There are several different bonds that a person may purchase or collect in a lifetime. Treasury bonds, EE/E savings bonds, I savings bonds and HH/H savings bonds are four bonds offered by the U.S. Treasury department. Many of these bonds go unclaimed once they reach maturity because people forget they have them, the bond certificates are lost or a person dies before cashing them in. The Internet has made it easy for individuals to learn if a deceased person had unclaimed bonds.
Locate Unclaimed Bonds
Visit the Treasury Direct website and go to the Treasury Direct Hunt page (find link in the references section below).
Fill in the social security number (SSN) or the employer identification number (EIN) of the person you are searching for in the box and click on “Search.”
Wait for results, which are available within a matter of minutes, sometimes seconds, depending on your Internet connection speed.
Find Unclaimed Bonds Issued Pre-1974
Download one of two forms available at the Treasury Hunt database. "For lost, stolen or destroyed bonds, submit Form PD F 1048. For undeliverable bonds (bonds not received), submit Form PD F 3062-4."
Follow instructions to fill out forms. Provide all relevant information to expedite process.
Submit forms to Treasury Hunt and wait for a response. Response time varies depending on the volume of requests and the complexity of your request.
Tips
Treasury Hunt database only contains information on Series E bonds issued after 1974. A written search request needs to be submitted in order to find bonds issued prior to 1974. PDF forms are available at Treasury Direct or you can call (800) 722-2678 to get information if you do not have Internet access.
Warnings
The database can find many but not all bonds that have been issued. The more information you have about bonds, the easier they are to find. If you have located a list of bond numbers kept by the deceased but not the actual bonds, you can use this to get copies of the bond certificates. If all you have is the person's SSN or EIN, then you may not be able to find all the bonds that were left unclaimed by the deceased.
References
- Treasury Direct: General Bond Information
- U.S. Dept. of the Treasury: Introduction to Savings Bonds
- Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. "Bonds and Interest Rates." Accessed Aug. 10, 2020.
- TreasuryDirect. "Interest Rates and Terms for Series EE Savings Bonds." Accessed Aug. 10, 2020.
- U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. "Bonds." Accessed Aug. 10, 2020.
- Treasury Direct. "Series EE/E Savings Bonds Tax Considerations." Accessed Aug. 10, 2020.
- TreasuryDirect. "Tax Considerations for I Bonds." Accessed Aug. 10, 2020.
- TreasuryDirect. "Education Planning." Accessed Aug. 10, 2020.
- IRS. "Topic No. 403 Interest Received." Accessed Aug. 10, 2020.
- TreasuryDirect. "Series I Savings Bonds FAQs - How Is the Earnings Rate of an I Bond Determined?" Accessed Aug. 10, 2020.
- U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. "Saving Bonds." Accessed Aug. 10, 2020.
- TreasuryDirect. "Using Your Income Tax Refund to Buy Paper Savings Bonds." Accessed Aug. 10, 2020.
- TreasuryDirect. "Cashing (Redeeming) Series I Savings Bonds." Accessed Aug. 10, 2020.
- TreasuryDirect. "Open an Account - Intro." Accessed Aug. 10, 2020.
- TreasuryDirect. "Convert Your Paper Savings Bonds Using SmartExchange." Accessed Aug. 10, 2020.
- TreasuryDirect. "Savings Bonds as Gifts." Accessed Aug. 10, 2020.
- TreasuryDirect. "Savings Bonds as Gifts." Accessed Aug. 10, 2020.
- TreasuryDirect. "Cashing (Redeeming) EE and E Savings Bonds." Accessed Aug. 10, 2020.
- TreasuryDirect. "When Interest Is Added to Your Bonds." Accessed Aug. 10, 2020.
Tips
- Treasury Hunt database only contains information on Series E bonds issued after 1974. A written search request needs to be submitted in order to find bonds issued prior to 1974. PDF forms are available at Treasury Direct or you can call (800) 722-2678 to get information if you do not have Internet access.
Warnings
- The database can find many but not all bonds that have been issued. The more information you have about bonds, the easier they are to find. If you have located a list of bond numbers kept by the deceased but not the actual bonds, you can use this to get copies of the bond certificates. If all you have is the person's SSN or EIN, then you may not be able to find all the bonds that were left unclaimed by the deceased.
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