You can buy US Savings Bonds directly from the US Department of the Treasury through TreasuryDirect, or through a bank or broker

The fastest route is TreasuryDirect, the Treasury's online platform. You create an account, link a bank account, and buy bonds electronically. Paper bonds are no longer sold; all new purchases are digital. You can buy Series EE bonds and Series I bonds this way, and you can start with as little as $25.

If you prefer to work through a financial institution, you can buy bonds through most banks and brokers. They charge a fee for the service, typically $25 to $50 per transaction, so this route costs more than buying directly. The bonds themselves work the same way — they're still issued by the Treasury and held in your name — but the bank or broker handles the paperwork and holds the bond in their system rather than in TreasuryDirect.

Key Takeaways

  • TreasuryDirect is free and lets you buy bonds in amounts as small as $25, with no minimum purchase requirement beyond that.
  • You need a Social Security number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, a valid email address, and a US bank account to open a TreasuryDirect account.
  • Bonds bought through banks or brokers cost more because of service fees, but work the same way as bonds bought directly from the Treasury.
  • All new US Savings Bonds are digital; paper bonds have not been issued since 2012.

Setting up a TreasuryDirect account

Go to treasurydirect.gov and select "Open an Account." You'll need to provide your name, Social Security number or ITIN, date of birth, and a valid email address. The Treasury will send you a temporary password to that email. You log in, create a permanent password, and link a checking or savings account from a US bank.

The account verification takes a few minutes. The Treasury confirms your identity by checking your information against records held by the Social Security Administration and other databases. If verification fails, you can request a manual review, which takes longer but often succeeds. Once your account is active, you can buy bonds when ready.

Buying bonds through TreasuryDirect

After you log in, select "BuyDirect" and choose which bond type you want: Series EE or Series I. You decide how much to buy — the minimum is $25, and you can buy in $1 increments above that, up to $10,000 per calendar year for each bond type. The money is drawn from your linked bank account.

The bond is issued on the first day of the following month. If you buy on March 15, your bond's issue date is April 1. You can see the bond in your account when ready, but the official issue date determines when interest starts accruing. You can hold the bond, check its current value, or request to cash it in through your TreasuryDirect account at any time after you own it for one year.

Buying bonds through a bank or broker

Contact your bank or brokerage firm and ask whether they sell US Savings Bonds. Not all do. If they do, ask what the fee is — it varies by institution. You'll fill out a form with your personal information and specify which bond type and amount you want.

The bank or broker submits your order to the Treasury on your behalf. The bond is issued in your name, but the institution holds the record and handles any future transactions like cashing in the bond. If you later want to move the bond to TreasuryDirect or to a different institution, you can request a transfer, though this process takes time and some institutions charge a fee.

What you need before you buy

You must have a valid Social Security number or ITIN. If you're buying for a child, you need the child's SSN or ITIN and you must be the registered owner (the child is the beneficiary). You also need a valid email address and a US bank account in your name to link to TreasuryDirect.

If you don't have a bank account, you can still buy bonds through a bank or broker in person, though this is less common. Call ahead to ask whether they offer this option and what documents you'll need to bring.

Annual purchase limits

You can buy up to $10,000 in Series EE bonds per calendar year and up to $10,000 in Series I bonds per calendar year through TreasuryDirect. These limits are per person, per bond type, per year. If you're married, your spouse can buy another $10,000 of each type in their own account.

If you buy bonds through a bank or broker, those purchases count toward your annual limit. So if you buy $6,000 in Series I bonds through TreasuryDirect in January and then try to buy $5,000 more through your bank in June, the bank purchase will be rejected because it would put you over the $10,000 annual cap.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I buy savings bonds as a gift for someone else?

Yes, but the person receiving the bond must have a Social Security number or ITIN, and you must register them as the owner when you buy. You cannot buy a bond in your name and later transfer ownership to someone else. If you want to give a bond as a gift, you buy it in their name from the start.

What happens if my TreasuryDirect account gets hacked?

The Treasury covers losses from unauthorized transactions if you report the fraud within 100 days of the transaction. Enable two-factor authentication on your account as soon as you create it — this adds a security layer that requires you to verify your identity on a new device before logging in.

Can I buy savings bonds with a credit card?

No. TreasuryDirect requires you to link a checking or savings account and draws money directly from that account. Banks and brokers may accept credit cards, but this is rare and usually comes with additional fees.

How long does it take to get my bond after I buy it?

In TreasuryDirect, the bond appears in your account when ready, but the official issue date is the first day of the following month. Through a bank or broker, the process takes longer — typically one to two weeks — because the institution must submit your order and receive confirmation from the Treasury.