Series EE bonds mature in 30 years from the issue date

A Series EE savings bond reaches its final maturity date exactly 30 years after the month you purchased it. If you bought a bond in March 2024, it matures in March 2054. At that point, the bond stops earning interest, and you must cash it in or it becomes worthless.

The 30-year maturity is fixed by the U.S. Treasury and does not change based on interest rates, market conditions, or how long you hold the bond. This is different from some other bonds where maturity dates can vary. You cannot extend a Series EE bond past 30 years.

The Treasury prints the issue date on the front of the bond itself, so you can calculate the maturity date by hand. If you own bonds issued before 2003, you may have paper bonds; if issued after 2003, they are likely digital bonds held in TreasuryDirect, the government's online system.

Key Takeaways

  • Series EE bonds stop earning interest 30 years after the issue date, and you must cash them in by that date or lose any remaining value.
  • The issue date is printed on paper bonds and recorded in your TreasuryDirect account for digital bonds, so you can calculate maturity yourself.
  • If you do not cash in a bond by the maturity date, the Treasury will not pay you anything after that point.
  • You can cash in a Series EE bond anytime after five years without penalty, but holding it to maturity or beyond the first five years usually means higher returns.

How the 30-year timeline affects your money

Series EE bonds are sold at a 50 percent discount to face value. A $100 bond costs $50 to buy. The Treasury guarantees that if you hold the bond for 20 years, it will be worth at least face value—in this case, $100. After 20 years, the bond continues to earn interest at the current rate until year 30, when it stops completely.

The interest rate on Series EE bonds changes every six months. Bonds issued between May 2024 and October 2024 earn 4.30 percent annually. Bonds issued between November 2023 and April 2024 earned 5.15 percent. Because the rate resets twice a year, two bonds bought six months apart will have different earning histories over their 30-year life.

If you hold a bond past the 20-year mark but before year 30, you are still earning interest at whatever the current rate is. Once the bond reaches 30 years, all interest stops. The Treasury will not pay you anything if you hold the bond after maturity.

What happens if you cash in before maturity

You can cash in a Series EE bond anytime after you have owned it for five years. If you cash it in before five years have passed, you lose the last three months of interest as a penalty. After five years, there is no penalty—you get whatever the bond is worth on the day you cash it.

Cashing in early means you stop earning interest on that money. If you have a bond worth $75 and you cash it in at year 10 instead of holding it to year 30, you lose 20 years of compounding. For bonds earning 4 to 5 percent annually, that difference is substantial.

You cash in Series EE bonds through TreasuryDirect if they are digital, or through a bank if they are paper bonds. The process takes a few business days, and the money goes into your bank account.

Tracking maturity dates across multiple bonds

Many people own multiple Series EE bonds bought at different times. Each bond has its own issue date and therefore its own maturity date. A bond bought in 2010 matures in 2040. A bond bought in 2015 matures in 2045. You need to track each one separately.

If you own digital bonds, TreasuryDirect shows the issue date and current value for each bond in your account. You can calculate maturity by adding 30 years to the issue date. If you own paper bonds, write the issue date and maturity date on the back of each bond or keep a spreadsheet.

Setting a calendar reminder one year before maturity is useful. This gives you time to decide whether to cash the bond in or, if you have not yet reached maturity, to plan for the cash you will receive.

What to do as a bond approaches maturity

In the months before a bond reaches 30 years, you should decide whether to cash it in. There is no advantage to waiting past maturity—the bond earns nothing after year 30 and becomes worthless if you do not redeem it. The Treasury does not send reminders or extend the deadline.

If the bond is worth less than you paid for it (which is rare, because of the 20-year may provide), you can still cash it in. The Treasury will pay you whatever the bond is worth at maturity, even if that is less than your original purchase price.

Once you cash in the bond, you will owe federal income tax on the interest you earned. The interest is taxable in the year you cash the bond, not in the years you earned it. State and local taxes do not apply to Series EE bonds.

Maturity dates for bonds issued in different decades

Bonds issued in the 1990s are now approaching or past maturity. A bond issued in 1994 matured in 2024. If you own bonds from that era and have not cashed them in, they are no longer earning interest and should be redeemed soon.

Bonds issued in the 2000s will mature between 2030 and 2039. Bonds issued in the 2010s will mature between 2040 and 2049. Bonds issued now will mature in 2054. Knowing which decade your bonds were issued helps you estimate when you need to take action.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I extend a Series EE bond past 30 years?

No. Series EE bonds have a fixed 30-year maturity set by the Treasury. You cannot extend the bond or keep it earning interest past that date. You must cash it in by the maturity date or it becomes worthless.

What happens if I forget to cash in my bond before it matures?

Once a Series EE bond reaches 30 years, it stops earning interest and has no value. The Treasury does not hold the money or send it to you. You lose whatever the bond was worth. This is why tracking maturity dates matters.

Do I have to cash in my bond on the exact maturity date?

No. You can cash in a bond anytime on or before the maturity date. There is no penalty for cashing it in on the maturity date itself. However, you cannot cash it in after maturity—the deadline is firm.

How do I find the issue date if I have an old paper bond?

The issue date is printed on the front of the bond, usually near the serial number. It shows the month and year you purchased it. If the bond is damaged and the date is not readable, contact the Treasury at treasurydirect.gov or call 844-284-2676.

Are bonds issued at different times within the same month considered the same age?

No. The Treasury assigns an issue date by the month, not by the specific day. All bonds issued in March 2024 have the same issue date of March 2024 and the same maturity date of March 2054, regardless of whether you bought yours on March 1 or March 29.