1980 through April 1995 — TreasuryDirect (2024)

EE bonds interest rates for bonds issued from 1980 through April 1995

EE bonds earn interest until the first of these events: You cash in the bond or it reaches 30 years old. Therefore, many of these bonds have stopped earning interest.

If you moved your EE bond into a TreasuryDirect account, we pay you for the bond as soon as it reaches 30 years and stops earning interest.

If you still have a paper EE bond, check the issue date. If that date is more than 30 years ago, it is no longer increasing in value and you may want to cash it. See Cashing EE and I savings bonds.

To find out how much your paper EE savings bond is worth, use our Savings Bond Calculator.

The calculator will also tell you

  • when the bond stopped or will stop earning interest (Final Maturity)
  • if the bond is still earning interest, when we will next add that interest (Next Accrual)

How did (does) my bond increase in value?

The original price of EE bonds that we sold from 1980 through April 1995 was one-half its face value. (For example, a $50 bond cost $25.)

The bond started to earn interest on its cost (not on its face value).

We added interest to the bond either every month or every six months. Also, every sixth month from issue, we began applying the bond’s interest rate to a new value: the sum derived from taking the bond’s previous value and adding the total interest the bond earned in the following six months.

This is called semiannual compounding. With it, your money has been growing not just from the interest percentage but from the fact that the interest is calculated on a growing balance.

If the bond is still earning interest, we continue this semiannual compounding.

How do we figure the interest rate for these bonds?

EE bonds that we issued before May 1995 earned (or are still earning) interest in one of 2 ways, either

  • at a guaranteed rate or rates
  • at a market-based rate (85% of 6-month averages of 5-year Treasury security yields)

For each bond, we calculate which of these 2 ways gives the bond its highest value if we use that way by itself over the entire time you have held the bond.

Understanding the 2 ways we figure interest

Sometimes it helps to think about how these savings bonds earn interest by seeing 2 parallel, but entirely separate and independent, interest-earning paths, both starting on a certain date.

For EE bonds issued from November 1982 through April 1995, that date is the issue date of the bond.

  • On one path, the bond earns interest only at a guaranteed rate or rates for the entire period.
  • On the other path, the bond earns interest only at market-based rates for the entire period.

In other words, we compare the cumulative effect of applying only market-based rates for the entire period to the cumulative effect of applying only the guaranteed rate(s) for that entire period.

Knowing the guaranteed interest rate(s) for my bond

The easiest way to find out how much an EE bond from before May 1995 is worth is to use the Savings Bond Calculator.

If you want to figure out for yourself or to understand how your bond grew in value by the guaranteed interest rate path, you will be interested in this information. Each EE savings bond from this period had an original guaranteed rate that lasted for 9 to 18 years. It then had a new guaranteed rate for all its years after that until it stopped earning interest.

Part 1: Interest during the original maturity period. The guaranteed rate depends on the date we issued the bond because that gives the bond's original maturity period and the rate we guaranteed for that time.

This table tells you the rates and length of time the bonds earned that rate:

EE bond issue date Overall rate of return
originally guaranteed for
original maturity period
Original maturity period
March 1993 – April 1995 4% per year,
compounded semiannually
18 years
November 1986 – February 1993 6% per year,
compounded semiannually
12 years
November 1982 – October 1986 7.5% per year,
compounded semiannually
10 years
May 1981 – October 1982 9% per year,
compounded semiannually
8 years
November 1980 – April 1981 8% per year,
compounded semiannually
9 years
January 1980 – October 1980 7% per year,
compounded semiannually
11 years

Part 2. Interest rate after the original maturity date. The rate could change after the original maturity date. Bonds that entered an extended maturity period from May 1989 through February 1993 had a guaranteed minimum rate of 6 percent during that extended maturity period. All other extended maturity periods (including ones ongoing today) have had a guaranteed rate of 4 percent.

What is the market-based rate for bonds that we issued before May 1995?

Every May 1 and November 1, we calculate the market rate to apply to these EE bonds.

We base the rate on the 5-year Treasury securities yield and then set the rate this way:

  • Take 85 percent of the average of these yields for the applicable earning period.
  • Round the rate to the nearest one-hundredth of one percent for bonds issued May 1989 and later, and for bonds and notes which entered an extended maturity period on or after that date. Otherwise, round the rate to the nearest one-quarter of one percent.

We then apply the resulting rate to the entire period for which the bond is entitled to market-based earnings.

