When Did Cashing Savings Bonds Become So Impossible? (2024)

Business|When Did Cashing Savings Bonds Become So Impossible?

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/07/business/cashing-savings-bonds.html

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Citing potential fraud, banks are making it increasingly difficult to pay out savings bonds. An unlikely beneficiary is the federal government.

When Did Cashing Savings Bonds Become So Impossible? (1)

When Did Cashing Savings Bonds Become So Impossible? (2)

By Rob Copeland

Rob Copeland, who reports on banks, was unable to cash $800 of three-decade-old savings bonds he received from his parents last year.

Hoping to cash in a paper savings bond that’s been lying around for a few decades? Set aside a lot of time for disappointment.

Those government-backed slips, doled out by generations of well-meaning grandparents to children expecting more exciting gifts, were long thought to be as good as cash. Shaped like dollar bills, savings bonds promise recipients a lucrative lesson in the value of prudence: The longer you keep them, the more interest they accrue and the more they will be worth when you finally cash them.

Of course it doesn’t matter how much something is theoretically worth if you can’t exchange it for money. And in the case of savings bonds, trying to do so increasingly results in a journey into a world of colliding, inconsistently enforced bank policies.

Like all bonds, savings bonds are essentially a loan, in this case, to the federal government. Though the paper slips may be labeled $100, they cost the purchaser only $50. The higher face value includes interest the loan accrues over years, which generally doubles the value of the bond over two decades and allows the holder to be paid out at the higher sum.

If this sounds simple, it should be, but since you’re lending to the U.S. government, the last step gets tricky. You can’t just waltz into any government building and demand your money. (Until 1977, post offices sold bonds, but never redeemed them.) You can either send your savings bonds to the Treasury — more on that later — or try cashing them at a bank.

The fine print on the back of savings bonds usually reads, “payable by any financial institution.” Hence, any bank should do.

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When Did Cashing Savings Bonds Become So Impossible? (2024)

FAQs

Why can't I cash my savings bonds? ›

You likely can't cash damaged or altered bonds anywhere. If you have a paper savings bond but your bank can't cash it, you'll need to redeem it online at TreasuryDirect or at a financial institution that will cash savings bonds for non-account holders.

Is there a penalty for not cashing an EE bond after 30 years? ›

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.

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

Although they technically mature after 20 years, these bonds actually don't expire for 30 years. You'll keep earning interest for an extra decade. As long as you cash in your bond at the maturity date, you can guarantee your investment will double.

Can you still cash EE bonds at a bank? ›

Banks and credit unions can redeem savings bonds over the counter.

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.

How do I avoid taxes when cashing in 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.

What is a $100 savings bond 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 expire after 30 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.

How much is a $50 savings bond worth? ›

Total PriceTotal ValueTotal Interest
$50.00$69.94$19.94

Can I cash my deceased parents' savings bonds? ›

TO CASH BONDS FOR A DECEDENT'S ESTATE:

Series EE, Series E, and Series I bonds can be cashed at a local financial institution. Some of these transactions may have to be forwarded for further processing. Series HH and Series H bonds must be sent to one of the addresses shown at the bottom of the following page.

What is the best way to cash in savings bonds? ›

If you have paper savings bonds, you can fill out the appropriate form and mail it and the bonds you want to cash to the Treasury Retail Securities Services — the address is listed on FS Form 1522. Additionally, you may be able to cash your paper savings bonds at your bank or credit union.

What can you do with a 30 year old savings bond? ›

If your savings bond from a Series other than EE, I, or HH has finished its interest-earning life, you could cash it and use the money for something else – a project, a financial need, or a new investment like an interest-earning savings bond or other Treasury security.

Does cashing EE bonds count as income? ›

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.

What documents do I need to cash a savings bond? ›

In addition to the bonds, you'll need to provide proof of identity, like a United States driver's license, and partner with a notary to notarize and certify your signature on an unsigned FS Form 1522 to your local bank or credit union.

Can I cash EE bonds at Capital One? ›

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.

What happens to EE bonds after 30 years? ›

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.

How much is a $100 savings bond 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

What is the easiest way to cash savings bonds? ›

If you have paper savings bonds, you can fill out the appropriate form and mail it and the bonds you want to cash to the Treasury Retail Securities Services — the address is listed on FS Form 1522. Additionally, you may be able to cash your paper savings bonds at your bank or credit union.

How do I withdraw money from a savings bond? ›

You can redeem a savings bond online at the Treasury Department's TreasuryDirect website, by mail or at your local bank or credit union, if they offer the service. Your savings bond must be at least a year old, and you'll need government-issued identification to prove that the bond is yours.

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