How long can you keep EE savings bonds?
You can hold EE bonds for up to another 10 years, during which time they'll accrue additional interest before fully maturing. However, your money isn't guaranteed to double again. EE bonds will stop accruing interest after 30 years at the date of maturity.
Face Value | Purchase Amount | 30-Year Value (Purchased May 1990) |
---|---|---|
$50 Bond | $100 | $207.36 |
$100 Bond | $200 | $414.72 |
$500 Bond | $400 | $1,036.80 |
$1,000 Bond | $800 | $2,073.60 |
EE bonds you buy now have a fixed interest rate that you know when you buy the bond. That rate remains the same for at least the first 20 years. It may change after that for the last 10 of its 30 years. We guarantee that the value of your new EE bond at 20 years will be double what you paid for it.
You can get your cash for an EE or I savings bond any time after you have owned it for 1 year. However, the longer you hold the bond, the more it earns for you (for up to 30 years for an EE or I bond). Also, if you cash in the bond in less than 5 years, you lose the last 3 months of interest.
You can skip paying taxes on interest earned with Series EE and Series I savings bonds if you're using the money to pay for qualified higher education costs. That includes expenses you pay for yourself, your spouse or a qualified dependent. Only certain qualified higher education costs are covered, including: Tuition.
You can receive years of “extra” interest by holding the bond beyond the maturity date, but once 30 years have passed, you won't accrue any extra interest. If you want full value, you should hold the Series EE bonds at least until maturity, and if you want extra, you can hold them until 30 years.
EE bonds earn interest until the first of these events: You cash in the bond or it reaches 30 years old. Therefore, many of these bonds have stopped earning interest. If you moved your EE bond into a TreasuryDirect account, we pay you for the bond as soon as it reaches 30 years and stops earning interest.
After 20 years, the Patriot Bond is guaranteed to be worth at least face value. So a $50 Patriot Bond, which was bought for $25, will be worth at least $50 after 20 years. It can continue to accrue interest for as many as 10 more years after that.
Currently, EE bonds reach full maturity after 30 years, but are guaranteed to double in value in the first 20 years. However, maturity dates for EE bonds used to be less than 30 years.
Where do I cash in a savings bond? You can cash paper bonds at a bank or through the U.S. Department of the Treasury's TreasuryDirect website. Not all banks offer the service, and many only provide it if you are an account holder, according to a NerdWallet analysis of the 20 largest U.S. banks.
Is there a penalty for not cashing in matured EE savings bonds?
While the Treasury will not penalize you for holding a U.S. Savings Bond past its date of maturity, the Internal Revenue Service will. Interest accumulated over the life of a U.S. Savings Bond must be reported on your 1040 form for the tax year in which you redeem the bond or it reaches final maturity.
Key Takeaways. Interest from EE U.S. savings bonds is taxed at the federal level but not at the state or local levels for income. The interest that savings bonds earn is the amount that a bond can be redeemed for above its face value or original purchase price.
If you have paper savings bonds, you can fill out the appropriate form and mail it and the bonds you want to cash to the Treasury Retail Securities Services — the address is listed on FS Form 1522. Additionally, you may be able to cash your paper savings bonds at your bank or credit union.
Series EE bonds mature after 20 years. They are sold at half their face value and are worth their full value at maturity. Series I bonds are sold at face value and mature after 30 years. Interest is added monthly to the bond's value.
EE Bonds must be held for at least one year before they can be cashed. However, it takes between ten to thirty years for the bond to reach its full value. For example, you pay $50 for a $100 bond, but you may wait twenty years for it to be worth $100.
The interest on EE bonds isn't taxed as it accrues unless the owner elects to have it taxed annually. If an election is made, all previously accrued but untaxed interest is also reported in the election year. In most cases, this election isn't made so bond holders receive the benefits of tax deferral.
I cashed some Series E, Series EE, and Series I savings bonds. How do I report the interest? In general, you must report the interest in income in the taxable year in which you redeemed the bonds to the extent you did not include the interest in income in a prior taxable year.
The interest paid on savings bonds when they are redeemed is subject to federal taxation.
The interest your EE bonds earn is generally subject to federal income taxes. But you can wait to pay the taxes until the bond matures or you cash it. Your EE bonds' interest is not subject to state or local income taxes. Using the money for higher education expenses may also help you avoid federal income taxes.
I bonds, with their inflation-adjusted return, safeguard the investor's purchasing power during periods of high inflation. On the other hand, EE Bonds offer predictable returns with a fixed-interest rate and a guaranteed doubling of value if held for 20 years.
Do EE bonds always double in value?
EE bonds earn a fixed rate of interest, but, regardless of the rate, they are guaranteed to double in value if you hold them 20 years. Series I bonds earn a variable rate of interest that is tied to inflation.
EE and I bonds earn interest for 30 years from the issue date. HH bonds earn interest for 20 years from the issue date.
If you have a savings bond that was bought by someone who is now deceased, you can typically cash it by following these steps: Gather Documentation: Collect the necessary documents, including the savings bond itself and proof of the death of the bond owner, such as a death certificate.
Series EE bonds stop paying interest after 30 years or when you cash them in if you do so before 30 years. You are guaranteed a fixed interest rate for the first 20 years on Series EE bonds issued in May 2005 or later.
Series EE savings bonds are a low-risk way to save money. They earn interest regularly for 30 years (or until you cash them if you do that before 30 years). For EE bonds you buy now, we guarantee that the bond will double in value in 20 years, even if we have to add money at 20 years to make that happen.
References
- https://www.treasurydirect.gov/savings-bonds/cashing-a-bond/
- https://www.treasurydirect.gov/savings-bonds/cashing-a-bond/old-bonds-from-other-series/
- https://www.treasurydirect.gov/help-center/savings-bond-faqs/
- https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/111714/how-long-will-it-take-bond-reach-its-face-value.asp
- https://www.vtcpa.com/insights-perspective/how-series-ee-savings-bonds-are-taxed
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- https://www.treasurydirect.gov/savings-bonds/ee-bonds/
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- https://fergusonfinancialinc.com/financial-planning/us-savings-bond-tax-trap/
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