Get a list of your US Savings Bonds

Tuesday, September 21st, 2004
Categorized as: Lost or stolen US Savings Bonds

How do I get a complete list of savings bonds that have been issued to my Social Security Number?

Tom’s Response

This can be done, but it requires a signed letter from you. The Treasury wants to make sure that it’s not giving this information away to someone who shouldn’t have it.

Interestingly, if you apply for Social Security benefits that require you have no assets, the Social Security Administration has no trouble getting a list of your Savings Bonds from the Treasury, because the Treasury deems that the SSA is entitled to the information.

What you need to do is send a signed letter requesting the information. At a minimum you need to include your name, your address now, your Social Security Number, and the approximate issue date of the bonds.

However, the Treasury’s ability to search improves if you can also include bond serial numbers (even the numbers from bonds you’re not looking for can help), the names of co-owners or beneficiaries, the series and denomination, your address at time of issue.

If the bond was a gift to you include the giver’s name, address at the time of issue, and, of particular importance, the giver’s Social Security Number.

You will receive a list of your bond holdings, including series, issue date, face value, and serial number. The list won’t include any bonds that have been redeemed, however.

If you’re curious about whether a bond whose serial number you have has been redeemed, ask and they will tell you.

Send your letter to the Treasury at this address:

Bureau of the Public Debt
Accrual Securities Branch
PO Box 1328
Parkersburg, WV 26106-1328

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FDIC Insured Certificates of Deposit can pay 1 or 2% more than savings bonds when held for a similar length of time. See top CD Rates Below:

120 Comments

On March 2nd, 2006 Tom Adams said:

The Savvy Saver blog says:

I just saw this helpful post on Savings Bond Advisor on how to obtain a list of all savings bonds that have been issued to your social security number.

On August 4th, 2006 Barbara T. Proto said:

I am Executrix of my sister’s will, recently passed away, and I found Series E Bond Numbers, no physical bonds,that I believe were our mother’s and stepfather’s. How do I find out what uncashed bonds are in the names and social security numbers of my deceased family members? Thank you

On August 4th, 2006 Tom Adams said:

Barbara - just follow the procedure outlined above. Include the bond serial numbers you have in your letter as well as any other information that would help the Treasury find its records of your family’s Savings Bonds.

Normally the Treasury will only tell you about your own bonds, but if you include a death certificate and evidence that you are responsible for the relevant estate or an heir of the relevant estate, they will give you information about bonds belonging to the estate.

On October 23rd, 2006 Kim said:

How long does the process usually take once you have sent in the information regarding lost bonds?

Kim

On October 24th, 2006 Tom Adams said:

Hi Kim - It’s not unusual for a response to take six weeks, although many come back quicker than that.

It depends on how many other people send in requests the same time you do - there’s a suprising amount of variablity in how many requests the Treasury receives each week.

The number of people handling requests doesn’t change, so when there are a lot of requests it takes longer to get a response.

“Hard” requests, such as searches for bonds issued before 1974 when SSNs weren’t required, also take longer because there are fewer people who have the expertise to do these searches.

On May 25th, 2007 William said:

I had several bonds bought in the 80’s and 90’s from various relatives. I have no idea where they are and what happened to them. What are my odds of having them replaced?

On May 25th, 2007 Tom Adams said:

William - if your Social Security Number is on the bonds, your odds are 100%. However, sometimes gift bonds have the SSN of the giver. In that case, you odds improve if you can give the SSNs of the relatives who gave you the bonds when you make your request.

Tom Adams

On May 29th, 2007 Cheri Ward said:

My daughter received a bond in the mail without any name as to who it was from. How do we know who sent this to send a thank you?

On May 31st, 2007 Tom Adams said:

Cheri - see Who gave us this bond?

Tom Adams

On September 7th, 2007 Mary Ann Johnson said:

My father had bonds in his posession which had belonged to his father. Since his death we have not been able to find the bonds and don’t know if they were ever cashed. Is there any way to track these bonds down and if so can they be paid out to the one remaining daughter or grandchildren.

On September 8th, 2007 Tom Adams said:

Hi Mary Ann - The Executor of your father’s estate should follow the instructions at the top of this page.

Tom Adams

On October 11th, 2007 Anne said:

Many years ago I had savings bonds stolen in a robbery. They were from my grandparents, given to me at the time of my birth. I am a Canadian citizen and they were American, living in Mass. at the time. I do not know either one of thier SSN numbers, and being Canadian I do not have an SSN. What is the likelihood that if I only have names, that I will get any information regarding these bonds? Many thanks for all your help!

