How to find your savings bond's current value

The U.S. Department of the Treasury maintains a free tool called the Savings Bond Calculator that tells you exactly what your bond is worth right now. You enter the bond series (Series EE, Series I, or Series HH), the issue date printed on the bond itself, and the denomination — and it shows you the current redemption value.

You can access this calculator at treasurydirect.gov under the "Savings Bonds" section. The value it shows is what you would receive if you cashed the bond in today. The calculator updates monthly when the Treasury announces new interest rates, so the value you see changes depending on when you check.

If you cannot find your bond or do not have the exact issue date, you can still get a rough estimate by knowing the series and the year it was issued. The Treasury website also publishes historical redemption value tables for each series going back decades.

Key Takeaways

  • The Treasury's Savings Bond Calculator at treasurydirect.gov shows your bond's exact current value when you enter the series, issue date, and denomination.
  • Series EE bonds earn interest monthly and reach face value at 20 years; Series I bonds adjust for inflation every six months; Series HH bonds stopped being sold in 2004.
  • Your bond's value grows whether you hold it or not, but you only receive the money when you redeem it at a bank or through TreasuryDirect.
  • Bonds redeemed before five years have passed lose the last three months of interest; after that, there is no penalty for early redemption.

How Series EE bonds build value

Series EE bonds are sold at half their face value. A $100 bond costs $50 to buy. The bond earns a fixed interest rate set by the Treasury, and that rate stays the same for the life of the bond. The interest compounds semiannually, meaning it is added to the bond twice a year, and then the next interest payment is calculated on the larger amount.

The Treasury guarantees that a Series EE bond will reach its face value in 20 years. So that $50 bond will be worth at least $100 after 20 years, even if the interest rate is very low. After 20 years, the bond continues to earn interest at the same rate until it stops earning interest at 30 years.

To find the current value of a Series EE bond you own, use the calculator with the exact issue date. The value depends on how long you have held it and what interest rate was in effect when you bought it.

How Series I bonds adjust for inflation

Series I bonds are designed to protect your money from inflation. The interest rate on an I bond has two parts: a fixed rate that never changes, and a variable rate that adjusts every six months based on inflation. The Treasury announces the new combined rate on May 1 and November 1 each year.

You buy an I bond at face value — a $50 bond costs $50 — and the interest accrues monthly. Because the rate changes twice a year, the value of your I bond depends on when you bought it and which inflation adjustment periods you have lived through. The calculator accounts for all of this automatically when you enter the issue date.

I bonds have a longer penalty for early redemption than EE bonds. If you redeem an I bond before five years have passed, you lose the last three months of interest. After five years, you can redeem without penalty, but the Treasury still recommends holding them for at least 30 years to maximize the inflation protection.

Series HH bonds and older bond series

Series HH bonds were issued until 2004 and are no longer sold. If you own one, it stopped earning interest in 2024 (30 years after the issue date). The value of an HH bond is now fixed at whatever it was worth when it stopped earning interest. You can still redeem it for that amount, but it will not grow any further.

If you own bonds from even older series — Series H, Series G, or earlier — the Treasury website has historical value tables. These bonds also have a final maturity date after which they stop earning interest. The Savings Bond Calculator works for Series EE and I bonds only, so you will need to check the historical tables or contact the Treasury for older series.

When and how to redeem your bond for cash

You can redeem a savings bond at most banks and credit unions. Bring the physical bond and a valid ID. The bank will verify that the bond has not been reported lost or stolen, and then pay you the current redemption value in cash or deposit it into your account. This usually takes a few minutes.

If you own your bonds through TreasuryDirect (the online account system), you can redeem them directly through your account without visiting a bank. The money is deposited into your linked bank account within a few business days.

Redeeming a bond before it reaches its final maturity date is always allowed, but there is a cost if you redeem too early. If you redeem a Series EE or I bond before five years have passed, you forfeit the last three months of interest. After five years, there is no penalty — you receive the full current value.

Understanding the penalty for early redemption

The early redemption penalty applies only to bonds redeemed before the five-year mark. If you bought a Series EE bond on January 15, 2020, and redeem it on January 14, 2025, you lose three months of interest. If you redeem it on January 15, 2025 or later, you get the full value with no penalty.

The three-month interest loss is calculated based on the interest rate your bond earned during those three months. For a Series I bond, this means you lose whatever the combined fixed-plus-variable rate was for the most recent six-month period. The calculator shows the redemption value with the penalty already subtracted, so you see exactly what you would receive.

After five years, the penalty disappears entirely. A bond held for six years, ten years, or twenty years receives its full current value with no reduction. This is why the Treasury recommends holding savings bonds for at least five years — it eliminates the cost of cashing out early.

Factors that affect your bond's value

The main factors are the series, the issue date, and how long you have held it. Series EE bonds have a fixed interest rate that depends on when you bought them — rates change monthly. Series I bonds have both a fixed rate and a variable inflation rate, so their value depends on inflation trends since you bought them.

The denomination (whether it is a $50, $100, $500, or $1,000 bond) does not affect the interest rate — it only affects how much money you invested. A $100 Series EE bond earns the same percentage interest as a $50 Series EE bond from the same month.

Whether you hold the physical bond or own it through TreasuryDirect does not change its value. The redemption value is the same either way. The only difference is how you redeem it — in person at a bank or online through your TreasuryDirect account.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I find the value of a bond I lost or cannot locate?

If you lost the physical bond, you can still redeem it if you have the serial number and issue date. Contact the Treasury's Savings Bond Division at 1-844-284-2676 or visit treasurydirect.gov to report it. They can verify ownership and issue a replacement or process a redemption. If you do not have the serial number, you may need to provide proof of purchase or other documentation.

What happens if I redeem my bond before it reaches face value?

You receive whatever the current redemption value is, even if it is less than the face value printed on the bond. For a Series EE bond, this is most likely to happen if you redeem it very early — within the first few years. The bond is may provide to reach face value at 20 years, but before that, the value depends on the interest earned so far.

Do I have to pay taxes on the interest my bond earned?

Yes, the interest is subject to federal income tax. You can report it when you redeem the bond, or if you prefer, you can report it each year as it accrues. Some people use Series EE bonds for education savings because you may not owe federal tax on the interest if you use the money for may have access to education expenses — but you will need to meet specific conditions and file the correct forms.

Why does the calculator show a different value than what I calculated myself?

The calculator accounts for the exact issue date, the interest rate in effect that month, and all the semiannual compounding that has occurred. If you calculated it manually, you may have used a rounded interest rate or missed a compounding period. The calculator's value is the official one the Treasury will use when you redeem.

Can I check the value of someone else's bond?

The calculator works for any bond if you have the series, issue date, and denomination — it does not require you to prove ownership. However, you can only redeem a bond if your name is on it or you have legal authority (such as being the executor of an estate). If you are trying to find the value of a deceased relative's bond, contact the Treasury with a copy of the death certificate.