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).
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 long does it take to restore savings bonds that have been lost?
The Bureau of the Public Debt could usually locate down and reissue your bonds within three to four weeks if you had the serial number. However, without all of that data, the procedure could take months.
You can also use the Treasury Hunt tool to discover if the Bureau of the Public Debt has any undeliverable savings bonds for your children or any bonds that are no longer earning interest. Because Treasury Hunt may not have a record of all savings bonds (only Series E savings bonds issued after 1974 that have attained maturity), submitting a form for lost or stolen savings bonds is still necessary.
Even if nothing appears on TreasuryHunt, you can check the Treasury Securities That Have Stopped Earning Interest table to see the status once the bonds are reissued, as most bonds stop earning interest after 30 years, which is right around the age of the bonds you’re looking for.
If the bonds are still collecting income, you can verify their current value using TreasuryDirect.gov’s Calculate the Value of Your Paper Savings Bonds tool.
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.” “Ask for the purchaser’s Social Security number and an estimate of the purchase timeline.”
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, having a paper notarized isn’t enough.”
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 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.
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.
What is the location of my EE savings bonds?
You must submit proof, such as a copy of the death certificate for each deceased person, if the owner or both co-owners have died. Please include this in your request.
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.
How can I get free stock and bond searches?
Go to www.treasurydirect.gov and type in your Social Security number or the name of any family member who may have owned a missing bond. You can start your “Treasury Hunt” to determine if you are owed any money so that you can get it for free.
What do you do with savings bonds that have reached maturity?
Your link has finally matured after three decades of waiting. If you wish to cash in your bonds, you must follow specific requirements depending on the type of bond you have (paper or electronic).
- You can cash electronic savings bonds on the TreasuryDirect website, and you’ll get your money in two days.
- Most major financial institutions, such as your local bank, accept paper savings bonds.
If you can’t find your fully matured paper savings bond, you can have it electronically replaced by going to the TreasuryDirect website and filling out the necessary papers.
You’ll need the serial number of the bond, which serves as a unique identity. If this isn’t accessible, you’ll need other information, such as the exact month and year the bond was purchased, the owner’s Social Security number, and the names and addresses of the bond’s owners. Even if you’ve misplaced the bond, it’s possible to find it with a few efforts.
You can keep your bond after it matures, but you will not get any extra interest. On the one hand, because you can’t spend a savings bond without redeeming it, the value of your bonds is considered “secure.” On the other side, if your bond isn’t redeemed, you’ll miss out on additional sources of interest. With current inflation rates, it doesn’t make much sense to hold a bond that pays nothing and is losing money to inflation every day.
Finally, regardless of whether you redeem your bonds or not, you will owe taxes on them when they mature. In the year of maturity, make sure to include all earned and previously unreported interest on your tax return. If you don’t, you may be subject to a tax penalty for underpayment.