This page is only about Series EE and I savings bonds. For other bonds:
Cashing in HH savings bonds
Cashing old bonds from other series
For these special situations, you want a different page.
Affected by a disaster
Death of a savings bond owner
Living estates (where a court has appointed a legal guardian for someone who owns bonds)
Trusts (where a trustee wants to cash savings bonds)
You can get your cash for an EE or I savings bond any time after you have owned it for 1 year.
However, the longer you hold the bond, the more it earns for you (for up to 30 years for an EE or I bond).
Also, if you cash in the bond in less than 5 years, you lose the last 3 months of interest.
Electronic EE or I savings bonds
| How do I know how much my bond is worth? | Go to your TreasuryDirect account. Check under Current Holdings. |
| How much can I cash at one time? | Any amount of $25 or more to the penny. If you cash only part of what a bond is worth, you must leave at least $25 in your account. If you cash only part of what a bond is worth, you get the interest only on the part you cash. |
| How do I cash my electronic bonds? | - Go to your TreasuryDirect account.
- Go to ManageDirect.
- Use the link for cashing securities.
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| When will I get a form for my tax return? | The 1099-INT that you need for your tax return will be available in your TreasuryDirect account in January of the year after you cash in the bond. See more in Tax information for EE and I savings bonds. |
Paper EE or I savings bonds
Note: Do not buy savings bonds from someone else or in an online auction site. You cannot cash them. You can only cash bonds that you own or co-own unless you have legal evidence or other documentation that we accept to show you are entitled to cash the bond.
| How do I know how much my bond is worth? | Use our Savings Bond Calculator. |
| How much can I cash at one time? | Note: You cannot cash part of a paper savings bond. A paper savings bond must be cashed for its entire value. At a bank: Banks vary in how much they will cash at one time – or if they cash savings bonds at all. With us: We have no limit on the value or number of savings bonds you can cash at one time as long as the bonds meet the requirements for cashing. |
| How do I cash my paper savings bonds? | Information for special circ*mstances: Cashing savings bonds outside the United States Cashing a young child's bond Cashing your (adult's) bonds in the United States At a bank where you have a bank account: Contact them. Ask: - Will they cash your savings bonds
- How much will they cash at one time
- What identification or other documents do you need
With us: - Get FS Form 1522.
- Fill it out.
- Get your signature certified, if necessary.
(If the value of the bond(s) you are cashing is more than $1,000, you must have your signature certified. See FS Form 1522 for more about the signature requirements.) - Send the form and the bonds to us at the address on FS Form 1522.
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| When will I get a form for my tax return? | At a bank: If a bank cashes your savings bond, they are responsible for getting you a 1099-INT. They may give or mail you the 1099-INT as soon as you cash the bond or they may wait until the following January. With us: If we cash your paper savings bond, we mail you the 1099-INT the following January. See more about tax information for EE and I savings bonds. |
| Can I authorize someone else to cash my bonds? | You can authorize an attorney-in-fact to cash your bonds. See our instructions for an attorney-in-fact. |
| What if I'm not sure if a paper EE or I savings bond has already been cashed or replaced? | If you are not sure because you got the bonds when someone died, see Death of a savings bond owner. Otherwise, check with your bank. They may be able to tell you. If they can't tell you and you are the owner or co-owner of the bond, write to us. |
FAQs
You can get your cash for an EE or I savings bond any time after you have owned it for 1 year. However, the longer you hold the bond, the more it earns for you (for up to 30 years for an EE or I bond). Also, if you cash in the bond in less than 5 years, you lose the last 3 months of interest.
Which is better, I bonds or EE bonds? ›
Bottom line. I bonds, with their inflation-adjusted return, safeguard the investor's purchasing power during periods of high inflation. On the other hand, EE Bonds offer predictable returns with a fixed-interest rate and a guaranteed doubling of value if held for 20 years.
How do I cash a savings bond on TreasuryDirect? ›
Note: United States Savings Bonds must be held for a minimum of one year from their issue date before they are eligible to be redeemed.
- Log into your primary TreasuryDirect® account.
