| 55 Million Americans own US government
savings bonds, long popular as gifts and investments
purchased through payroll withholding. The Bureau of
Public Debt calculates the redemption value of
uncashed and lost U.S. savings bonds at $8 billion. In addition to
missing savings bonds, each year thousands of new
savings bonds and bond interest payments go
undelivered when the savings bond owner moves and
fails to provide a forwarding address, and millions
of dollars in savings bonds held under government
safekeeping programs remain unclaimed.
All U
S savings bonds stop earning interest at final
maturity, 40 years or less from issue, but they could
still be worth more than five times their original
face value!
Only
owners of Series H or HH bonds that pay interest by
check (less than 1% of all bonds) are notified when
bonds reach final maturity. All other bond holders
(including owners of Series EE savings bonds) must
take affirmative action to replace or redeem lost
bonds.
For a
search of the unredeemed and undelivered bond database, and to receive claims
forms and information for lost, destroyed, uncashed and unredeemed
bonds order our Special Report: U.S. Savings Bond
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