An issue of national interest

HomePC Magazine – July 1995

Quick: What's that $100 U.S. savings bond you bought in 1986 worth today? Should you cash it in now, or does it make more sense to let it sit a bit longer and redeem the one you bought in 1983 instead?
If questions such as these pique your interest, try the United States Savings Bond Consultant ($29.94,DOS). The program provides current redemption and total interest earned on every U.S. savings bond ever issued, the next date interest will be posted, the date when any bond's interest rate will change, final maturity date and the interest rate each bond now earns.

MODERN MATURITY - April 1996

Life Lines

Savings Bond Software

Do you have a drawer full (or even a handful) of savings bonds and wonder what they're worth but don't know who to ask? A new software program takes the confusion out of those Treasury Department tables and also frees you from the prospect of standing in long bank lines to get dubious information from an uncertain bank employee.

The United States Savings Bond Consultant is a tiny DOS program that puts those tables into your computer and deciphers them for you. Punch in your bond's issue date, series and denomination and, as fast as you can hit F1, you get a printout that tells all: the bond's value, its accrued interest and current interest rate, the next rate change and maturity dates, and the date after which it will stop earning interest. The program will print out a one-page report for every bond you enter, so it's easy to tell which are worth holding, which aren't, and when to sell the bonds so you don't lose interest.
The program costs $29.95 and requires an IBM 386PC compatible or better. Union Information Services, 1540 Route 138, Suite 307, Wall, NJ 07719, or by calling 800-717-BOND [2663] and charging to a major credit card.

~Linda Stern

PC Novice’s Software Review - June 1996

Bond,
Savings
Bond.

One of the most difficult calculations to make is attempting to ascertain a savings bond's value. Usually, your only option is to wait for someone to figure it for you.
THE UNITED STATES SAVINGS BANK CONSULTANT [software] from Union Information Services Inc. makes it easy to obtain exact values of bonds before and after maturity.
The process is simple. A bond owner chooses the series and denomination of the bond and types in the date issued. The program figures the net worth of the bond, as well as the current rate of interest, the total interest earned, the date the bond will next increase in value, and the final maturity date.

For example, we entered a $50 Series EE bond that was issued in December 1989 and bought for $25. The bond currently is worth $35.66, has earned $10.66 in interest, will next increase in value on June 1, and will stop earning interest in December 2019. So what can you do with this information? By comparing interest rates, you can reinvest a bond at a higher interest rate or avoid cashing in higher yielding bonds.

Being aware of the maturity rate can keep you from losing interest when you cash it in. And by knowing the final maturity date, you can be sure to cash in the bond before it stops earning interest.
Although it's a bit pricey at $29.95, comes on DOS diskettes, and requires updates each year (another $24.95), if you have a lot of money in savings bonds and are unsure about calculating interest, this program may be worth the extra investment.

Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine - January 1997

Sorting out your Savings bond:
HERE'S WHERE to get help to guide you through the maze of savings-bonds rules:

The Bureau of the Public Debt. It's internet site, at http://www.ustreas.gov /treasury/bureaus/pubdebt, is chock full of frequently asked questions, explanations, redemption tables and more. You can download a free bond-management program, Savings Bond Wizard, which makes keeping an inventory and valuing your savings-bond

portfolio easier. (You can also download redemption values, available free every six months, that work with the program to update the value of your portfolio automatically.) This site links directly to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York's easy-to-use- online redemption-value calculator.

BOND-Tracking services. Tracking services provide statements that include redemption values and total interest earned as well as current and past yields, when interest is posted, and when bonds will stop earning interest. The U.S. Savings Bond Consultant (800-717-2663), charges from $12 (for one to 20 bonds) to $90 (for 501 to 750).

'New Choices' Magazine - September 1997

SAVINGS BONDS
A Better Deal on an Ultra-Safe Investment In response to declining sales, the Treasury Department has made its new 30-year Series EE savings bonds a much more attractive investment. A $10,000 bond bought before May 1 might have paid about $450 a year; one purchased now will pay interest at an annual rate of 5.68 - $568 - until November 1. That's quite an improvement.
      As of May 1, 1997, the interest rate on Series EE bonds will be announced each May 1 and November 1; it will equal 90% of the average yield on five-year Treasury securities for the previous six months. Better yet, the interest for these bonds will be added each month. The pre-May 1 bonds add the interest every six months, which means someone who wants to sell often has to choose between losing a substantial interest payment and waiting several months to cash out. (One restriction on the new bonds: If they are cashed within five years of purchase, the owner loses three months' interest.)
      Interest on the new bonds is exempt from state and local tax. Federal tax can be deferred until the bond is cashed; even then, all or part of the tax may be waived if the money is used to pay tuition and fees for post-secondary education.

     ...get more detailed information, you can get a complete printout on the status, including past and future interest, of up to 20 bonds for $12 from Union Informational Services [savingsbonds.com] (800 / 717-2663).

Ladies' Home Journal - February 1998

BOND BASICS

n a trip to the bank, you open your safe-deposit box and discover a savings bond you received as a high-school graduation gift. The buyer paid half of its face value when he purchased it however many years ago, but what is it worth today, and should you cash it in? A quick call to a bank will tell you the bond's current worth, but for kind of detailed information you need to determine whether or not to hold on to your asset - for instance, the rate of interest it's currently earning, the date when interest rates will next be adjusted (this happens twice a year) and the date when the bond will cease to mature (typically 30 to 40 years after its issue date) - you'll need to do some serious sleuthing, or use a valuation service. The U.S. Savings Bond Consultant (800-717-2663) provide quick, easy-to-read statements listing your bond's current worth, current interest rate, and the dates of the next and the final interest payments. Fees begin at $12 for one to twenty bonds. All you have to send is the bonds' series, face value and issue date.

-HEATHER CAMLOT

TIMES - February 1997

Knowing how much those bonds are worth - and the best time to cash them - can be a daunting task for even an experienced bond investor. Unless you crave quality time at the finance office, you might want to consider buying the United States Savings Bond Consultant (DOS version, $29.95; Windows, $59.95).

Just type in the bond series, issue date and denomination, and the consultant will calculate its value, interest yield and maturity date. You can order the software by calling (800) 717-BOND (2663) or by visiting its World Wide Web site at www.savingsbond.com/.