Redeeming an I or EE bond before it is 5 years old will result in the loss of the last 3 months of accrued interest. [2] X Trustworthy Source Treasury Direct Website run by the U. S. Bureau of Fiscal Service that allows individuals to buy U. S. Treasury securities Go to source I and EE bonds earn interest for 30 years if you don’t redeem them. All bonds are guaranteed at least their face value by 20 years.

For example, if your bond was issued in January, you want to redeem the bond in January or July. If the bond was issued in October, you want to redeem it in either October or April.

If you are a beneficiary for someone deceased, you must bring a death certificate to provide proof you can cash the bond. If you are a parent or guardian, you must bring a birth certificate or other identification materials if you wish to cash the bond for your child. [3] X Trustworthy Source Treasury Direct Website run by the U. S. Bureau of Fiscal Service that allows individuals to buy U. S. Treasury securities Go to source An owner or co-owner can cash the bond without the knowledge of the other person. [4] X Research source

Contact your bank before redeeming them. Find out if they redeem savings bonds, what their dollar limit is, and what documents you need to redeem the bonds. If the bank won’t redeem your bonds, try the Federal Reserve Bank. You can do this electronically or by mail. [6] X Trustworthy Source Treasury Direct Website run by the U. S. Bureau of Fiscal Service that allows individuals to buy U. S. Treasury securities Go to source

You can also have an identifier take you to his bank where he has had an account for 6 months. The person with the account must have a legitimate connection to the person cashing the bond. For example, it cannot be landlord-tenant or a patron from a business. You both will be required to give name and address, relationship, and length of acquaintance. [7] X Trustworthy Source Treasury Direct Website run by the U. S. Bureau of Fiscal Service that allows individuals to buy U. S. Treasury securities Go to source You will have to sign the “Request for Payment” section of the bond. Your signature will have to match the signature on file. If you are at the bank with someone with an account, he will have to sign the “Request for Payment. " The bank will write your account number on the back of the bond. They may also write the type of identification or your address on the back.

Another way to do this is to submit a certified copy of the power of attorney to the bank. The Power of Attorney document must state explicitly that you can cash the savings bonds. The document must be notarized. If you do this, only a Federal Reserve Bank can cash the bonds. [9] X Research source This form is located through the Treasury Department website.

On the back of the bond, you will enter something like this: I certify that I am the parent of John Doe with whom John Doe resides/to whom legal custody has been granted. He is 3 years old and is not of sufficient understanding to make this request. Nick Doe on behalf of John Doe. [10] X Trustworthy Source Treasury Direct Website run by the U. S. Bureau of Fiscal Service that allows individuals to buy U. S. Treasury securities Go to source If a child is old enough to sign his or her own name, they can go to the bank and sign the bonds while accompanied by an adult. [11] X Trustworthy Source Treasury Direct Website run by the U. S. Bureau of Fiscal Service that allows individuals to buy U. S. Treasury securities Go to source

TreasuryDirect. gov also provides a service which allows you to convert your savings bond certificates into electronic savings bonds for easier filing and tracking. This will relieve you of the burden of storing your certificates. It makes redeeming bonds significantly easier.