EE/E Bonds
An Easy and Safe Way to Save for Your Future
EE Bonds are safe, low-risk savings products that pay interest based on current market yields on Treasury Securities for up to 30 years. EE Bonds are a safe and secure way to save for the future, whether to finance education, supplement retirement income, or give as a gift. EE Bonds can be purchased via TreasuryDirect or as paper bonds through most local financial institutions or through an employer's payroll deduction plan, if available.
*E Bonds are the predecessor to EE Bonds and are no longer issued by the U.S. Treasury.
EE Bonds Are Now Paperless
EE Bonds are available for purchase through a TreasuryDirect account. Now you can buy, manage, and redeem your EE Bonds safely and securely through your personal TreasuryDirect account.
A new program called SmartExchangeSM allows TreasuryDirect account owners who receive invitations to convert their Series E, EE and I paper Savings Bonds to electronic securities in a special Conversion Linked Account within their online account.
Key Facts:
Buying Electronic EE Bonds
- Sold at face value; i.e., you pay $50 for a $50 bond.
- Purchase in amounts of $25 or more, to the penny.
- $30,000 maximum purchase in one calendar year.
- Issued electronically to your designated account.
Buying Paper EE Bonds
- Sold at half their face value; i.e., you pay $25 for a $50 bond.
- Purchase in denominations of $50, $75, $100, $200, $500, $1,000, $5,000, and $10,000.
- $30,000 maximum purchase in one calendar year.
- Issued as paper bond certificates.
If you redeem EE/E Bonds within the first 5 years, you'll forfeit the 3 most-recent months' interest; after 5 years, you won't be penalized.
Naming “Registrants” or “Owners”
When purchasing EE Bonds you must name a bond owner(s). By naming the registrant, you're giving them rights to manage the bond.
EE Bonds Bought Through TreasuryDirect May Be Registered as:
- Sole Ownership
One name is on the EE bond, and only that person can cash it.
- Primary Ownership
In TreasuryDirect, two names appear on the EE Bond, and the primary owner may cash it. The co-owner may only cash it if the primary owner grants the rights to do so. For paper EE Bonds co-ownership allows either co-owner to cash the bond without the other's knowledge and consent.
- Beneficiary
Two names appear on the EE Bond: one is the owner; one is the beneficiary.