On October 12th, 2007 Tom Adams said:

Hi Anne - It will depend on how common your name is. If it’s Anne Smith, for example, your chances aren’t as good as they would be if your name was more unusual. In any case, it’s worth a try.

Tom Adams

On November 30th, 2007 Mandy said:

During our move recently, our file containing our vital records and our family’s savings bonds went missing! My kids have received many savings bonds as gifts from many people. Is it possible to send just one letter to inquire about myself, my husband, and all three of my kids. We have no idea what the serial #s are, the dates of issuance, or the giver’s SSN! Is it hopeless? (and don’t worry - we are getting a safe deposit box)

On December 3rd, 2007 Tom Adams said:

Mandy - the Treasury won’t tell you about someone else’s Savings Bonds. So at a minimum you need to include info about all five of you and have all five sign the letter.

Tom Adams

On March 16th, 2008 Rene Colon said:

How do I use existing savings bonds to pay for my sons education ? He is in a trade school.What are the steps ?

On March 18th, 2008 Tom Adams said:

Hi Rene - you cash the bonds and use the money to pay the bill. If you also want a tax deduction, then see my page on the Savings Bond education deduction.

Tom Adams

On April 1st, 2008 Wendy said:

My grandmother bought a bond for me I believe in 2002. I can not seem to locate it anywhere. How do I go about getting it replaced? My dads name is on it also since I was a minor at the time.

On April 1st, 2008 Tom Adams said:

Wendy - the info you’re looking for is here.

Tom Adams

On April 5th, 2008 towanda bell said:

tom, my x husband bought saving bonds through his job at thiocol ( which made bombs in st mary ga and there was a terrible accident, lots of people lost thier lives) we became divorce and a friend kept those bonds for us, he has long since passed away. i dont know my x ss number. and dont know if he had my ss number on the bonds what can i do.

On April 7th, 2008 Tom Adams said:

Hi Towanda - Since your ex-husband bought the bonds, they would have his SS number on them. Unless he had you named as a co-owner or the court awarded the bonds to you in the divorce, you won’t have any ability to make a claim on them.

Tom Adams

On April 12th, 2008 Dolores E Reed said:

How can I find out how many savings bonds I gave to my grandson?

On April 14th, 2008 Tom Adams said:

Hi Delores - there is no way to get a list of the bonds you have given have gifts. Your grandson, however (or his parents if he is a minor), can ask for a list of his bonds using the information at the top of this page.

Tom Adams

On July 2nd, 2008 terry penske said:

My x-wife bought a stack of savings bonds over 12 yrs. time(while we were married) and they were all in my name. They were never addressed during the divorce ,but they are or were in my name. How do I find out any info pertaining to these bonds . thanks Terry

On July 2nd, 2008 Tom Adams said:

Hi Terry - there’s no special process for your situation. Just follow the instructions at the top of this page.

Tom Adams

On July 8th, 2008 Cindy said:

I have to fill out a prequalification form for a mortgage and it asks for information on any bonds I hold. I remember getting a lot of bonds when I was younger, but any information on them is at my parents’ house and I don’t think they have record of all of them. I don’t know what the serial numbers are, the dates of issuance, or the giver’s SSN. Do you think without this info the Treasury can still provide information to me for all bonds?

On July 8th, 2008 Tom Adams said:

Hi Cindy - the only way to find out is to ask them. It can depend on stuff like how unusual your last name is.

Tom Adams

On July 15th, 2008 Jo said:

Hi Tom,

My grandfather purchase bonds while he was in the war for my mother. I believe it may have been in her mother’s name for her??? Her mom passed away when she was 6 years old and all of her possessions were gone through by other family members. We do not know what happened to those bonds. What do I need to do?

On July 16th, 2008 Tom Adams said:

Jo - the information you’re looking for is on our page about lost Savings Bonds. The more information you can provide the more likely it is they will be able to find a record of the bonds. If they can’t find a record of them, you’re out of luck.

Tom Adams

On August 3rd, 2008 Connie Banks said:

I have about 12 Series EE Bonds where I indicated my niece as beneficiary. I wanted to set up my grand nephew as beneficiary but at the time, he was not born yet. He is now 5 years old and with a social security #. Is it possible to change the beneficiary on these bonds?

On August 4th, 2008 Tom Adams said:

Connie - The information you’re looking for is here.

Tom Adams

On August 5th, 2008 David Root said:

My grandfather purchased my 2 sons a number of savings bonds over the years. My question is since his passing we can not find the bonds that have not been cashed but do know exist. What can I do to find out what bonds and the amounts of the bonds?

On August 6th, 2008 Tom Adams said:

Hi David - What do you want to know that isn’t already in the article at the top of this page?

