Series EE savings bonds are savings certificates issued by the U.S. Treasury. They can be purchased through payroll savings deductions, at banks or directly from the government at the Treasury Direct website. New Series EE bonds cannot be cashed in until one year after purchase, and there is an interest penalty for redeeming them during the first five years. Treasury Direct provides a couple of tools that will calculate the cash value of Series EE bonds.
For One or Only a Few Series EE Bonds
Go to the savings bond calculator on the Treasury Direct website. From the home page, select the box for "Individuals" outlined in green. On the Individuals page, select "Tools" from the blue menu across the top. The "Savings Bond Calculator" is the first choice on the Tools page.
Select "Get Started" on the Savings Bond Calculator page. The calculator page gives directions for using the calculator, and the "Get Started" link will take you straight to the calculator.
Enter the denomination, serial number and issue date of your Series EE bond. Click on "Calculate" for the current cash value of the bond.
If You Have a Larger Number of Bonds
Select the "Savings Bond Wizard" instead of the "Savings Bond Calculator" on the "Tools" page of Treasury Direct.
Download the Savings Bond Wizard software and install it on your computer. The software will start up automatically after it is installed.
Enter the details about your Series EE bonds into the "Add a Bond" screen of the software. The data entry is across the top of the software window, and the entered bonds are listed below.
Use the "Redemption Value" button or select "Redemption Value" on the Tools menu to update your Series EE bond values.
Tips
Savings bond data saved while using the Savings Bond Calculator can be downloaded from the Treasury Direct website and used in the Savings Bond Wizard software. Savings bond data on an Excel-type spreadsheet can be imported into the Savings Bond Wizard in a .csv format. If you have a regular Savings Bond investment schedule, such as through a payroll savings plan, you can set up the Savings Bond Wizard to automatically include and calculate the new bonds in your bond listing.
References
Tips
- Savings bond data saved while using the Savings Bond Calculator can be downloaded from the Treasury Direct website and used in the Savings Bond Wizard software.
- Savings bond data on an Excel-type spreadsheet can be imported into the Savings Bond Wizard in a .csv format.
- If you have a regular Savings Bond investment schedule, such as through a payroll savings plan, you can set up the Savings Bond Wizard to automatically include and calculate the new bonds in your bond listing.
Writer Bio
Tim Plaehn has been writing financial, investment and trading articles and blogs since 2007. His work has appeared online at Seeking Alpha, Marketwatch.com and various other websites. Plaehn has a bachelor's degree in mathematics from the U.S. Air Force Academy.