The maturity timeline depends on which bond you own

U.S. savings bonds do not all mature on the same schedule. Series EE bonds reach their may provide maturity in 30 years. Series I bonds (inflation bonds) also mature in 30 years. Series HH bonds, which are no longer sold but many people still own, matured in 20 years from issue date. The maturity date printed on your bond is when the Treasury stops paying interest — but you can hold the bond longer if you want, and it will keep earning interest for up to 30 years total.

The maturity date matters because it marks when your bond reaches its face value — the amount you paid for it. For EE bonds, the Treasury guarantees that if you hold it for the full 30 years, it will be worth at least double what you paid. For I bonds, there is no doubling may provide, but interest compounds every month for the entire 30-year period.

Key Takeaways

  • Series EE bonds mature in 30 years from the issue date, and Series I bonds also mature in 30 years.
  • You can cash in a savings bond before maturity, but you will lose the last three months of interest if you cash it in before five years have passed.
  • After maturity, your bond stops earning new interest, but you can still hold it and redeem it at any time.
  • The issue date on your bond certificate tells you exactly when maturity occurs — add 30 years to that date.

What happens when your bond reaches maturity

When a savings bond reaches its maturity date, the Treasury stops adding interest to it. The bond itself does not disappear or become worthless — it simply stops growing. You can still hold it, and you can still cash it in whenever you choose. Many people leave matured bonds in their accounts for years without cashing them.

The key difference is that a matured bond earns zero interest going forward. If you own a Series EE bond that matured in 2024, it will not earn anything in 2025 or beyond. This is why financial advisors often suggest cashing in matured bonds and moving the money somewhere else if you want it to continue earning interest.

Cashing in a bond before it matures

You can redeem a savings bond before its maturity date, but there is a penalty for doing so within the first five years. If you cash in an EE or I bond before it has been held for five years, you lose the last three months of interest. This means if you bought a bond in January 2024 and cashed it in March 2025, you would receive the value as of December 2024, not March 2025.

After five years, you can cash in your bond without losing interest. The Treasury will pay you the full current value, including all interest earned up to that point. You can redeem savings bonds through TreasuryDirect (the online platform where most people buy them), through a bank, or through a credit union.

How to find your bond's maturity date

If you own a physical savings bond certificate, the issue date is printed on the front. Add 30 years to that date, and you have your maturity date. For example, a bond issued May 15, 2000 would mature on May 15, 2030.

If you own bonds through TreasuryDirect, log into your account and look at your holdings. The system shows the issue date for each bond, and you can calculate maturity from there. TreasuryDirect also displays the current value and the interest earned to date, which makes it easy to track whether a bond has already matured.

Why the 30-year timeline matters for planning

The 30-year maturity is a long commitment, which is why savings bonds work best for money you will not need for many years. If you are saving for retirement or a distant goal, the may provide interest and tax advantages make sense. If you might need the money sooner, the five-year penalty window is worth remembering.

Series I bonds have an additional consideration: the interest rate changes every six months based on inflation. The rate you earn in the first six months is different from the rate in months seven through twelve, and so on. This means your bond's growth is not steady — it accelerates or slows depending on inflation trends. Over the full 30 years, this can add up significantly, but it also means you cannot predict the exact final value the way you can with an EE bond's doubling may provide.

What to do with a bond after it matures

Once a bond matures, you have three realistic options. First, you can cash it in and use the money. Second, you can leave it in your TreasuryDirect account or with your bank and cash it in later when you need it — the money is still yours, it just is not earning interest. Third, you can use the proceeds to buy new bonds if you want to continue investing in Treasury securities.

Many people forget about matured bonds and leave them sitting for years. There is no penalty for this, and the money is safe — it is backed by the U.S. government. But from a financial perspective, leaving money in a matured bond that earns zero percent interest is usually not the best choice if you have other options available.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I cash in a Series EE bond before 30 years?

Yes. If you hold it for at least five years, you get the full current value with no penalty. If you cash it in before five years, you lose the last three months of interest. You cannot cash in a bond less than one year after purchase.

What if I lose track of when my bond matures?

If you own bonds through TreasuryDirect, your account shows the issue date for each bond. For physical certificates, the issue date is printed on the front. Add 30 years to find maturity. You can also contact TreasuryDirect customer service with your bond serial number.

Do I have to cash in my bond when it matures?

No. Your bond will not expire or become invalid. It simply stops earning interest. You can hold it indefinitely and cash it in whenever you choose. However, keeping money in a matured bond earning zero percent is usually not the best financial choice.

Is the interest on a matured bond taxed differently?

No. The interest you earned during the 30-year period is taxed the same way whether you cash in the bond at maturity or years later. You report the interest on your federal tax return in the year you redeem the bond, unless you chose to report it annually.

Can I transfer a matured bond to someone else?

Savings bonds cannot be transferred or given away. Only the registered owner can cash in the bond. If you want to give money to someone, you would need to cash in the bond first and then give them the cash or deposit it into an account they control.