More than 75 million Americans own savings bonds, often purchased through payroll withholding plans or received as gifts. All U.S. Savings Bonds stop earning interest at final maturity, forty years or less from the issue date. Presidential Executive Order 13968 – signed December, 2020 – allows for easy recovery.
The total value of unredeemed bonds that have reached final maturity currently exceeds $28 billion. And each year over 15,000 savings bonds and 25,000 savings bond interest payments go undelivered, when the owner moves and fails to provide a forwarding address. With added interest, unredeemed U.S. Savings Bonds can now be worth more than five times the original face value.
Only owners of Series H or HH savings bonds that pay interest by check (less than 1% of all bonds) are notified when bonds reach final maturity. All others, including holders of Series EE U.S. Savings Bonds and family members whose deceased relatives may have owned savings bonds, must take affirmative action to replace or redeem lost or missing bonds.
► To search for lost or unredeemed U.S. Savings Bonds complete the form below:
