The U.S. Treasury Department introduced the Series E savings bonds on May 1, 1941. The E bond was promoted by a volunteer committee of bankers, business executives, newspaper publishers and Hollywood entertainers, which led to its great success. Tens of millions of families purchased Series E bonds. Considered a durable security, E bonds were the "Defense Bond" of 1941 and the "War Bond" of 1942 through 1945. The U.S. Treasury stopped issuing Series E savings bonds in June 1980 and replaced them with Series EE bonds.
Step 1
Understand the base value of E bonds and how to calculate the accrued interest. The face values for E bonds were $25, $50, $75, $100, $200, $500, $1,000, $5,000 and $10,000. Individuals purchased these bonds at 75 percent of face value, meaning a $100 E bond would have cost $75. These bonds had an initial interest-bearing period of 10 years and were granted two or three 10-year extensions. An unredeemed E bond accrued interest at a market-based yield or a guaranteed minimum investment yield of 4 percent, whichever was greater.
Step 2
Learn how specific E bonds accrue interest and reach maturity. If a guaranteed minimum investment yield is in effect at the start of an original or extended maturity period, it is guaranteed until the end of that period. Unless the guaranteed minimum investment yield changed before an extended maturity period, the interest would compound semiannually, starting with extended maturity periods, which began on or after March 1, 1993.
E bonds purchased between May 1941 and November 1965 earned interest for 40 years and had three 10-year extended maturity periods. E bonds purchased between December 1965 and June 1980 earned interest for 30 years and had two 10-year extended maturity periods.
Step 3
Consult an online calculator to find your final redemption value. Simply enter your serial number and issue date into the savings bond calculator at the TreasuryDirect website. If you have several bonds, you can save your inventory to make multiple calculations easier. As of 2010, the most recently issued E series bonds have reached final maturity and are no longer accruing interest.
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Tips
- The interest a Series E bond is reportable to the IRS when the bond is cashed or when it reaches final maturity, whichever is earlier, unless you have been reporting the interest as it accrues.
- Prior to 2004, a Series E bond could be exchanged for Series H or HH bonds. In this case, the accrued interest of the E bond was included in the price of the bond you received in exchange.
Writer Bio
Kathryn Keep is an eco consultant and full time mother. She is a graduate student studying ecology. Her favorite topics are environmental issues, alternative health, home decorating, green building and general sustainable living.