Tom Adams

On August 12th, 2008 Patricia said:

My ex just informed my college age sons that he cashed in their savings bonds a long time ago. All were in their names. My sons are outraged! Anything we can do legally to get them back???

On August 13th, 2008 Tom Adams said:

Hi Patricia - the information you’re looking for is here.

Tom Adams

On August 15th, 2008 Patricia said:

I have another question though. The bonds were in my kids names only. Each boy had their own set of bonds. The only time we as parents were on the bonds was when we were listed as a beneficiary. He never told them that he was cashing them in, nor was he legally allowed to make any decisions for the boys because he did not have full custody. Was he allowed to cash them?? And where can I get a list of the ones that were cashed? Thanks for all your help.

On August 15th, 2008 Tom Adams said:

Patricia - you can’t normally get a list of Savings Bonds that have been cashed, but when the bonds have been stolen the Treasury will work with you on that.

When doing transactions involving a minor’s Savings Bond, banks are supposed to deal only with the custodial parent, although I’d guess very few of them know that.

Tom Adams

On August 23rd, 2008 britny said:

hello. alright to make a long story short, when I was a baby my grandfather had a savings bond for my cousins and I. He passed away several years ago. I went to the bank where the savings bond was supposably made, and they told me that they cant find any records of it. Some of my family members told me that, my other grandfather visited him in the hospital when he was dying.. and had him sign over all of the savings bonds over to him. he told him that he was his ” lawyer. ” my grandfather didnt recognize any of us before he died.. so im thinking that it could be possible. what can i do?

On August 25th, 2008 Tom Adams said:

Britny - Do you know how much money was involved? It’s not possible to just “sign over” Savings Bonds in a simple transaction - it requires special forms and a bank officer to certify signatures. Even a crook wouldn’t bother unless the amount was at least several thousand dollars.

Also, a Savings Bond can only have two names on it, so your grandfather may have had a Savings Bond he intended to give to you and your cousins, but it couldn’t have had all your names on it. Unless the second name was yours there’s nothing else you can do.

Tom Adams

On August 28th, 2008 Rachel Koza said:

My husband purchased savings bonds through work. He passed away and only his name is on the bonds. How can I cash these bonds.

Rachel Koza

On August 29th, 2008 Tom Adams said:

Rachel - It depends on how your husband’s estate was handled. There’s more info here, or you can use the Ask the Treasury link above and to the right to get them to help you.

Tom Adams

On September 6th, 2008 Jan said:

The courts ordered that all Savings Bonds acquired during the marriage be divided 50-50. How can I be sure that my ex is being truthful the bonds he holds? Is there a way for me to get a list of all bonds issued under ex’s SSN? Can I get a list of any that were redeemed in that SSN?

On September 8th, 2008 Tom Adams said:

Jan - I suggest you use the “Ask the Treasury” link to the right and above to see if they will give you a list of your ex-husband’s bonds in light of the court order. I don’t know what their policy is in this special case.

Tom Adams

On October 3rd, 2008 Amelia Jodar said:

I’m glad I visited this website. It is the perfect answer to my concern. I have been purchasing bonds and it is by automatic payroll deduction.

I had had noticed the irregularity of the arrival of the bonds, and there are years when the number of bonds don’t tally with what I should have received.

I’ll definitely write to the address given above.

Thank you very much.

On October 15th, 2008 Tina Durant said:

My husband died close to forty years ago. He sent saving bonds to me in my maiden name and I was all of 15 at the time. We married in 1971 and he died in 73. The bonds he sent me were destroyed in a fire at my grandparents home in the late 70’s. I donot have his SSN now, nor do I have a death certificate. Will I be able to redeem the bonds? Or is it too late at this point?

On October 16th, 2008 Tom Adams said:

Tina - it’s not too late, but you have to file a claim. Info on that is here. Include a copy of your birth certificate to verify your name. Since the bonds are in your name, you don’t need his death certificate.

Tom Adams

On October 20th, 2008 Chris said:

Tom, while I see that I can get a “list” of all of the savings bonds I purchased, I use Savings Bond Wizard which went south with a disk crash and I’d prefer not to re-enter 500 or so paper bonds into the new SBW I downloaded. I know that SBW can take a .csv file as input, do you know if the Dept. of the Treasury can provide the list in electronic format? (Excel, Word, etc.)

Thanks, Chris.

On October 21st, 2008 Tom Adams said:

Chris - I don’t know the answer to your question, but I encourage you to ask them and let us know what you find out.

Another possibility might be to scan the list they send you and use OCR software to turn it into an electronic file you can convert into a .csv file.

