treasury holds around $26 billion in matured savings bonds that have gone unclaimed.
Is it possible to tell whether a savings bond has been cashed?
Perform an internal search for “Fiscal Service Form 1048 (Claim for Lost, Stolen, or Destroyed United States Savings Bonds)” on TreasuryDirect.gov. This form also provides extensive instructions that will guide you through the process of filing your claim step by step. The U.S. Treasury’s search results of your claim will let you know if your bond has already been cashed or if it’s still redeemable.
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, you obviously need the bond itself (if it’s an electronic bond, there’s basically 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).
What is the best way to see if I have any savings bonds?
COMPLETE YOUR HOMEWORK: Look around your home for any signs of uncashed savings bonds. Check to see if the paper certificates have matured if you find them. 2. Go to the Treasury Department’s Web site to double-check if you have an outstanding savings bond in your name.
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: