How to find your EE bond's current value
The value of an EE savings bond depends on how long you have owned it and the interest rate it earned when you bought it. You cannot look at the bond itself and see a number — the value grows invisibly over time. To find out what your bond is worth today, you use the Treasury Department's online tool called the Savings Bond Calculator, which is free and takes about two minutes.
Go to treasurydirect.gov, find the Savings Bond Calculator link, and enter three pieces of information: the series (EE), the issue date (the month and year printed on the bond), and the denomination (the amount you paid for it — usually $25, $50, $100, or $200). The calculator shows you the current redemption value, which is what the Treasury will pay you if you cash it in today.
If you bought your bond through TreasuryDirect (the online system), you can also log into your account and see the value listed there without using the calculator. The value updates every month on the first business day.
Key Takeaways
- EE bonds purchased after May 2003 are may provide to double in value after 20 years, even if interest rates are very low.
- The Savings Bond Calculator at treasurydirect.gov shows you exactly what your bond is worth based on its issue date and purchase price.
- EE bonds earn interest monthly, but you do not receive the money until you cash the bond in or it reaches final maturity at 30 years.
- You can cash in an EE bond anytime after one year, but if you cash it before five years, you lose the last three months of interest as a penalty.
Why EE bonds grow in value differently than other savings
An EE bond does not work like a regular savings account where you see interest added each month. Instead, the interest compounds — meaning interest earns interest — and stays locked inside the bond until you redeem it. The Treasury sets a new interest rate for EE bonds every six months (in May and November), and that rate applies to all bonds issued during that six-month period.
The rate you earn depends entirely on when you bought the bond. A bond purchased in May 2024 earns a different rate than one purchased in November 2023. Once your bond is issued, its rate never changes, even if Treasury rates go up or down in the future. This is why two EE bonds sitting side by side can have different values — they were issued at different times and locked in different rates.
The current interest rate for new EE bonds is posted on treasurydirect.gov and changes twice a year. Older bonds may have earned much higher rates (some from the 1980s earned 10 percent or more), while bonds issued in recent years have earned lower rates because overall interest rates have been lower.
The 20-year doubling may provide and what it means
If you bought your EE bond after May 2003, the Treasury guarantees it will be worth at least twice what you paid for it after 20 years. This is a real safety net. If you paid $100 for a bond in 2004, it is worth at least $200 today, no matter how low interest rates fell during those years.
This may provide does not mean your bond will be worth exactly double — it might be worth more if the interest rate was higher. But it means the Treasury will make up the difference if the interest earned falls short. For example, if a bond's interest rate was so low that it would only reach $195 after 20 years, the Treasury adds $5 to bring it to the may provide $200.
Bonds issued before May 2003 do not have this may provide, so their value depends entirely on the interest rate they earned. If you own an older bond, the calculator will show you its exact current worth.
How redemption value differs from face value
The face value is the amount printed on the bond — the price you paid for it. The redemption value is what the Treasury will actually give you if you cash it in. These are almost never the same number (except on the day you buy it).
For example, you might have bought a $100 EE bond in 2015. The face value is $100. Today, after nine years of interest, the redemption value might be $155. If you cash it in, you receive $155, not $100. The difference ($55) is the interest you earned.
The redemption value is what matters when you decide whether to cash the bond in. You are not getting back what you put in — you are getting back what the bond has grown to be worth.
When your bond stops growing in value
EE bonds stop earning interest at 30 years from the issue date. After that point, the value is fixed forever. If you have not cashed in the bond by then, its value will never increase again, even if you hold it for another 10 years.
This is why it matters to know your bond's issue date. A bond issued in January 2000 stopped earning interest in January 2030. If you still own it and have not cashed it in, you should check its current value and consider redeeming it, because holding it longer will not make it worth more.
The Treasury does not automatically cash in your bond when it reaches 30 years. You have to do it yourself by going to a bank or credit union, or by using TreasuryDirect if you own it there. Until you redeem it, the bond sits in your possession at its final value.
Reading the issue date on a paper EE bond
If you own a physical paper bond, the issue date is printed on the front. It usually appears as a month and year — for example, "MAY 2010" or "11/2015". This date is what you enter into the Savings Bond Calculator.
Paper bonds also show a series letter (always "EE" for Series EE bonds) and a denomination. The denomination is what you paid for it, not what it is worth now. A $100 bond always says "$100" on the front, even if it is now worth $180.
If the printing is faded or hard to read, you can contact the Treasury's Savings Bonds customer service line at 1-800-553-2663. They can look up your bond if you provide the serial number and other identifying information.
Checking the value of bonds you own through TreasuryDirect
If you bought your EE bonds online through TreasuryDirect, you do not need the calculator. Log into your account at treasurydirect.gov using your username and password. Your account dashboard shows each bond you own, listed by issue date, with its current redemption value displayed next to it.
TreasuryDirect updates these values on the first business day of each month. If you check your account on the 15th of the month, you are seeing the value as of the first of that month, not today's exact value. The difference is usually small (a few cents to a few dollars), but it is worth knowing.
You can also set up a TreasuryDirect account to hold bonds you bought years ago as paper certificates. The process of moving them into your online account is called "SmartExchange," and it lets you see all your bonds in one place with current values.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I cash in my EE bond for more than what the calculator says it is worth?
No. The Savings Bond Calculator and your TreasuryDirect account both show the exact redemption value the Treasury will pay. There is no negotiation or variation. Every EE bond with the same issue date and denomination has the same value on any given day.
What if I lost my EE bond or cannot find the issue date?
Contact the Treasury's Savings Bonds customer service at 1-800-553-2663 or visit treasurydirect.gov. If you can provide the serial number (printed on the bond) or other details like the approximate year you bought it, they can look up the issue date and current value for you. If the bond is truly lost, you can file a claim with the Treasury.
Does my EE bond's value change every day?
No. EE bond values are updated once a month, on the first business day. The interest rate locked into your bond does not change, so the value grows predictably month to month. You will not see daily fluctuations like you would with a stock or mutual fund.
If I cash in my EE bond early, do I lose all the interest?
No, but you lose some of it. If you cash in an EE bond before it has been held for five years, the Treasury deducts the last three months of interest as a penalty. After five years, you can cash it in with no penalty and keep all the interest earned to that point.
Why is my old EE bond worth so much more than a new one?
Older EE bonds often earned much higher interest rates because overall interest rates were higher when they were issued. A bond from the 1980s might have earned 10 percent or more per year, while a bond issued in 2023 might earn 4 or 5 percent. Over decades, that difference compounds into a much larger value.