Bond serial number -- If you don’t have the bond serial number, provide all of the following: Specific month and year of purchase. Complete Social Security Number (for example 1). Names, including middle names or initials. Address (street, city, state).
You're not alone if you can't find that savings bond Aunt Clara gave you for your sixth birthday. In 2011, the U.S. Department of the Treasury Bureau of Public Debt held nearly 45 million lost, undeliverable and forgotten U.S. savings bonds that had reached maturity but had not been redeemed. The Bureau helps you locate and recover your missing investment through its TreasuryDirect website and written requests.
Pre-search Homework
Gather as much information about your bonds as possible. According to Kiplinger.com, the more information you can provide, the better the odds for getting a replacement. When was the bond issued? Even if Aunt Clara doesn't remember when she bought your bond, you can estimate the time period as 'between February 1981 and May 1983,' for example. Other helpful facts include the purchaser's Social Security number, the face value of the bond, who had access to it and when you last saw it.
- In addition to form PD F 1048, also submit Treasury Form PD F 2490 - Description of United States Savings Bonds/Notes. On this form you will list a description of bonds which are currently in your possession; by series, denomination, serial number, issue date, and registration.
- The Series EE Bond is a non-marketable, interest-bearing U.S. Government savings bond that is guaranteed to at least double in value over the initial term of the bond, typically 20 years.
- Not sure what data the Calculator is giving you? Serial Number –The serial number can be found in the lower right corner of your savings bond. ‘Value as of’ Date –When you first open the Savings Bond Calculator. Series –The series can be found in the upper right corner of your savings bond..
Searching Online
The TreasuryDirect website contains the Treasury Hunt tool to locate bonds that have matured. You enter the Social Security number of either the purchaser or the receiver to do a search. The tool's database only contains records of Series E bonds issued since 1974 and Series EE bonds with issue dates beginning in 1980. Periodic checks may prove successful because the Bureau updates the database as bonds reach maturity.
Successful Search
When you've found a bond, the Treasury Hunt system prompts you to submit a claim. According to ABCNews, two-thirds of claimants fail to give contact information needed for the claim to proceed, so it's important to provide full information. Someone from Treasury will confirm that you are entitled to the uncashed bond and either send you a form to complete, or tell you which one to download from the TreasuryDirect site. The claim form must be certified, at a bank, credit union or brokerage firm before you submit it. Certification involves showing photo identification to a designated official and signing the form in his presence. His subsequent signature and the stamp or official seal he adds verify you as the claimant. You may choose replacement, redemption or conversion to an electronic bond to keep in a TreasuryDirect account you open. Replacement bonds carry the original date of issue.
Savings Bond Serial Number Lookup
Written Inquiry
When your bond doesn't show up in a Treasury Hunt search, you must submit Form 1048: Claim for Lost, Stolen or Destroyed U.S. Savings Bonds, which you can download from the TreasuryDirect website. Use the information you pulled together to fill out the form. Take your completed form -- and photo identification -- to a financial institution, not a Notary Public, for certification. An official at the bank or credit union will verify your identity, witness your signature, place an identifying stamp or seal on the form, and sign it. The Department of Treasury, Bureau of the Public Debt address for mailing depends on the type of bond. Claims for Series H and HH bonds go to P. O. Box 2186, Parkersburg, West Virginia 26106-2186; send Series E, EE and I bond claims to P. O. Box 7012, Parkersburg, West Virginia 26106-7012.
Undelivered Bonds
As of January 1, 2012, the U.S. Treasury replaced paper bonds purchased at banks with electronic bonds. However, taxpayers can still buy Series I paper bonds using their federal income tax refund and get them through the mail. Should a bond you purchased this way never arrive in your mailbox, you can request a duplicate. Use form 3062-4 -- Claim for United States Savings Bonds Not Received. Either download it from TreasuryDirect.gov, or call the Federal Reserve's toll-free number -- 1-800-553-2663 -- to have one mailed to you. If your missing bond is less than a year old, you can receive a replacement, but not payment.
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About the Author
Trudy Brunot began writing in 1992. Her work has appeared in 'Quarterly,' 'Pennsylvania Health & You,' 'Constructor' and the 'Tribune-Review' newspaper. Her domestic and international experience includes human resources, advertising, marketing, product and retail management positions. She holds a master's degree in international business administration from the University of South Carolina.
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It's nice to have money in savings bonds, but the physical bonds themselves aren't always going to last as long as the funds they represent. The good news is the federal government can often help out, even if you don't have the serial numbers. The Treasury Direct website is the place to start the process of redeeming or reissuing destroyed bonds.
Click the 'Forms' link at the top of the Treasury Direct home page. Click 'Savings Bond Forms' and scroll down to form 1048E, 'Claim for Lost, Stolen or Destroyed United States Savings Bonds.' Click the form to download it.
Enter the issue date for each bond, or the closest possible date range. Enter the face amounts and the bond numbers, if you have them. Add the Social Security number of the buyer.
Select the 'Destroyed' option in the 'Details of Loss' section. Fill in answers to the questions on the form such as, 'When was the loss discovered?' and 'Where were the bonds last placed?' If you have any pieces of the destroyed bonds, send them to the Department of the Treasury along with the form.
Place check marks in the appropriate boxes in the 'Authority' section to tell the Treasury Direct if your name is on the bonds or if you have a court appointment as a legal representative.
Place a check mark in the appropriate box in the 'Relief' section to have the bonds reissued or to redeem them. Add your mailing address for a check, or your banking information for a direct deposit.
Sign and date the claim in front of a certifying bank officer. Mail the claim to the Department of the Treasury, Bureau of the Public Debt. For HH and H bonds, address the envelope to P.O. Box 2186, Parkersburg, WV 26106-2186. For EE, E and I bonds, send it to P.O. Box 7012, Parkersburg, WV 26106-7012.
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References
Series Ee Bonds Serial Number
About the Author
Kathryn Hatter is a veteran home-school educator, as well as an accomplished gardener, quilter, crocheter, cook, decorator and digital graphics creator. As a regular contributor to Natural News, many of Hatter's Internet publications focus on natural health and parenting. Hatter has also had publication on home improvement websites such as Redbeacon.
Ee Savings Bond Calculator
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