For Financial Institutions — TreasuryDirect (2024)

FAQs

Is TreasuryDirect a legitimate company? ›

About TreasuryDirect.gov

TreasuryDirect.gov is the one and only place to buy and redeem U.S. savings bonds and other securities directly from the U.S. Treasury!

What is TreasuryDirect? TreasuryDirect is a Web-based system that allows investors to establish accounts to purchase, hold, and conduct transactions in Treasury securities online.

Financial institutions now have the option to not cash savings bonds for both non-customers or new customers. Our Secret Service partners recommend that a customer be established for 12 months before cashing bonds at a financial institution.

Who may certify signatures in the U.S. We require the notary public's seal or stamp. We require the institution's seal or signature guarantee stamp. If the institution is an authorized paying agent for U.S. Savings Bonds, we require a legible imprint of the paying agent's stamp.

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.

Treasury securities are considered a safe and secure investment option because the full faith and credit of the U.S. government guarantees that interest and principal payments will be paid on time.

Information dealing with the purchase, redemption, replacement, forms, and valuation of Treasury savings bonds and securities is located on the TreasuryDirect.gov website which is managed by the Bureau of the Fiscal Service.

TreasuryDirect is a website run by the Bureau of the Fiscal Service under the United States Department of the Treasury that allows US individual investors to purchase treasury securities, such as savings bonds, directly from the US government.

TreasuryDirect is the online platform through which investors can purchase federal government securities directly from the U.S. Treasury.

Another reason to contact your financial institution before heading to a branch is that some banks may not cash all types of bonds.

How much is a $100 savings bond worth after 20 years? ›

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.

To do so, you must fill out Form 5444 , which is designed to prevent fraud when opening the online TreasuryDirect account. The process involves going to go to a bank or credit union to get a seal or stamp of a notary or a "signature guaranteed" seal or stamp to verify your identity.

You fund your TreasuryDirect account through your bank account or by payroll deduction. Securities you buy in TreasuryDirect are electronic, not paper. If you hold savings bonds in paper form, you can convert them to electronic securities in TreasuryDirect.

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.

There's no charge to open an account or to manage your securities. The only money you pay is for the securities you buy—and we don't add a fee to that.

For redemption or other information about U.S. savings bonds, visit the U.S. Treasury Department's web page, www.treasurydirect.gov, or contact their office directly by calling (844) 284-2676 (toll-free).

Further, I-bonds must be held for at least a year, so you won't be able to cash them out before a year is up if the rate plunges due to falling inflation. In fact, you'll lose the last three months of interest if you redeem them before five years are up.