What are my Savings Bonds worth?
Wednesday, June 30th, 2004
Categorized as: Current value of a US Savings Bond
My wife has some Series E savings bonds that were issued between 1970-1978 and given to her by her grandfather. She has 8 $25 and 1 $50 bonds. What are they really worth today?
Tom’s response
All Series E (and EE and I, as well) Savings Bonds that are still earning interest will stop paying interest 30 years from the issue date. This means that some of the bonds you have have stopped earning interest and should be redeemed. You can also redeem all of them – you don’t have to hold them the full 30 years.
You can use the Savings Bond Calculator on our web site to find out their current values.
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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. If you have a copy of Savings Bond Advisor, you can ask me a question here.
Tom Adams
I have entered a $5000.00 face value EE savings bond for 1990. For the last 6 months it is reading the same interest and no change. Why does it not change and it says my bond is making 4% interest. Can you explain why your online calculator is doing this?
I am Maggie
Maggie – For Savings Bonds issued before May 1997, interest is added to the redemption value of the bond every six months. You’ll see your redemption value go up in the month your bond was issued and the month that’s six months later.
Tom Adams
while going through some old papers i found of my parents i foud 2 “postal Savings System” bonds issued in 1949 each are for $1.00 each..are thet worth anything??
Rosemary – the info you’re looking for is here.
Tom Adams
When I use the bond calculator on the US Bonds web site it gives me an interest rate of 5.09% for a $500 I bond issued 11/2001. For a $1000 I bond issue in 10/2001 it still shows 0% interest. This seems odd. When will the new rates that are effective now be shown for this $1000 bond? Thanks
Dennis – see how I bond interest rates work and pay particular attention to the section called Understanding Rate Periods.
Tom Adams
Thank you Tom, finally a clear answer after several failed tries with the OFFICIAL savings bond contact site. Nice work.
I was told at the bank when I went to purchase a savings bond for my grandchild that the government was not paying interest on that bond for six months. Is this true?
Marcia – If you were trying to buy Series I bonds, that was true from May to October 2009, but it’s not true now.
If you were trying to buy Series EE bonds, it was never true.
Tom Adams
I have a bunch of EE bonds that will expire in MAY 2010 and a short while afterwards. Is there a free calculator so I can determine their value and determine when I should cash them?
Bertha – you should cash them at the beginning of the month in which they were issued. So if the bond was issued in March 1980, cash it at the beginning of March 2010. There’s a calculator at the top of this page that will tell you what the bonds are worth this month. Or you can use the Treasury’s Savings Bond Calculator or Savings Bond Wizard.
Tom Adams
I live in Scotland and I have some US Savings Bonds, do you know where I should go to cash them in?
Thanks
Mchelle
Michelle – the information you’re looking for is here.
Tom Adams
On Jan 11, you advised Bertha to cash in bonds at the beginning of th month in which they were issued. Why?
Kriste – because that’s when Bertha’s bonds stop earning interest. It doesn’t make any sense to hold them longer, and it doesn’t make any sense to cash them sooner.
Tom Adams
i just need imformation about a bond that was bought in 1970? i am trying to find out if it is worth anything its face value is $100.00 I need to know if i should look for it. if it worth the time.
Deborah – you can use the calculator at the top of this page to figure out its approximate value. It would be a series E bond.
Tom Adams