Tom Adams

On October 24th, 2008 Kyle said:

Hello Tom. I as many other individuals want to know about my savings bonds my granparents opened up for me when I was born. They were putting 75 bucks in a year until I was 18. . .then my dad spent them and says he lost them. My over all question is how I can get information I need. Im 22 years old and Im homeless. I wanted to use those bonds to go to college but when I went asking about them, my father said he lost them but I know he spent them. He was always getting new computer crap and got a new truck magically and was never able to afford that stuff before. How do I go about recieving the information Im looking for?

On October 27th, 2008 Tom Adams said:

Kyle - the info you’re looking for is here.

Tom Adams

On November 21st, 2008 Theresa said:

Hi. When my daughter was a baby i bought her a bond. I do not remember where i bought it and i cannot find it. Also her father had supposedly bought her and my son one on each of thier birthdays. They are both over 18 now and i would like to give it to her. Is there anyways I can get ahold of information to give to her? I’m not even sure how bonds work i just remember my mother told me i should get her one and i did but i just forgot all about it. I’m sure it is worth alot now for her.

On November 24th, 2008 Tom Adams said:

Theresa - your kids can follow the instructions in the article at the top of this page to find out the serial numbers of the bonds. Once they have that, they can get the bonds replaced by following the procedure detailed here.

Tom Adams

On December 5th, 2008 RL said:

When I was a small child, my parents and grandparents bought a number of bonds for me. Most are in my name. I’m an adult now. Will I have to pay income tax on the interest if I cash the bonds today?

On December 8th, 2008 Tom Adams said:

RL - yes, after you cash the bonds the bank will send you and the IRS a 1099-INT tax form showing the amount of interest you have earned. You add that to your income on your tax form. For your state income taxes, there’s a place on your state form where you can subtract the amount back out again.

Tom Adams

On December 9th, 2008 arlene said:

i have a question? i bought savings bonds for my grandchildern in my name as some were gifts from where i worked i am 75 years of age and not going to live for ever i want to sign over the bonds to my grande childern thank you for any help you can give me

On December 10th, 2008 Tom Adams said:

Arlene - the information you’re looking for is here.

Tom Adams

On January 21st, 2009 diana weiss said:

Ok I just got a 1099 from my bank for interest of $50.07 on a savings bond cashed in 2/2008. I never cashed in a bond and I don’t even know if i had a bond or not.

It is listed just under my name ( not husbands) and my ss #. What is your comment?

I am recuperating from surgery and can’t make it to bank to ask. My husband went but they can’t give him any info because it is my name.

On January 22nd, 2009 Tom Adams said:

Hi Diana - I think you could handle this over the phone - no need to go to the bank.

I’m just guessing, but I’d suspect that the bank has more than one client with your name. One of them cashed a Savings Bond and the back office realized it needed a SSN. They looked up the client in the system and found you and used your number.

You can point out to the bank, I assume, that they didn’t deposit the proceeds of the bond redemption into your account. So you could ask them to either deposit the proceeds in your account or to reissue you a corrected 1099 showing the interest you earned was zero.

Tom Adams

On March 22nd, 2009 Elizabeth Peterson said:

My husband and I are getting a divorce, I have suspected for a while(filed divorce 1 year ago this month)that he is hiding his cash by buying savings bonds in her daughters’ name. Is there anyway I can find that out?

On March 23rd, 2009 Tom Adams said:

Elizabeth - You would need a court order to get that information, so you’ll need to talk to your lawyer about this.

Tom Adams

On May 4th, 2009 kenya said:

My daugther received Savings Bonds as a baby from her Maternal Grand mother and her Paternal Grandmother. Unfortunately my grandmother died in a fire in her home some of her Savings Bonds were. I am unsure if I have all of her Bonds. Since she is still a minor can I request a list of her Bonds as the article above states.

On May 4th, 2009 Tom Adams said:

Kenya - yes, a parent can make the request for a child. Just mention that in your letter.

Tom Adams

On May 7th, 2009 Allison said:

When a minor turns 18 and still has a bond in his/her name, is it legal for their parent to be able to cash it?

Also, Can a parent cash a bond of a 16-17 year old minor with out a signature from the minor?

On May 8th, 2009 Tom Adams said:

Allison - The problem is that the bank doesn’t know how old the child is.

The bank just has a person trying to cash a bond with a name on it similar to their own. The person says it’s their child. The bank isn’t required to get proof of age of the child.

I believe the age at which a minor becomes an adult varies from state to state, so I can’t tell you an exact age at which this becomes fraud.

Tom Adams

On June 9th, 2009 Cathy said:

I have recieved bonds for my baptism, first communion, confirmation, and my graduation. I am 29 years old now. I have no idea what happened to them. How can I find them?