Date we set the market rate for these EE bonds 5-year Treasury securities yield we use to set the rate
Remember that we take 85% of this number and then round it, as we describe above.
November 1, 2023 4.21%
May 1, 2023 3.79%
November 1, 2022 3.32%
May 1, 2022 1.78%
November 1, 2021 0.86%
May 1, 2021 0.58%
November 1, 2020 0.31%
May 1, 2020 1.20%
November 1, 2019 1.74%
May 1, 2019 2.56%
November 1, 2018 2.84%
May 1, 2018 2.42%
November 1, 2017 1.84%
May 1, 2017 1.87%
November 1, 2016 1.19%
May 1, 2016 1.46%
November 1, 2015 1.55%
May 1, 2015 1.50%
November 1, 2014 1.65%
May 1, 2014 1.58%
November 1, 2013 1.32%
May 1, 2013 0.76%
November 1, 2012 0.70%
May 1, 2012 0.90%
November 1, 2011 1.32%
May 1, 2011 1.97%
November 1, 2010 1.67%
May 1, 2010 2.40%
November 1, 2009 2.43%
May 1, 2009 1.83%
November 1, 2008 3.12%
May 1, 2008 3.04%
November 1, 2007 4.57%
May 1, 2007 4.61%
November 1, 2006 4.88%
May 1, 2006 4.56%
November 1, 2005 4.01%
May 1, 2005 3.80%
November 1, 2004 3.61%
May 1, 2004 3.16%
November 1, 2003 2.90%
May 1, 2003 2.96%
November 1, 2002 3.61%
May 1, 2002 4.40%
November 1, 2001 4.52%
May 1, 2001 5.00%
November 1, 2000 6.16%
May 1, 2000 6.36%
November 1, 1999 5.77%
May 1, 1999 4.79%
November 1, 1998 5.11%
May 1, 1998 5.62%
November 1, 1997 6.21%
May 1, 1997 6.31%
November 1, 1996 6.51%
May 1, 1996 5.70%
November 1, 1995 6.08%
May 1, 1995 7.42%
November 1, 1994 6.96%
May 1, 1994 5.53%
November 1, 1993 5.00%
May 1, 1993 5.62%
November 1, 1992 5.93%
May 1, 1992 6.56%
November 1, 1991 7.50%
May 1, 1991 7.73%
November 1, 1990 8.46%
May 1, 1990 8.25%
November 1, 1989 8.21%
May 1, 1989 9.19%
November 1, 1988 8.65%
May 1, 1988 8.12%
November 1, 1987 8.44%
May 1, 1987 6.87%
November 1, 1986 7.13%
May 1, 1986 8.26%
November 1, 1985 9.83%
May 1, 1985 11.17%
November 1, 1984 12.87%
May 1, 1984 11.71%
November 1, 1983 11.04%
May 1, 1983 10.17%
November 1, 1982 13.05%
1980 through April 1995 — TreasuryDirect (2024)

FAQs

What would a $50 savings bond be worth after 30 years? ›

How to get the most value from your savings bonds
Face ValuePurchase Amount30-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

Do savings bonds double every 7 years? ›

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.

Do EE bonds really double in 20 years? ›

EE bonds you buy now have a fixed interest rate that you know when you buy the bond. That rate remains the same for at least the first 20 years. It may change after that for the last 10 of its 30 years. We guarantee that the value of your new EE bond at 20 years will be double what you paid for it.

How do I access old savings bonds? ›

The U.S. Treasury keeps a record of each U.S. savings bond's original owner, and offers a partially-complete online listing of those owners' bonds. Using the owner's social security number, you can search for unclaimed U.S. savings bonds, or file a claim for one, by going to the U.S. Treasury's Treasury Hunt webpage.

Should I wait 30 years to cash in savings bonds? ›

Most savings bonds stop earning interest (or reach maturity) between 20 to 30 years. It's possible to redeem a savings bond as soon as one year after it's purchased, but it's usually wise to wait at least five years so you don't lose the last three months of interest when you cash it in.

How much is a $500 savings bond from 1986 worth? ›

A $500 savings bond with a picture of Alexander Hamilton that was issued in April 1986 was worth $1,130.60 as of December. The next interest payment is in April 2016. All bonds bought in 1986 are currently earning 4 percent until their final maturity date.

What will 50000 be worth in 20 years? ›

After 20 years, your $50,000 would grow to $67,195.97. Assuming an annual return rate of 7%, investing $50,000 for 20 years can lead to a substantial increase in wealth.

How much do I need to invest to make 4000 a month? ›

Too many people are paid a lot of money to tell investors that yields like that are impossible. But the truth is you can get a 9.5% yield today--and even more. But even at 9.5%, we're talking about a middle-class income of $4,000 per month on an investment of just a touch over $500K.

Which US savings bond is guaranteed to double in value in 20 years? ›

If you purchase a Series EE bond today, you are guaranteed to earn a fixed interest rate for 20 years, which is when the bond matures. At 20 years, the government ensures that you will be paid double the face value of the bond.

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.

What is better, EE or I bond? ›

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.

Is there a penalty for not cashing in matured EE savings bonds? ›

While the Treasury will not penalize you for holding a U.S. Savings Bond past its date of maturity, the Internal Revenue Service will. Interest accumulated over the life of a U.S. Savings Bond must be reported on your 1040 form for the tax year in which you redeem the bond or it reaches final maturity.

How do I find out if my savings bonds are still valid? ›

With your Social Security Number (or Taxpayer Identification Number) or name and state, you can use our Treasury Hunt search to see if you have any savings bonds listed in our database. If you do, you'll get information on how to claim and cash them.

What happens to uncashed savings bonds? ›

For those fully matured bonds remaining unredeemed, there is no active program by the Bureau to locate the bondholders and pay them the proceeds to which they are entitled. Traditionally, it has been up to the registered owner to remember to redeem the matured bond decades after the initial purchase.

Do old savings bonds expire? ›

Series I savings bonds, commonly referred to as "I Bonds," fully mature after 30 years. However, you can redeem them as early as one year after purchase. If you do redeem them early, you'll give up the last three months of interest, so you'll need to make sure you really need the money if you want to cash out early.

What is the average bond return for 30 years? ›

30 Year Treasury Rate is at 4.78%, compared to 4.82% the previous market day and 3.76% last year. This is higher than the long term average of 4.74%.

How much is a $50 Patriot bond worth after 20 years? ›

After 20 years, the Patriot Bond is guaranteed to be worth at least face value. So a $50 Patriot Bond, which was bought for $25, will be worth at least $50 after 20 years. It can continue to accrue interest for as many as 10 more years after that.

What is a $50 savings bond worth today? ›

Total PriceTotal ValueYTD Interest
$50.00$69.94$3.08

Do I bonds double in 30 years? ›

EE Bond and I Bond Differences

The interest rate on EE bonds is fixed for at least the first 20 years, while I bonds offer rates that are adjusted twice a year to protect from inflation. EE bonds offer a guaranteed return that doubles your investment if held for 20 years. There is no guaranteed return with I bonds.

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