FAQs
All Series EE bonds reach final maturity 30 years from issue. Series EE savings bonds purchased from May 1995 through April 1997 increase in value every six months.
When should I cash in EE savings bonds? ›
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.
How much is a $50 Patriot bond worth after 20 years? ›
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.
Do EE bonds really double in 20 years? ›
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.
Can you still cash EE bonds at a bank? ›
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.
Should you cash in EE bonds before maturity? ›
It's a good idea to hang on to your bond for as long as possible, ideally until it matures, so you can take full advantage of compound and accrued interest. Here's how that decision might pay off with EE bonds. Let's say you purchased the maximum of $10,000 in EE bonds today, with the current interest rate of 2.10%.
Do you pay taxes when you cash in EE bonds? ›
If you hold savings bonds and redeem them with interest earned, that interest is subject to federal income tax and possibly federal gift taxes (highly unlikely as the per-person cap is $10,000 and the gift tax exemption is $17,000).
Are EE bonds taxed when cashed? ›
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.
Is cashing in EE bonds taxable? ›
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.
Maturity dates for Series EE bonds
At 20 years, the government ensures that you will be paid double the face value of the bond. Although they technically mature after 20 years, these bonds actually don't expire for 30 years. You'll keep earning interest for an extra decade.
Do Series EE bonds pay interest after 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.
Do you have to cash EE bonds after 30 years? ›
Can I cash it in before 30 years? You can cash in (redeem) your EE bond after 12 months. However, if you cash in the bond in less than 5 years, you lose the last 3 months of interest.
Do EE bonds mature in 30 years? ›
Current Series EE bonds mature after 30 years, but they are guaranteed to double in value in the first 20 years during which time the interest rate is fixed.