Cashing HH savings bonds

We no longer sell HH savings bonds. But you may still own one that has or has not reached the end of its 20-year life.

HH bonds pay interest for 20 years. You can check the issue date of your bond to see if it is still earning interest.

Note: Do not buy savings bonds from someone else or in an online auction site. You cannot cash them. You can only cash savings bonds that you own or co-own unless you have legal evidence or other documentation that we accept to show you are entitled to cash the bond.

What is my HH bond worth?

An HH bond is worth its face value. If the bond says $500, it was bought for $500 and is now worth $500.

While you own (or co-own) the bond, the HH bond pays interest for up to 20 years.

When can I cash in my HH bond?

All remaining HH bonds are eligible to be cashed at any time.

If your HH bond is still earning interest, you may want to wait until just before or just after your next interest payment to cash it in. Here's why:

• We do not pay interest for part of a 6-month interest earning period.
• If we get the bond you want to cash in during the month before we are due to pay interest on it, we hold the bond until the following month. That way, you get your 6 months of interest when we pay you for the bond.
• The months in which we pay you interest depend on the issue date of your HH bond. To see which 2 months in the year are your interest payment months, go to HH bonds interest rates.

How do I cash in my HH bond?

We pay you for your HH bonds. You cannot cash them at a bank or other financial institution.

Notes:

• You cannot cash part of an HH bond. The bond must be cashed for its full amount.
• You must have a bank account where we can send the money. We pay only by direct deposit.
• If you are not listed as the owner or co-owner on the bond, you must include legal evidence or other documentation to show that you are entitled to cash the bond. (Send a legible copy. We do not return the documents you send us.)

To tell us to cash your HH bond:

1. Get FS Form 1522.
2. Fill it out.

3. Get your signature certified, if necessary.

   (If the value of the bond(s) you are cashing is more than $1,000, you will need to have your signature certified. See FS Form 1522 for more about the signature requirements.)

4. Send the bonds, the filled-out and signed FS Form 1522, and any supporting documents to:

Treasury Retail Securities Services
P.O. Box 9150
Minneapolis, MN 55480-9150

Will I get a form for my tax return?

If we are only paying the face value with no interest or deferred interest, then you owe no tax on what we pay you. You will not get a form for your tax return.

If what you get when you cash in your HH bond includes an interest payment or deferred interest, we mail you an IRS Form 1099-INT by January 31 of the following year.

(For more about deferred interest and other tax information, see Tax information for HH savings bonds.)

May I authorize someone else to cash my bonds?

You may authorize an attorney-in-fact to cash your bonds. See our instructions for an attorney-in-fact.

What if I'm not sure if the HH bond has already been cashed or replaced?

If you are not sure because you got the bonds when someone died, see Death of a savings bond owner.

Otherwise, if you are the owner or co-owner of the bond, write to us.

• Include the serial number(s) of the bond(s).
  Do NOT send the actual bonds.
• Sign the letter.
• Mail the letter to

Treasury Retail Securities Services
P.O. Box 9150
Minneapolis, MN 55480-9150