How To Recover Lost US Savings Bonds?

Complete a Claim for Lost, Stolen, or Destroyed United States Savings Bonds to register a claim for a savings bond that has been lost, stolen, or destroyed (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).

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.

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.

How do I find out whether I have any bonds in my name?

A: Because the Treasury Hunt website is arranged by social security number, it only includes savings bonds purchased from 1974 to the present. That is when social security numbers were first required. If you feel you may be owed money from an older bond, fill out this form or contact 1-800-553-2663 to request a manual search.

A: You will be encouraged to file a preliminary claim if you find a bond for yourself or your family on the Treasury Hunt website.

(Make sure you don’t skip this step.) Since its launch, the Treasury Hunt website has received 350,000 hits based on social security numbers, but only 100,000 people have provided their contact information to collect their bonds.)

A Treasury Department “finder” will then contact you to obtain additional information and investigate your claim. If you are a match, the finder will either mail you claim forms or you can download them from the internet.

A certified signature is required on savings bond claim forms. This procedure entails visiting a bank, credit union, or other financial institution, presenting identification, and signing paperwork in the presence of a bank officer or notary who validates your signature as valid.

Q: Is there anything else I can do if I believe there should be savings bonds in my name but can’t discover any?

A:Yes.

The Treasury Department adds a half million bonds to the database every month when they mature, so check back often.

Q: I suspect I may possess bonds that have not yet matured but which I have lost track of. What is the best way for me to look for those?

A:You can request a bond search by filling out this form or calling 1-800-553-2663. Treasury officials will look into your request depending on the information you’ve provided, such as your social security number.

A: Over the years, the Treasury has issued a variety of savings bond series, each of which is slightly different.

However, the Treasury Hunt search system’s basic series “EE” savings bond worked as follows:

1. You paid half the face value for the bond.

A $50 bond, for example, would cost $25.

2.After 20 years, that EE bond was guaranteed to increase to its face value. As a result, a $25 savings bond would have increased to $50.

3. After that, the EE bond would continue to receive income for another ten years.

4.The EE bond had fully matured after 30 years and was no longer earning income.

As a result, it’s ideal to cash it in or reinvest it so that your money can begin to work for you again.

Q: I purchased savings bonds several years ago but never received them.

How do I go about getting my money?

These are referred classified as “undeliverable” bonds by the Treasury Department.

The answer is to request a manual search once more. You can fill out a request form or call 1-800-553-2663 to do so.

Q: I have a record of the dates and types of savings bonds that I possess.

How can I tell if they’re no longer earning interest?

A: The Treasury Department’s website has charts that will show you.

Still undecided?

The Treasury’s “Bond Wizard” is a good place to start.

The Series H bonds, which were issued from June 1952 to January 1957, pay interest for 29 years and 8 months.

What happens if a savings bond is lost?

You can obtain a replacement electronic savings bond if your paper bond is lost, stolen, destroyed, disfigured, or you never received it. Individual savings bonds are not splittable and must be reissued in their entirety. You can request that your bond be redeemed instead of replacing it electronically.

What is the best way to look up US savings bonds?

The data on all matured savings bonds with Social Security numbers in their inscription has been expanded from around 200,000 to over 4 million records. Visit the Public Debt website, www.treasurydirect.gov, to learn more about Treasury Hunt.

What is the procedure for transferring US Savings Bonds after death?

A certified copy of the death certificate, the bond, and Form 4000, Request to Reissue United States Savings Bonds, must be sent to a Treasury Department retail securities site; they are listed on the website.

Is it possible to check my savings bonds online?

Log in to your TreasuryDirect account to see the current value of your electronic bonds. Check to see whether you hold any bonds. Make sure the serial number you enter is correct. Ascertain that a bond can be cashed.

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).

How can I tell whether my savings bonds have reached maturity?

Check the paper EE bond’s issuing date. The final maturity of the EE bonds is calculated by adding 30 years to the issue date. Check the paper I bond’s issue date. The I bonds have a 30-year maturity from the date of issue.