On June 10th, 2009 Tom Adams said:

Cathy - If you don’t want to take the step outlined at the top of this page, try this page.

Tom Adams

On June 24th, 2009 VICKI said:

I have a very different question. I cashed in an I bond about 3 weeks ago. Just today I received a correction from my bank stating they would be debiting my account. Apparently their back offices re-calculated it as an EE bond, and are now taking the difference out of my account. Is there any way, since I no longer have the bond form (application), to prove it was an I bond other than requesting the list from the treasury?

I know the bank will no longer have the original bond I redeemed, so is waiting for my list to arrive my only fighting chance to get my money back?

On June 25th, 2009 Tom Adams said:

Vicki - although the bank will no longer have the bond, they should have its serial number. The last letters in the serial number (“I”, “E”, or “EE”) denote what kind of bond it was.

If the bank refuses to solve this problem, contact the Treasury immediately, using the Ask the Treasury link above and to the right.

Tom Adams

On July 22nd, 2009 Amy Sudbury said:

I have some savings bonds that I got from work in 2000. I am having the hardest time finding out how to get them re-issued or cashed. Any advice out there?

On July 22nd, 2009 Tom Adams said:

Amy - if your have physical possession of the bonds, the information you’re looking for is here.

If you’ve lost the bonds (or never received them), then you need to go here.

If you have some other problem, then you’ll need to provide me a bit more detail.

Tom Adams

On August 6th, 2009 scott iles said:

question : i purchased savings bonds about 20 years ago or so for my 2 kids. If i am not mistaken the bonds are in the kids name and i am the beneficiary. The bonds were stolen is there any way i can get these back. i know the younger daughters SSN but the older one, since her mother and i are divorced and there is no communication to either the x-wife or older daughter and do not know her SSN what are my chances of getting those replaced as well ?

On August 7th, 2009 Tom Adams said:

Scott - if you can show the bonds were stolen the chance of getting them back is 100%. The information you’re looking for is here.

Tom Adams

On September 7th, 2009 Tiffany said:

I am adopted and while i was still in foster care got a bond. I remember seeing a photo copy of this bond, but haven’t seen it since i was a teenager. I have tried to search for it with my social # but haven’t had any luck. I know the bond had my birth name on it however that got changed and i think my social did also. So do you have any recommendations?

On September 8th, 2009 Tom Adams said:

Tiffany - the best you can do is fill out the form mentioned on my page about recovering lost bonds, get a bank to certify you signature on the form, and send it in with a letter providing any additional information you have that doesn’t fit on the form.

The Treasury doesn’t have anything but what was on the original bond, so whether they will find a record of the bond depends on whether any of the information you provide matches what’s on the bond.

Tom Adams

On November 9th, 2009 Jack said:

I recently found out through the social security administration that I have a savings bond out there somewhere. I am on disability and it could cost me my benefits. I was told I needed to find out as much information as possible about this bond. I am pretty sure it was a gift from my aunt (that was always the gift she gave for birthdays and christmas every year). Without the serial number or date of issue, is it even possible to obtain information about it?

On November 9th, 2009 Tom Adams said:

Jack - Follow the instructions in the text at the top of this page. If they found it for the SSA with nothing but your Social Security Number, they can find it for you with nothing but your Social Security Number.

Tom Adams

On December 16th, 2009 Jacque said:

Hi, I have been trying to help an elder friend recover some bonds lost after 1996. In 12-1996 he inherrited a large amount of payroll deducted bonds and remembers going to the bank and having the bonds changed into his name and ss# and having to claim the interest these bonds had accured and paying taxes on that amount. We have contacted the Treasury Retail Securities twice with information concerning him and his relative who originally purchased these bonds with no results. We included information such as nams, address, ss#, work place,date of birth, date of death, original bank name where bonds where kept, etc. with no results at all. Where or what else can I do now?

On December 17th, 2009 Tom Adams said:

Jacque - When you inherit Savings Bonds, you don’t pay any tax. If your friend paid tax, it means he cashed the bonds.

That would also explain why a.) he doesn’t have them, and b.) the Treasury is unable to find any record of them - once bonds are cashed the records are removed from the file.

At any rate, assuming you’ve filed the lost bond form twice without results, there’s nothing more you can do other than try to start a fraud case against the bank, but given that it’s been 13 years since the fraud would have happened, that’s unlikely to go anywhere.

Tom Adams

On December 23rd, 2009 Stephen said:

Hello. While I was in Bootcamp for the Navy, I had money taken out of my paychecks to pay for savings bonds. I never received the savings Bonds. I still have the pay stub showing the deductions. Is there a way of finding out if the savings bonds were issued and sent to the wrong address or something. Thanks.

