How to Find a Lost Savings Bond
us. Historically, savings bonds have been considered risk-free investments with tax benefits and no ongoing fees. Vouchers are often given by parents or grandparents for a child’s birthday, graduation, or another important event. Today’s US Savings Bonds can only be purchased electronically, but you may have received paper bonds as a child, and you may have forgotten where you hid them many years ago.
If you forgot your savings bonds, don’t worry, the US Treasury Department says $29 billion in savings bonds outstanding, which can help you find yours.
The best way to find vintage savings bonds
Start with what you know about your lost US Savings Bond, such as its name and who bought it for you. The more information you can provide, the easier the process will be.
- look what you know
- Several types of information can speed up the search for your deposit:
- Deposit Serial Number
- Issue date (or an estimate of when you think the bond will be purchased)
- face value of the bond
- Number of missing links (if there is more than one)
- Bondholder name and social security number
- The name and social security number of the person purchasing the bond.
Unless you or the person buying the bond keep written records, you probably won’t have access to all the details. As long as you know a few details, the Treasury Department can find bond records. Where Is The Serial Number On A Savings Bond?
Use the treasure hunt tool
The Treasury Department’s online tool can help you determine if you’re missing any obligations before filing a collection request. “The fastest way to find lost savings bonds is to go to a treasure hunt site, which shows savings bonds outstanding savings that expire,” said Leslie H. Tayne, founder of Tayne Law Group.
If Treasure Hunt is looking for one or more bonuses, you will receive a worksheet to fill out and an email to begin the process of receiving bonuses or replacement payments.
Fill out form 1048
Another way to find and recover lost savings bonds is to visit the Cash Direct website and fill out Form 1048: Claims for Lost, Stolen or Damaged US Savings Bonds.
Tayne recommends filling out as many 1048 forms as possible. “Try to get the buyer’s social security number and the estimated duration of the purchase,” she says.
Provide a certified signature
After Form 1048 is completed, it must be signed in the presence of a notary public or authorized certifying person, who can be done at a local bank or credit union. You will need to provide identification and then the form will be signed and stamped by the facility’s certifying officer or notary. It may be worth contacting your financial institution ahead of time to confirm they have a credentialing agent or notary and to schedule an appointment.
Mail in your completed form
Once the form is completed and signed, you can submit it directly to the Treasury Department:
Treasury Services to Individuals on Securities
Post Box Box 9150
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55480-9150
Lost Savings deposit requests may take several weeks to process. To track your application, call 844-284-2676 or email savbonds@fiscal.treasury.gov.
Decide what to do with your old savings bonds
Part of completing Form 1048 is choosing what you want to do with your savings bonds if they are discovered. You have two options: “If you don’t want to roll over to the bond, you can request a replacement bond or pay via direct deposit,” says Justin Pritchard, a financial advisor at Approach Financial. It’s up to you to decide which is the best option, but the age of the link can be a deciding factor. If the bond no longer pays interest, you may have to accept payment instead of receiving a replacement bond.
Once you have received payment for a lost or replacement bond, the original bond no longer belongs to you. Now they belong to the government. If the missing deposit is found, it must be returned to the Treasury.
The bottom line
Losing a savings bond does not mean losing the money paid or the interest it earns. As long as you can provide the necessary information, the Ministry of Finance can help you find it. The good news is that reissued bonds are now in electronic form and can be viewed at any time through your TreasuryDirect online account.
– Freelance writer Kevin Payne contributed to an earlier version of this article.