This page contains calculators to help reveal the benefits, drawbacks and differences of investing in U.S. savings bonds — I or EE — versus Treasury bills, bonds or notes.
Issuing debt in the form of bonds is one way the U.S. government raises money to fund its operations. U.S. debt securities are guaranteed by the government, and offer the benefit of being “risk-free” if held to maturity. They’re also state and local tax-free. (You still owe federal income taxes on interest earned.) The following calculators include:
Savings bonds are long-term investments with maturities of up to 30 years. They can be bought for as little as $25, and differ from other government investments in that they can be gifted. (You can name someone as the co-owner and beneficiary.) If you received a paper savings bond as a gift and don't know what to do with it, head to TreasuryDirect to see the value of your paper savings bond and learn how to cash out your investment.
Savings bonds are known as a “zero-coupon bond,” meaning instead of receiving ongoing interest payments, you receive a lump sum upon cashing out. They’re a type of investment bought at a discount, and upon maturity, you’re repaid the face value of the bond. The difference between the discount price and face value is your profit or “interest” earned.
Savings bonds come in one of two types: EE and I. EE bonds guarantee to double your money if held for 20 years, and their maturity may be extended to 30 years. They can be bought in penny increments from $25 to $10,000 per year per Social Security number.
I bonds are the other main type of savings bond and can be purchased in amounts from $25 up to $10,000 in electronic bonds and $5,000 in paper bonds per year. I bonds differ from EE bonds in that they earn an interest rate that adjusts for inflation.
Both types of savings bonds may be sold 12 months after purchase, but if sold before year five, investors will lose three months' worth of interest. Unlike other types of government securities, savings bonds cannot be resold or traded.
Savings bonds require a Social Security number to purchase, while Treasury securities require a taxpayer identification number. To invest in U.S. government bonds without these forms of documentation, learn more about government exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
Treasury bond and note calculator
U.S. Treasurys are types of government debt securities that vary in their interest rates, duration, risks and yields. Treasury bonds are another long-term debt security, maturing in 20 or 30 years. Treasury notes mature in two, three, five, seven or 10 years, and the 10-year Treasury note is one “risk-free” benchmark against which other investments are compared.
Treasury bills calculator
Treasury bills (T-bills) are the shortest-term U.S. debt security. The 3-month bill is often used as the short-term benchmark for what is considered “risk-free.”
Maturing in less than one year, T-bills differ from other Treasurys in terms of their interest rate structure. Treasury bills are a zero-coupon bond like savings bonds. Use the calculator below to explore how this works.
3 Month Treasury Bill Rate is at 5.26%, compared to 5.26% the previous market day and 5.26% last year. This is higher than the long term average of 4.19%.
To learn the value of your electronic savings bonds, log in to your TreasuryDirect account. Find out what your paper savings bonds are worth with our online Calculator. The Calculator will price paper bonds of these series: EE, E, I, and savings notes.
EE bonds you buy now have a fixed interest rate that you know when you buy the bond. That rate remains the same for at least the first 20 years. It may change after that for the last 10 of its 30 years. We guarantee that the value of your new EE bond at 20 years will be double what you paid for it.
Series EE bonds mature in 20 years but earn interest for up to 30 years. The U.S. Treasury guarantees Series EE bonds will double in value in 20 years. You don't receive the interest on your Series EE bond until you cash it.
If you're saving for a goal less than a year away: If you're saving money for a goal with a short-time horizon, T-bills can make more sense than CDs. They provide a higher APY than savings accounts, and they're more liquid than CDs.
We sell Treasury Bonds for a term of either 20 or 30 years. Bonds pay a fixed rate of interest every six months until they mature. You can hold a bond until it matures or sell it before it matures. EE Bonds, I Bonds, and HH Bonds are U.S. savings bonds.
Answer and Explanation: The amount of $100,000 will grow to $432,194.24 after 30 years at a 5% annual return. The amount of $100,000 will grow to $1,006,265.69 after 30 years at an 8% annual return.
Bills are short-term securities that mature in one year or less. They are sold at face value (also called par value) or at a discount. When they mature, we pay you the face value. The difference between the face value and the discounted price you pay is "interest."
If you moved your EE bond into a TreasuryDirect account, we pay you for the bond as soon as it reaches 30 years and stops earning interest. If you still have a paper EE bond, check the issue date. If that date is more than 30 years ago, it is no longer increasing in value and you may want to cash it.
The Savings Bond Calculator WILL: Calculate the value of a paper bond based on the series, denomination, and issue date entered. (To calculate a value, you don't need to enter a serial number. However, if you plan to save an inventory of bonds, you may want to enter serial numbers.)
There are two primary reasons a bond might be worth less than its listed face value. A savings bond, for example, is sold at a discount to its face value and steadily appreciates in price as the bond approaches its maturity date. Upon maturity, the bond is redeemed for the full face value.
While the Treasury will not penalize you for holding a U.S. Savings Bond past its date of maturity, the Internal Revenue Service will. Interest accumulated over the life of a U.S. Savings Bond must be reported on your 1040 form for the tax year in which you redeem the bond or it reaches final maturity.
If your savings bond from a Series other than EE, I, or HH has finished its interest-earning life, you could cash it and use the money for something else – a project, a financial need, or a new investment like an interest-earning savings bond or other Treasury security.
If you still have a paper EE bond, check the issue date. If that date is more than 30 years ago, it is no longer increasing in value and you may want to cash it.
How long should I wait to cash in a savings bond? It's a good idea to hang on to your bond for as long as possible, ideally until it matures, so you can take full advantage of compound and accrued interest.
There are two primary reasons a bond might be worth less than its listed face value. A savings bond, for example, is sold at a discount to its face value and steadily appreciates in price as the bond approaches its maturity date. Upon maturity, the bond is redeemed for the full face value.
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