On December 30th, 2009 Tom Adams said:

Stephen - The info you’re looking for is here.

Tom Adams

On January 6th, 2010 Grant d. said:

Hi tom, I have recently enrolled into college and was gathering finances. When i called my father, who i do not have a great realationship with,he proceeded to tell me my bonds vanished and that my sisters were all there tho. My sisters have since this gotten there bonds from my father. Is there anyway i can prove he stole adn cashed them since i have never cashed a bond on my behalf ever? sincerely, Grant

On January 7th, 2010 Tom Adams said:

Grant - Start by following the instructions at the top of this page.

Tom Adams

On January 15th, 2010 Luis M Villarreal said:

Question? My mother purchased some US Bonds back in the late 1960’s for her kids, these bonds were never cashed in. If I (Son)send in the request as mentioned above would I be able to get this information from the treasury department?

On January 18th, 2010 Tom Adams said:

Luis - The person who is named on the bonds should make the request. So you would be able to get information on bonds in your name but not on bonds in your mother’s name (unless she has passed, in which case you should include a copy of her death certificate with your request) or in the names of your brothers and sisters.

Tom Adams

On January 22nd, 2010 Pat Gosch said:

For bonds that have been cashed, but do not have serial numbers (EE), would the bank that cashed them still have a copy of the 1099 required for tax purposes? Am trying to track down EE bonds that have been cashed in the past 15 years.

On January 25th, 2010 Tom Adams said:

Pat - you should ask, but I would be surprised if a bank could provide that. Do you have one of those rare banks that hasn’t changed ownership multiple times in the last 15 years?

Tom Adams

On February 1st, 2010 Jessica said:

Hi Tom I have a question for you. My grandfather use to give me saving bonds for my birthday. When I would get them I would give them to my parents to hold for me. I have asked my parents where my bonds are and they both have told me that I don’t have them anymore. I have never cashed them in. Can parents cash the saving bonds without the minor knowing? How do I find if I still have saving bonds?

On February 2nd, 2010 Tom Adams said:

Jessica - yes, a custodial parent can sign for a child, but you should follow the instructions at the top of this page to find out if the bonds have been cashed or not. If not, you can have them replaced.

Tom Adams

On February 2nd, 2010 Cheryl Jones said:

I purchased savings bond through my employer; they were issued between 1969 - 1973. They were sent to my parent’s home but we do not know what my mother did with them. She was ill at the time and could have sent them back or put them away or even tried to cash them. I have filled out a form (which I believe requested my ssn) but have been told they cannot find any bonds. They mentioned E series but since I do not have the serial number, how did they know they were E series bonds. When I sent more information they said they could do nothing further. If I contact the Bureau of the Public Debt with my ssn and parent’s address, will that be enough information to determine what happened to the bonds? If they have not been cashed, will the IRS still consider this unreported income if I can prove I did not recieve them?

On February 3rd, 2010 Tom Adams said:

Cheryl - They must be E bonds because that’s the only type of Savings Bond that was available at that time.

You can try the process outlined on this page with all the information you have.

I wouldn’t worry about a penalty before the bonds are found. If there is one, which is unlikely, it won’t be as big as the 100% penalty you’re dealing with now.

Tom Adams

On February 28th, 2010 ryan vallejo said:

i want to know if we can still get the bonds of my late grandfather..we have the last will of him named to my fathers name,but we think it was illegaly in cash by my aunt using thumb marks while my grandfather is in the hospital under poor mental alertness.thanks!!

On March 1st, 2010 Tom Adams said:

Ryan - Using thumb marks? Your imagination is running wild.

The owner of the bonds has to sign them in the presence of a person who certifies the signature using a stamp that is only available at financial institutions.

And financial institutions wouldn’t certify thumb marks for someone who could sign his name.

Nonetheless, if you think the bonds have been stolen, you should contact the Treasury, which handles this on a case-by-case basis.

Tom Adams

On March 2nd, 2010 David said:

Tom,

I have inherited a savings bond ($5,000) through my father’s estate of which I am also the executor/administrator/power of attorney. What are the proper steps to take to redeem the bond with these credentials? My bank said I need to change the title to my name before they can redeem it but I’m not buying it. What say you? Thanks!

On March 2nd, 2010 Tom Adams said:

David - You are correct not to buy what the bank told you.

On the other hand, it is complicated.

