Cash EE or I savings bonds — TreasuryDirect (2024)

FAQs

Which is better, EE or I savings bonds? ›

Bottom line. I bonds, with their inflation-adjusted return, safeguard the investor's purchasing power during periods of high inflation. On the other hand, EE Bonds offer predictable returns with a fixed-interest rate and a guaranteed doubling of value if held for 20 years.

You can get your cash for an EE or I savings bond any time after you have owned it for 1 year. However, the longer you hold the bond, the more it earns for you (for up to 30 years for an EE or I bond). Also, if you cash in the bond in less than 5 years, you lose the last 3 months of interest.

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.

TurboTax asks whether you cashed Series EE or I U.S. savings bonds in case you qualify for the tax exemption (see Cash Out I Bonds Tax Free For College Expenses Or 529 Plan). Answer Yes if you want TurboTax to check your eligibility.

Securities purchased through TreasuryDirect cannot be sold in the secondary market before they mature. This lack of liquidity could be a disadvantage for investors who may need to access their investment capital before the securities' maturity.

The cons of investing in I-bonds

There's actually a limit on how much you can invest in I-bonds per year. The annual maximum in purchases is $10,000 worth of electronic I-bonds, although in some cases, you may be able to purchase an additional $5,000 worth of paper I-bonds using your tax refund.

Bond returns have consistently exceeded the returns of cash and cash equivalents. From 2008-2022, bonds outperformed cash by a 2.1% annual average. While 2022 was the worst-performing year in the modern history of the bond market, the year's results failed to offset the outperformance of the preceding 15 years.

You can skip paying taxes on interest earned with Series EE and Series I savings bonds if you're using the money to pay for qualified higher education costs. That includes expenses you pay for yourself, your spouse or a qualified dependent. Only certain qualified higher education costs are covered, including: Tuition.

Interest from EE U.S. savings bonds is taxed at the federal level but not at the state or local levels for income. The interest that savings bonds earn is the amount that a bond can be redeemed for above its face value or original purchase price.

Do I need to report I bonds on my tax return? ›

Yes, you are required to pay federal income taxes on the interest earned by inherited series I savings bonds. The interest is taxed in the year it is earned and must be reported on the beneficiary's tax return. The amount of tax owed depends on the beneficiary's tax bracket and the amount of interest earned.

We put a 1099 into your TreasuryDirect account if: You cash a savings bond in TreasuryDirect. (We don't provide a 1099 if you only buy or hold a savings bond.) You hold a marketable security in TreasuryDirect and the security earns interest.

Series EE savings bonds are a low-risk way to save money. They earn interest regularly for 30 years (or until you cash them if you do that before 30 years). For EE bonds you buy now, we guarantee that the bond will double in value in 20 years, even if we have to add money at 20 years to make that happen.

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.

TIPS offer greater liquidity and the higher yearly limit allows you to stash far more cash in TIPS than I-bonds. If you're saving for education, I-bonds may be the way to go.