Savings bonds were once one of the most popular forms of investing. The concept was simple: you paid $25 for a $50 savings bond. Though many years needed to pass by for the bond to reach the full face value, the concept was easy to understand and readily available simply by walking in to a bank. You might have a stash of savings bonds sitting around that you have been collecting and holding on to for years. IF so, you can now quickly and easily find the value of your bonds.
Step 1
Gather all savings bonds and organize them by type. You will need to make piles for E, EE, I and Savings Notes. Divide the bonds accordingly as each type has a different maturity schedule.
Step 2
Search by your Social Security number via the portal made available through the U.S. Treasury Department, called Treasury Hunt, to determine if you have other bonds that have been issued in your name. According to the U.S. Treasury Department, more than $14 billion in outstanding savings bonds are available to be cashed. This means you might have additional bonds you have lost, forgotten about or that have been destroyed over the years.
Step 3
Determine the value of each savings bond you have. Use the tool made available through the U.S. Treasury Department to determine the cash value of your bonds. You need to enter the type or series of bond (I, E, EE or savings note), the bond denomination amount, the issue date and the serial number. All information required to value each savings bond is found on the front of the bond itself.
References
Resources
Tips
- You can only cash in $1,000 worth of savings bonds per day, so plan accordingly if you want to cash in a large amount of bonds all out once.
Warnings
- Avoid misplacing bonds by keeping them in a fireproof safe. Write down the serial number for each savings bond and store the numbers in a different place.