Exactly who is named on the bond? If there is more than one, did your father die last? Is the probate case still open or has it closed? Was the bond specifically mentioned in the will and awarded to you or are you just cashing it as the Executor in preparation to distribute the cash to the heirs? Have you considered having the bond reissued to heirs rather than cashing it? I would need to know all this to tell you which form to use.

Tom Adams

On March 2nd, 2010 David said:

Tom - thank you for your prompt assistance… The name on the bond is his aunt (deceased) “OR” himself. He did die last. The Probate is open. The bond was not specifically mentioned in the will however it is among the general assets that are to be distributed equally to me and my two sisters. I am cashing it as the Executor to handle administrative expenses of the estate with the approval of my siblings. re-issuing the bond is not an option at this time.

On March 2nd, 2010 Donna said:

I purchased Savings Bonds for my Grandchilden listing their father as co-owner. He cannot find them and has not cashed them. There is a chance they could have been cashed by somoneone else. Is it possible for someone other than the co-owner to cash them. I would not think so. Is there a way to get a list of savings bonds purchased for these children listing any that may have been cashed.

On March 3rd, 2010 Tom Adams said:

David - In your situation you should be able to cash the bond at a bank without any special forms, however, you will need death certificates for both the aunt and your father, your own ID, and documentation no more than a year old that the court has appointed you Executor. Based on the experience you’ve had with the bank so far, you’ll also need to insist that they call their Savings Bond contacts to confirm that they are able to certify your signature on the bond after seeing all the documentation and accept it for payment. The bank doesn’t have to give you cash on the spot but will get your money for you within three weeks.

Donna - The owner of the bonds (the children’s father) can follow the process at the top of the page. If you purchased the bonds he should include your SSN in the request, as it may be your SSN that’s on the bonds. The list will not include any bonds that have been cashed. There’s no way to get that information without the serial numbers from the bonds.

Tom Adams

On March 10th, 2010 Mary said:

I mailed in a request for a list of savings bonds issued to me over the past 20 years, and I have yet to recieve a response. It has been well over six weeks. At what point should I assume that they have not recieved my letter? Should I write them again? Thanks!

On March 11th, 2010 Tom Adams said:

Mary - the standard of service is three weeks, although it can take longer when many people ask at the same time. But I think six weeks is long enough to wait before sending in a second request.

Tom Adams

On March 13th, 2010 Leon Ashbrook said:

I purchased savings bonds in the early 1990s. The savings bonds were mailed to me, except for two which were sent to Central Office,which administeres Texas State Hospitals including the one where I worked. Central office returned to savings bonds to the treasury dept - I believe, and I have not been able to locate them. I have the dates of purchase, my ss # and the amount that was taken out of my monthly pay. I still have the pay stubs. How do I find the two bonds that were returned to the treasury dept. My SS# hasn’t shown the bonds in Treasury Hunt.

On March 16th, 2010 Tom Adams said:

Leon - follow the instructions at the top of the page to get the serial numbers on the bonds, then file a lost bond claim.

Tom Adams

On March 19th, 2010 Vince said:

When sending a letter to the Treasury to request a list of bonds, will the list include any that have my name on it regardless of who is the beneficiary, or second name.

I received bonds from relatives over the years, I have a few in my possession and most of them are lost. Some have just my name on them, some have my mother as POD, or my father, grandmother or grandfather. Do I need their signature to request the list, and if they are only POD on the bond do they need to sign a request to have them reissued?

On March 22nd, 2010 Tom Adams said:

Vince - the list will have any Savings Bonds that have your Social Security Number on them. However, gift bonds often have the SSN of the person who gave the bond, not the person who received it. So it can be helpful to provide those SSNs in your letter, then the Treasury will look through bonds with those serial numbers to see if any have your name on them.

You don’t need the signature of the PODs to request the list, but the form for replacing lost bonds requires the signatures of all persons named on the bonds. Moreover, if the person who had the bonds last was not named, that person also needs to provide a statement about the loss.

Tom Adams

On March 26th, 2010 brittney said:

Hello I had a savings bond in my name when I was born Mar. 12 1986 fromo the girl scouts company. I was the first baby born on girl scouts day and they got in contact with my mother while at the hospital and let her know there was a bond in my name.Of course my mother never went and checked on it but she says she gave them my soc.The procedure you gave at the top do you think that is the best way to find out?

On March 29th, 2010 Tom Adams said:

Brittney - Yes.