- Click the ManageDirect® tab at the top of the page.
- Under the heading Manage My Securities, click "Redeem securities".
Cons of Buying I Bonds
Potential disadvantages include: Maximum investment each year is $10,000. Yield is taxed as ordinary income. Must open a TreasuryDirect account to buy and sell.
Do you pay taxes when you cash in EE bonds? ›
I cashed some Series E, Series EE, and Series I savings bonds. How do I report the interest? In general, you must report the interest in income in the taxable year in which you redeemed the bonds to the extent you did not include the interest in income in a prior taxable year.
Did you cash any series EE or I saving bonds turbo tax? ›
TurboTax asks whether you cashed Series EE or I U.S. savings bonds in case you qualify for the tax exemption (see Cash Out I Bonds Tax Free For College Expenses Or 529 Plan). Answer Yes if you want TurboTax to check your eligibility.
What are the disadvantages of TreasuryDirect? ›
Securities purchased through TreasuryDirect cannot be sold in the secondary market before they mature. This lack of liquidity could be a disadvantage for investors who may need to access their investment capital before the securities' maturity.
How much is a $100 EE savings bond worth after 30 years? ›
How to get the most value from your savings bonds
| Face Value | Purchase Amount | 30-Year Value (Purchased May 1990) |
|---|
| $50 Bond | $100 | $207.36 |
| $100 Bond | $200 | $414.72 |
| $500 Bond | $400 | $1,036.80 |
| $1,000 Bond | $800 | $2,073.60 |
Series EE savings bonds are a low-risk way to save money. They earn interest regularly for 30 years (or until you cash them if you do that before 30 years). For EE bonds you buy now, we guarantee that the bond will double in value in 20 years, even if we have to add money at 20 years to make that happen.
How to avoid paying taxes on savings bonds? ›
You can skip paying taxes on interest earned with Series EE and Series I savings bonds if you're using the money to pay for qualified higher education costs. That includes expenses you pay for yourself, your spouse or a qualified dependent. Only certain qualified higher education costs are covered, including: Tuition.
You just bought a security from the U.S. Treasury. Securities are generally issued to your account within two business days of the purchase date for savings bonds or within one week of the auction date for Bills, Notes, Bonds, FRNs, and TIPS.
What happens to EE savings bonds when the owner dies? ›
A survivor is named on the bond(s)
If you are the named co-owner or beneficiary who inherits the bond, you have different options for paper EE or I bonds and paper HH bonds. If only one person is named on the bond and that person has died, the bond belongs to that person's estate.
Should I buy I bonds or EE bonds? ›
The upshot: Although EE Bonds were a sound investment, paying 90% of the prevailing yield on five-year Treasuries, while providing their owners the additional benefits of a put option and a tax shelter, I Bonds were far superior.
Can you loss money on I bonds? ›
Boxenbaum, chief financial planner and investment retirement advisor at Statewide Financial Group. “With I bonds, your principal is protected and safe. However, if you cash the bond out before five years, then you will lose up to the last three months of accrued interest.
What are the problems with I bonds? ›
The initial yield is only good for the first six months you own the bond. After that, the investment acts like any other variable vehicle, meaning rates could go down and you have no control over it. And if you wait until, say, 2026 to buy an I bond, the initial rate could be well below current levels.
Do any banks cash EE bonds? ›
You can cash paper bonds at a bank or through the U.S. Department of the Treasury's TreasuryDirect website. Not all banks offer the service, and many only provide it if you are an account holder, according to a NerdWallet analysis of the 20 largest U.S. banks.
Can I cash EE bonds at Capital One? ›
You may need to contact your bank directly to find out what limits it has set or if you can cash in your savings bonds at all. Some banks, including Capital One, don't cash savings bonds at all; others will only do so if you've had an account at the bank for more than 12 months.
How to cash out I bonds? ›
Electronic I bonds can be cashed online through TreasuryDirect.gov. Paper I bonds can be cashed online, or they may be accepted by some banks. If you hold an I bond for less than five years, you'll lose three months' interest.
