How to find your Series EE bond's current value
The U.S. Treasury publishes the value of every Series EE bond online, and you can look up yours for free using the Treasury's Savings Bond Calculator. You will need the bond's series letter (EE), the issue date printed on the bond itself, and the denomination (the face value printed on the front—usually $50, $100, $500, or $1,000). The calculator shows you what that bond is worth today.
You do not need to own the bond physically to check its value. If you bought your bond through TreasuryDirect (the government's online bond-buying system), you can log into your account and see the current value listed for each bond you hold. The value updates monthly, on the first business day of each month.
If you bought your bond from a bank or through a payroll savings plan years ago, you will have the paper bond itself. The issue date is printed on the front. Write down that date and the denomination, then use the Treasury calculator to find what it is worth today.
Key Takeaways
- Series EE bonds increase in value every month, and the Treasury publishes updated values on the first business day of each month.
- You can look up your bond's current worth using the Treasury's Savings Bond Calculator if you know the issue date and denomination.
- A Series EE bond is may provide to double in value within 20 years, but most bonds are worth more than that by the time they reach maturity at 30 years.
- The longer you hold a Series EE bond, the more it is worth, because the interest compounds and the Treasury adds earnings every month.
- You can cash in a Series EE bond at any time after you have owned it for one year, though you will lose the last three months of interest if you cash it in before five years have passed.
Why Series EE bonds increase in value every month
A Series EE bond earns interest from the day you buy it. The Treasury adds that interest to the bond's value once a month, on the first business day of the month. The interest rate is set when you buy the bond and stays the same for the entire time you own it. This means a bond you bought in 2015 earns a different interest rate than a bond you bought in 2024.
The interest compounds, which means you earn interest on your interest. If your bond earned $10 in interest last month, this month you earn interest on that $10 plus your original investment. This is why a bond's value grows faster the longer you hold it. After 20 years, a Series EE bond is may provide to be worth at least double what you paid for it—so a $100 bond will be worth at least $200.
The exact interest rate for Series EE bonds changes every six months. The Treasury announces new rates on May 1 and November 1 each year. If you bought your bond before one of those dates, your rate is locked in and will not change. You can find the interest rate your specific bond earns by looking at the issue date and checking the Treasury's historical rate table.
What the issue date and denomination tell you
The issue date is the month and year printed on the front of your bond. This date determines two things: the interest rate your bond earns, and when your bond reaches full maturity (30 years from the issue date). A bond issued in January 2000 reaches maturity in January 2030.
The denomination is the face value—the amount printed on the bond itself. You might see $50, $100, $500, or $1,000. This is not what you paid for the bond. Series EE bonds are sold at half their face value, so you pay $50 to get a $100 bond. The face value matters for calculating what your bond is worth, because the Treasury's calculator uses it to determine your current value.
If you cannot read the issue date clearly on an old paper bond, you may be able to contact the Treasury's Savings Bonds Division, but the fastest route is usually to check if you have any paperwork from when you bought the bond. Bank statements, payroll records, or gift letters often show the purchase date.
How bond value changes between now and maturity
Your Series EE bond will continue to earn interest and grow in value every month until it reaches 30 years old. At that point—the maturity date—the bond stops earning interest. If you have not cashed it in by then, you should cash it in, because it will not grow any further.
Most Series EE bonds are worth significantly more than double their face value by the time they reach 30 years, because the interest compounds over three decades. A bond issued in 1994 that you bought for $50 might be worth $300 or more by 2024, depending on the interest rate it earned. The exact amount depends on the rate set when you bought it.
You do not have to wait until maturity to cash in your bond. You can cash it in at any time after you have owned it for one year. If you cash it in before five years have passed, you lose the last three months of interest as a penalty. After five years, you can cash it in without any penalty and receive the full current value.
The difference between face value and what you actually paid
This is a common source of confusion. The face value printed on the bond is not the price you paid. Series EE bonds are sold at a 50 percent discount, which means you pay half the face value. If the bond says $100 on the front, you paid $50 when you bought it.
The Treasury uses the face value to calculate your current worth. When the calculator tells you your bond is worth $156, that is the total amount you would receive if you cashed it in today. You paid $50, so your earnings are $106. The face value ($100) is just a reference point the Treasury uses internally.
If you bought your bond through a payroll savings plan, you might have paid in installments—$5 or $10 per paycheck—until you had enough to buy the full bond. The total amount you contributed is what you paid, and the face value is still half of what the bond is worth when it matures.
How to use the Treasury Savings Bond Calculator
Go to the Treasury's website and find the Savings Bond Calculator. You will see three fields to fill in. First, select "Series EE" from the dropdown menu. Second, enter the issue date from your bond—the month and year. Third, enter the denomination (the face value: $50, $100, $500, or $1,000).
Click the button to calculate. The result shows you the current value of that bond as of the most recent update date (the first business day of the current month). If you want to know what the bond will be worth at a future date, you can change the date field and recalculate. This is useful if you are planning when to cash in the bond.
If you own multiple bonds, you will need to look up each one separately. Write down the value of each bond, then add them together to find your total bond holdings. If you own bonds through TreasuryDirect, the website does this math for you and shows your total balance.
What happens if you cannot find your bond's issue date
If your bond is very old and the printing has faded, or if you lost the bond but remember buying it, you have a few options. If you bought the bond through TreasuryDirect, log into your account—the issue date is listed there. If you bought it from a bank or through payroll, check any old financial records: bank statements, tax returns, or payroll stubs from the year you bought it often show the purchase date.
If you truly cannot find the date and do not have records, you can contact the Treasury's Savings Bonds Division. They can search their records if you provide your Social Security number and the approximate year you bought the bond. This process takes longer than using the calculator, but it is free.
For paper bonds you own but cannot locate, the Treasury also runs a search tool called "Treasury Hunt" that lets you search for unclaimed bonds registered to your name. This is useful if someone gave you a bond as a gift and you are not sure when it was issued.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I cash in my Series EE bond before it matures?
Yes. You can cash in a Series EE bond at any time after you have owned it for one year. If you cash it in before five years have passed, you lose the last three months of interest. After five years, you can cash it in without any penalty and receive the full current value shown in the Treasury calculator.
What is the difference between the value shown in the calculator and what I will actually receive?
The calculator shows the exact amount you will receive if you cash in the bond on that date. There are no hidden fees or reductions. The only exception is if you cash it in before five years have passed—then the Treasury subtracts three months of interest from the amount shown.
Does the interest rate on my Series EE bond ever change?
No. The interest rate is locked in on the day you buy the bond and never changes for the life of the bond. A bond you bought in 2010 earns the same rate today as it did in 2010. New bonds bought today earn a different rate, which the Treasury announces every six months.
What happens to my bond after it reaches 30 years old?
Your bond stops earning interest at 30 years (the maturity date). You should cash it in at that point, because it will not grow any further. If you do not cash it in, the money just sits there earning nothing. The Treasury will not automatically cash it in for you.
If I own a paper bond, how do I cash it in after I know its value?
You can cash in a paper Series EE bond at most banks or credit unions. Bring the bond itself and a photo ID. Some banks may require you to have an account with them. You can also mail the bond to the Treasury's Savings Bonds Division with a form, though this takes longer. TreasuryDirect bonds can be cashed in online through your account.