Tom Adams

On April 5th, 2010 Audrey J Robinson said:

In the seventy’s my late husband and I bought fourteen U S Bonds for our grandson, when he was just a few years old. I had them in a floor safe and after my husband passed away I moved into a mobilehome and took everything out of the safe. I put all the bonds and papers in a safety depoist box and as the years pasted I bought a large safe, when I removed the things out of it and was putting it all in the safe when I noticed the bonds were gone, this was in 2005. I never tried to find them as I didn’t know the serial numbers. I found a old book the other day and I had written all that information on one of the pages. Since he was a minor I had them put in his name and named myse;f as Beneficary. How can I found out if they were cashed? My SSn was on them.

On April 6th, 2010 Tom Adams said:

Audrey - if the information in your book includes the serial numbers, your grandson can find our if the bonds have been cashed by following the process here. If you don’t have serial numbers, your grandson can find out if they’ve been cashed by following the process at the top of this page and submitting all of the information you have on the bonds from your book.

Tom Adams

On April 19th, 2010 Cecilia A. Sparks said:

While documenting a huge list of savings bonds my father and mother acquired for our 9 living siblings, we noted several missing that would have been in one sibling’s name. We are wondering how we can prove whether they were removed by theft. How can we do this if the Bureau of Debt only lists those that have been cashed? These obviously would have been cashed.

On April 20th, 2010 Tom Adams said:

Cecilia - if they were stolen and cashed, you’d need the serial number on the bond to take any action. If they were lost, or taken and not cashed, you can have them replaced. So begin by following the processes outlined at the top of this page.

Tom Adams

On April 21st, 2010 Monica said:

If all my savings bonds were purchased for me when I was a child, do I need proof of my maiden name when I go to cash them in?

On April 22nd, 2010 Tom Adams said:

Monica - yes, you need proof that you are the person named on the bonds. So if the name on the bonds is different from the name on your ID, you’ll need to show why.

Tom Adams

On April 24th, 2010 Sebastian Arana said:

Does the above article apply to Treasury notes, bills, and TIPS as well as bonds?

Thanks, this is great info and I am impressed by your consistently replying to all these comments.

Sebastian

On April 26th, 2010 Tom Adams said:

Sebastian - I don’t think it applies to the marketable securities, which I think are all electronic today, but I’m not sure.

What I’m impressed by is the 73,488 spam comments that have been left on this web site! All were caught and filtered out by the WordPress spam system.

Tom Adams

On April 27th, 2010 D. Trudeau said:

Hi Tom,

Above I read that once a bond is redeemed, the record gets removed. So, as I understand it, if I request a full list of bonds with a social security number, it will only provide me with the bonds that have not been redeemed.

1) Can I get an entire list of bonds that have been redeemed if I don’t have the serial numbers?

2) How can I find out which bonds have been redeemed if the list I request only lists bonds that haven’t been redemeed? (You said you can only find redeemed bonds through the bond serial number, but I don’t have it)

3) Can I find out who cashed the redeemed bonds? (we believe the second person listed on the bond redeemed serveral)

Thanks for your help

On April 27th, 2010 Tom Adams said:

D - To find out anything about Savings Bonds that have been cashed, you have to have the serial numbers of the bonds. Thus: 1.) No. 2.) You can’t. 3.) No.

Tom Adams

On May 26th, 2010 Amanda said:

my grandmother bought bonds for me in my name with my ssn my aunt is the co owner my grandmother has passed and my aunt refuses to give me the bonds and because she is a co owner i can’t have them reissued without her signiture which she will not sign she has physical possesion how do i get these bonds?

On May 27th, 2010 Tom Adams said:

Hi Amanda - The only thing you can do is get on the good side of your aunt. There’s no legal reason for her to give the bonds to you; if she does it, she’ll be doing it out of the goodness of her heart.

Tom Adams

On May 29th, 2010 Jim Anc said:

When I was in the US Army from 1994-1998, I bought savings bond through payroll deductions every month.I had them keep them for safe keeping. I can’t remember where they were kept. I don’t remember the amount of the savings bonds that I bought every month. It was either $25.00 or $50.00 How can I retrieve them and find the amount?

On May 31st, 2010 Tom Adams said:

Jim - the info you’re looking for is here.

Tom Adams

On February 10th, 2015 Kentucky State Treasury - Home | bond-funds said:

[…] GET A LIST OF YOUR US SAVINGS BONDS - SAVINGS BOND ADVISOR […]

Comments Closed

June 1, 2010

After six years, over 400 posts, 3,680 real comments, and over 90,000 spam comments (thank you, Akismet, for making managing a blog with comments possible), I am closing public comments on Savings-Bond-Advisor.com. I will contine to update the main articles on this site, but not the comments.

Virtually every question about Savings Bonds has been asked and answered on this site multiple times. Use the search feature (see the box in the gray area near the top of this page) or the detailed menu on the lower part of the home page to find the information you're looking for.

Tom Adams

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