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Savings Bond Information Center >
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Savings Bond Questions
- Based on years of answering countless
questions, we have found these to be the most often asked questions - review and enjoy. If
you have any other questions, please feel free to contact us by email at jquinn@savingsbonds.com
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- Q: What do I do about
a lost, destroyed or stolen bond?
A: Good News, a recent NEW SERVICE provided by SavingsBonds.com cuts down on the long reading of government forms, and walks you through the application process of replacing your bonds. Search for your Lost Savings Bond right now!
After you complete your on-line application it is reviewed by a Savings Bond Consultant. We'll include suggestions/comments to achieve the best results. Here's even better news, the bonds continued to earn interest during the period that they were missing. Remember - a Savings Bond Consultant will review it and make comments or suggestions, a complete and accurate application may help recover our lost treasure!
What do I do if I never received a bond that
I recently purchased?
This situation is different than a lost or stolen bond (noted above) and requires a different form, called "Claims for Relief on Account of Loss, Theft or Destruction of United States Savings Bonds After Valid Issue But Prior to Receipt by Owner, Co-Owner or Beneficiary", or form PDF 3062.
The issuing bank (where you purchased the bond) is expected to keep the issue information on file for six months. You should go to the bank and request that they provide you with a claim form, fill out the required information, and then it must be signed by all those named on the missing bond.
Minors must also sign the form if they are named on the bond.
- Other Helpful Hints:
- If the bond was issued by your payroll
savings plan, contact the payroll
- department. If six months have passed since
issuance, contact the bank
- where the bond was issued/purchased. The
bank should be able to help
- you locate the bond record. The Bond
Consultant suggests that you bring
- a copy of the receipt of payment (or a
canceled check) as proof of
- payment and the date of purchase.
- Q: How long will
it take for my bonds to reach it's face value?
- A: Once again, this answer depends on when
the bond was issued. We broke down when a bond reaches its original maturity and when it
goes into an "extension" by years. An extension is the term used for the 10 year
period after the bond reaches its original maturity. A bond may enter into an additional
10 year extension. However a bond will never earn interest for more than 30 or 40 years
(depending on the issue date of the bond).
- PRIOR TO NOVEMBER 1982:
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- Original Maturity Dates for E Bonds
| Issued from |
Issued to |
Time to mature |
| May 1941 |
April 1952 |
10 Years |
| May 1952 |
January 1957 |
9 years 8 months |
| February 1957 |
May 1959 |
8 years 11 months |
| June 1959 |
November 1965 |
7 years 9 months |
| December 1965 |
May 1969 |
7 years |
| June 1969 |
November 1973 |
5 years 10 months |
| December 1973 |
June 1980 |
5 years |
Original maturity Dates : EE Bonds
| Issued from |
Issued to |
Time to mature |
| January 1980 |
October 1980 |
11 years |
| November 1980 |
April 1981 |
9 years |
| May 1981 |
October 1982 |
8 years |
Original maturity Dates : Savings Notes
| Issued from |
Issued to |
Time to mature |
| Anytime |
Anytime |
4 years 6 months |
Extension rules for pre-1982 bonds: Bonds
will enter into a 10 year extension. The bond will increase in value every six months from
the original maturity date (see above). The bond may enter into a second 10 year
extension, not to exceed 30 or 40 years, depending on the issue date.
Bonds Issued from November 1982
through April 1995
Original Maturity Dates
| Issued from |
Issued to |
Time to mature |
| November 1982 |
October 1986 |
10 Years |
| November 1986 |
February 1993 |
12 Years |
| March 1993 |
April 1995 |
18 Years |
| June 1959 |
November 1965 |
7 years 9 months |
| December 1965 |
May 1969 |
7 years |
| June 1969 |
November 1973 |
5 years 10 months |
| December 1973 |
June 1980 |
5 years |
Extension rules for November 1982 through
April 1995: Bonds will enter into a first extension for 10 years. On the second extension,
the bond earns interest until it reaches 30 years old. During the seconds extension, the
guaranteed minimum interest rate value is re-calculated. It begins by determining what the
bond will be worth at the end of the first maturity period and then applies the rate that
was in effect when the second maturity period was entered for each interest period.
EE BONDS ISSUED SINCE MAY 1995: Since
interest rates can change every six months, it is virtually impossible to predict when
your bond will reach it’s original maturity (face value). A brief guideline is if the
bond was earning an average rate of 5% per year, it would take approximately 14 1/2 years
to reach face value. A bond earning interest at a rate of 6%, compounded semi-annually
would take no more than 12 years to reach face value.
GOOD NEWS! EFFECTIVE MAY 1, 2004, BONDS ARE
GUARANTEED TO BE WORTH AT LEAST IT'S FACE VALUE AT 20 YEARS. THE TREASURY WILL MAKE A
ONE TIME ADJUSTMENT TO BE CERTAIN THAT YOUR BOND WILL REACH ITS FACE VALUE IF INTEREST
RATES WERE TOO LOW.
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