The good news is that the Treasury Department launched its “Treasury Hunt” website in 2000, which allows you to look for savings bonds in your name.
All you have to do is enter your social security number, and the site will give you fast results. Here are some additional questions and answers regarding looking for unredeemed savings bonds to help you narrow down your search:
Q: I was given a gift of savings bonds.
Should I look for the bonds using my social security number or the individual who gave them to me?
A: Yes and no.
The Treasury began requesting a social in 1974 when issuing a bond. Gift bonds can be listed in either the giver’s or the receiver’s name.
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.
What is the best way to see if I have any 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 locate misplaced 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).
How do I get money out of savings bonds that aren’t in my name?
If you are not identified as the owner or co-owner on the bond, you must produce legal evidence or other documentation to establish you are entitled to cash the bond, regardless of where you cash it. (Legal evidence is not returned.)
It is important to note that savings bonds cannot be transferred. You can’t cash a bond that belongs to someone else or that you bought on an internet auction site. (See Death of a Savings Bond Owner if you inherit a bond through the death of the bond owner.)
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 search results for your claim from the US Treasury will tell you whether your bond has already been cashed or is still redeemable.
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.
What is the best way to look up a bond?
The Bureau of the Fiscal Service manages the TreasuryDirect.gov website, which contains information on the purchase, redemption, replacement, forms, and valuation of Treasury savings bonds and securities.
Is it possible to cash in my parents’ savings bonds?
If you are now the owner of the savings bonds or if your parent listed you as the survivor beneficiary on the bonds, take them to a bank or other financial institution. In the presence of a bank official, fill out the redemption form on the back of the bonds and sign it. A driver’s license or other form of identification is required. You must also provide proof of death if you are mentioned as a survivor. This is usually done by a verified copy of the death certificate. The bank will redeem the bonds and pay you the proceeds.
Is it possible to cash a savings bond that belongs to someone else?
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).