How to find what your savings bonds are worth right now

The U.S. Department of the Treasury runs a free tool called the Savings Bond Calculator that tells you the exact current value of any bond you own. You enter the bond series, denomination, and issue date, and it shows you what that bond is worth today. This is the official source — not a bank, not a third-party website, but Treasury itself.

You can access the calculator at treasurydirect.gov under the "Savings Bonds" section. The tool works for Series EE bonds, Series I bonds, and older Series HH and E bonds. It takes about two minutes and requires no login or account.

If you have physical paper bonds, look at the front of the bond. You will see the series letter (E, EE, I, or HH), the denomination (the dollar amount printed on it), and the issue date. Those three pieces of information are all you need to plug into the calculator.

Key Takeaways

  • The Treasury Savings Bond Calculator at treasurydirect.gov is the official tool for checking your bond's current value.
  • You need three pieces of information from your bond: the series letter, the denomination, and the issue date.
  • Bonds earn interest monthly but only pay out that interest when you cash them in, so older bonds are worth more than newer ones of the same type.
  • Series I bonds earn interest that changes every six months based on inflation, while Series EE bonds earn a fixed rate for the life of the bond.
  • You cannot cash in most bonds until they are at least one year old, and you lose the last three months of interest if you cash them in before five years.

Why the value changes over time

Savings bonds earn interest from the moment they are issued. That interest compounds — meaning you earn interest on your interest — and the total keeps growing. The longer you hold a bond, the more it is worth, even if you never add money to it.

The rate at which interest accrues depends on the bond type. Series EE bonds earn a fixed interest rate that stays the same for 30 years. Series I bonds earn an interest rate that changes every six months based on inflation. An older Series I bond will have earned interest at several different rates over its lifetime, so its value reflects all of those periods combined.

The Treasury calculator accounts for all of this automatically. It knows the exact interest rate for your bond based on when it was issued, and it adds up all the interest earned to date.

What happens if you cash in your bond early

You can cash in a savings bond at most banks, credit unions, or directly through the Treasury. But there is a penalty for cashing in too soon. If you cash in a bond before it has been held for five years, you lose the last three months of interest you earned.

For example, if a bond is worth $1,050 but you have only held it for three years, you would receive $1,000 instead — the value minus three months of accrued interest. This penalty applies to Series EE and Series I bonds. Series HH bonds have different rules and are rarely issued anymore.

You also cannot cash in most bonds until they are at least one year old. If you try to cash in a bond that is less than one year old, the bank or credit union will refuse.

Bonds held in TreasuryDirect accounts versus paper bonds

If you own bonds through a TreasuryDirect account — an online account you set up directly with the Treasury — you can check their value by logging into your account. The site shows you each bond you own, the date you bought it, and its current value. This updates monthly.

Paper bonds (physical certificates) do not update automatically anywhere. You have to use the Savings Bond Calculator each time you want to know what they are worth. If you have paper bonds and want to track them more easily, you can transfer them into a TreasuryDirect account, though this process takes a few weeks.

Some people also hold savings bonds in a bank safe deposit box or at home. These work the same way as any other paper bond — they earn interest on the same schedule, and you check their value the same way. The location does not affect what they are worth.

Understanding the difference between face value and current value

The face value is the dollar amount printed on the bond — $50, $100, $500, whatever you paid for it. The current value is what it is worth today, which is always equal to or greater than the face value because of the interest it has earned.

For example, a $100 Series EE bond issued five years ago might have a face value of $100 but a current value of $112 because it has earned $12 in interest. When you cash it in, you receive the current value ($112), not the face value.

This is why the Treasury calculator is important — it shows you the current value, not just the number printed on the bond. Many people check only the face value and are surprised to learn their bonds are worth more.

What to do if you have lost track of your bonds

If you own bonds but do not have them in front of you and cannot remember the details, the Treasury has a search tool called Treasury Hunt at treasuryhunt.gov. You enter your name and state, and it searches for any unclaimed Treasury securities registered to you.

This tool is free and does not require a login. If it finds bonds in your name, it will tell you the series, denomination, and issue date — the same information you would need for the Savings Bond Calculator. From there, you can use the calculator to find out what they are worth.

Treasury Hunt searches only for bonds that were registered with the Treasury. If you have paper bonds stored at home or in a safe deposit box, they will not show up in this search because they are not in the Treasury's digital system.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

The Savings Bond Calculator does not require you to prove ownership, so technically you can enter any bond's information and see its value. However, only the registered owner can cash in the bond. If the bond is registered to someone else, you would need their permission and signature to cash it in at a bank.

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

Yes. The interest on savings bonds is subject to federal income tax. You can choose to report it each year as it accrues, or you can wait and report all of it in the year you cash in the bond. State and local taxes do not explore to savings bond interest. A tax professional can help you decide which approach works best for your situation.

What if the calculator shows my bond is worth less than I expected?

This usually means the bond is newer than you thought, or you are checking the value shortly after it was issued. Bonds earn interest monthly, so a bond issued just a few months ago will be worth only slightly more than its face value. If the value seems very low compared to how long you have held it, double-check that you entered the correct issue date.

Can I sell my savings bond to someone else?

No. Savings bonds cannot be sold or transferred to another person. You can only cash them in for their current value, and only the registered owner can do that. Once cashed in, the bond is gone.