When you buy a savings bond, you must declare who owns the bond. We call that "registering the bond."
The registration determines who gets the interest on the bond, who can cash the bond, who can change the registration later, who can do other tasks with the bond, and what happens if the owner dies.
Paper bonds: You see the registration information on the bond.
Electronic bonds: You see the registration information in your TreasuryDirect account.
This page is for individual owners (not entities like estates, trusts, corporations, and so on). For estates, trusts, corporations, and other entity registrations: About entity accounts
Registrations for individuals
You have 3 options for registering your savings bonds for people (not entities).
These options also apply to savings bonds you buy for a child under 18 and to savings bonds you buy as gifts for people.
Before you decide:
A note about paying for college or other higher education
You may be able to save on federal taxes by using the interest from a savings bond you cash when you, your spouse, or your child goes to an eligible college or other higher education institution.
However, the IRS rules are that the owner of the bond must be 24 years or older when buying the bond.
So, if you plan to use this tax exclusion, don’t register the bonds with the child as an owner. You must be the owner or, if you are married, you may make yourself and your spouse the owners. To use the exclusion, the child may be a beneficiary but cannot be the owner or co-owner of the bond.
For more information: Using savings bonds for higher education
The 3 options for individual registrations
| The option | What it means |
| One owner | That person is the only one who gets the interest, may cash in the bond, may make other changes. If that person dies, the bond becomes part of their estate. Our names for this type of ownership: Paper bonds: "single ownership" Electronic bonds: "sole ownership" Example: LESLIE DOE |
| Owner and beneficiary | Just as with a single or sole owner, only the owner — in this case, the person named first — gets the interest, may cash in the bond, may make other changes. However, if the owner dies, instead of the bond going into the person's estate, the beneficiary automatically becomes the single or sole owner. The beneficiary must be a person, not an entity. The registration says "POD" standing for "PAYABLE ON DEATH." Example: LESLIE DOE POD DANA DOE. Leslie is the owner and Dana is the beneficiary. |
| Two owners | Two owners co-own the bond. If one owner dies, the other becomes the single or sole owner. Neither owner can be an entity. What co-owning means differs for electronic and paper bonds: Co-owned electronic bonds The first-named owner is the primary owner. The second-named owner is the secondary owner. The registration says "WITH." Example: LESLIE DOE SSN xxx-xx-6789 WITH DANA DOE SSN xxx-xx-4321 Co-owned paper bonds Either owner may cash the bond without the knowledge or approval of the other. Both owners must sign for most other transactions. The registration says "OR." Example: LESLIE DOE OR DANA DOE |
FAQs
Log into your primary TreasuryDirect® account. Click the BuyDirect tab at the top of the page. On the BuyDirect page, choose the series of Savings Bonds and click "Submit".
Are savings bonds registered? ›
When you buy a savings bond, you must declare who owns the bond. We call that "registering the bond." The registration determines who gets the interest on the bond, who can cash the bond, who can change the registration later, who can do other tasks with the bond, and what happens if the owner dies.
Do I need to report savings bonds? ›
If your total interest isn't more than $1500 for the year, and you're not otherwise required to report interest income on Schedule B, report the savings bond interest with your other interest on the "Interest" line of your tax return. For more information, see the Instructions for Schedule B (Form 1040).
What is a registration list in TreasuryDirect? ›
An account registration list displays all registrations the account holder has entered. The owner may add or delete registrations from the list at any time. For an entity, the registration is the name and taxpayer identification number of the entity. An entity may have only one registration per account.
How much is a $100 savings bond worth after 30 years? ›
How to get the most value from your savings bonds
| 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 |
May 7, 2024
TreasuryDirect is free. There are no fees, no matter how much or how little you invest. You may hold both savings bonds and Treasury marketable securities in TreasuryDirect. Your securities in TreasuryDirect are electronic, so you don't have to worry about them getting lost, stolen, or damaged.
How to avoid paying taxes on savings bonds? ›
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.
Do savings bonds double every 7 years? ›
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.
What bonds are not registered? ›
Bearer bonds are bonds that have no registration. These bonds are issued by companies or governments and sold to investors to raise money.
Will TreasuryDirect send me a 1099? ›
1099 forms are available by January 31 of each tax year. If you invest in Legacy Treasury Direct, each year you'll receive a 1099 during January (1042-S during March if you're a foreign investor) showing the interest you've earned. If you have registered securities, you'll receive your 1099 through the mail in January.
At a bank: If a bank cashes your savings bond, they are responsible for getting you a 1099-INT. They may give or mail you the 1099-INT as soon as you cash the bond or they may wait until the following January.
Can a bank refuse to cash a savings bond? ›
Financial institutions now have the option to not cash savings bonds for both non-customers or new customers. Our Secret Service partners recommend that a customer be established for 12 months before cashing bonds at a financial institution.
How to redeem savings bonds with TreasuryDirect? ›
Select a security to redeem. Request full or partial redemption. Review your request and edit if necessary. Click "Submit" and print your confirmation.
What happens when a bond matures on TreasuryDirect? ›
Redeeming from TreasuryDirect
If you have not told us to reinvest the money from a matured security, we pay you the value of the security automatically on the day the security matures. You don't have to do anything. We deposit the money in your Certificate of Indebtedness (C of I) or your designated bank account.
How do I change my TreasuryDirect registration? ›
Primary Actions
Select the radio button for a registration and click "Edit Registration" to update the information in the registration. Select the radio button for a registration and click "Delete Registration" to remove a registration from the list. Click "Cancel" to return to the previous page.
Can I deposit savings bonds online? ›
TreasuryDirect.gov is the one and only place to electronically buy and redeem U.S. Savings Bonds. We also offer electronic sales and auctions of other U.S.-backed investments to the general public, financial professionals, and state and local governments.
Can I have more than one account with TreasuryDirect? ›
TreasuryDirect Accounts. What is a TreasuryDirect Primary account? A TreasuryDirect Primary account is your personal account you open in TreasuryDirect. Once a Primary account is opened, you may establish Minor, Custom, and Conversion Linked accounts that are accessed only from your Primary account.
How do I fund my TreasuryDirect account? ›
You fund your TreasuryDirect account through your bank account or by payroll deduction. Securities you buy in TreasuryDirect are electronic, not paper. If you hold savings bonds in paper form, you can convert them to electronic securities in TreasuryDirect.
Can I convert EE bonds to I bonds? ›
Therefore, when you cash in your series EE bonds, you can simply use the proceeds to purchase I Bonds, he said. When you cash in your EE bonds, you will pay federal but not state income taxes on the interest portion of the redemption, he said.
