Savings Bond Calculator
Use our calculator to compare the returns from investing in U.S. savings bonds.
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Savings bonds are long-term investments with maturities of up to 30 years. They come in one of two types: EE bonds and I bonds. Before calculating the value of your savings bonds, here are a few important notes about them:
Both types of savings bonds may be sold 12 months after purchase.
If you cash them in before year five, you’ll lose three months' worth of interest.
Instead of ongoing interest payments, the bonds pay a lump sum when you cash them in.
Unlike other types of government securities, savings bonds cannot be resold or traded.
» MORE: How to invest $100,000
Calculate the value of EE bonds
EE bonds guarantee to double your money if held for 20 years, and their maturity may be extended to 30 years. They can be bought in penny increments from $25 to $10,000 per year per Social Security number.
New EE bonds are only issued electronically, but the government did issue paper bonds between 1980 and 2012.
If you purchased EE bonds electronically, the best way to see their value is to log in to the TreasuryDirect account through which you bought the bonds.
If you have a paper EE savings bond (perhaps you received it as a gift) and aren't sure what to do with it, head to TreasuryDirect to calculate the value of your paper savings bond.
on the official TreasuryDirect website
To use this TreasuryDirect calculator, you'll need to know your bond's Series (in this case, EE), denomination ($50, $75, $100, etc.), and issue date. The calculator will provide the bond's value as of the specified date.
If you're looking for a way to calculate the value of your paper savings bonds, only use the calculator linked above. TreasuryDirect has issued warnings that scams will try to collect birth certificate information in exchange for access to bonds owed to you with false TreasuryDirect calculators. Ensure you're on TreasuryDirect's website when redeeming paper bond value information.
Calculate the value of I bonds
I bonds can be purchased in amounts from $25 up to $10,000 in electronic bonds and $5,000 in paper bonds per year. They differ from EE bonds in that they earn an interest rate that adjusts for inflation.
This calculator shows how much a potential investment in electronic I bonds might earn, before taxes, based on a 4.28% annual interest rate. But keep in mind that this total can’t be retrieved at six months, because I bonds must be held for at least a year.
Next steps
Interested in Treasury bonds? Use our Treasurys calculator.
Learn how to buy Treasury bonds.
View our list of the best brokers for bonds.