EE bonds stop earning interest after 30 years, though you can hold them longer without penalty
Series EE bonds issued after May 2003 earn interest for exactly 30 years from the issue date. After that 30-year mark, they stop accruing new interest entirely. The bond reaches its final value on the 30-year anniversary and stays at that value whether you hold it another month or another decade.
This is different from older EE bonds issued before May 2003, which earn interest for 40 years. If you own bonds from that earlier period, check your bond documents or the Treasury website to confirm your specific bond's earning period.
You do not lose money by holding an EE bond past its 30-year earning period. The principal and all accrued interest remain yours. But you also do not gain anything by waiting — the bond has finished growing, and leaving it in a drawer earns you nothing.
Key Takeaways
- EE bonds issued after May 2003 earn interest for 30 years from the issue date, then stop accruing interest permanently.
- EE bonds issued before May 2003 earn interest for 40 years, so you should verify which version you own.
- You can hold an EE bond past its final earning date without penalty, but it will not grow in value.
- The Treasury Department tracks your bond's exact maturity date, which you can find through TreasuryDirect or by contacting them directly.
How to find your EE bond's maturity date
The simplest way is to log into TreasuryDirect (treasurydirect.gov), the official Treasury website where the government tracks all registered bonds. If you own paper EE bonds, you can calculate the date yourself: add 30 years to the issue date printed on the bond. The issue date appears in the upper right corner of the certificate.
If you cannot locate your bonds or do not remember when you bought them, the Treasury can search their records. Call the Bureau of the Public Debt at 844-284-2676 or visit treasurydirect.gov and use their bond lookup tool. You will need your Social Security number and the approximate purchase date or range.
For paper bonds held in a safe deposit box or at home, write down the maturity date on the certificate itself so you do not forget. Many people discover their bonds have stopped earning interest years after the fact simply because they never checked.
What to do with an EE bond that has stopped earning
Once your EE bond reaches 30 years, you have three main options: cash it in, keep it as a savings vehicle with no growth, or move the money elsewhere.
Cashing in the bond is straightforward. If it is registered in TreasuryDirect, you can redeem it online and the money goes to your linked bank account within a few business days. If you own a paper certificate, take it to a bank or credit union — most will cash it for you, though some may require you to be a customer. The Treasury also redeems paper bonds by mail if you send them to the Bureau of the Public Debt.
If you want to keep the money in savings but earn interest again, consider moving it to a high-yield savings account or a certificate of deposit (CD). Current rates on these products vary by institution and change frequently, but many offer rates higher than what your mature EE bond earned in its final years.
Tax implications when you redeem a mature EE bond
When you cash in an EE bond, you owe federal income tax on all the interest it earned over its lifetime — not just the interest earned in the final year. The Treasury will send you a Form 1099-INT showing the total interest amount, and you report that on your tax return for the year you redeem the bond.
You do not owe tax on the original principal you invested, only on the earnings. If you bought a $50 EE bond for $25 and it grew to $100, you owe tax on $75 of interest.
State and local income taxes do not apply to EE bond interest — that is one of the few tax advantages these bonds offer. However, if you redeemed the bond in a previous year and did not report the interest, you may owe back taxes plus penalties. The Treasury has records of all redemptions, so it is better to report the income when you cash the bond.
The difference between maturity and final redemption
Maturity (the 30-year mark) is when the bond stops earning interest. Final redemption is when the Treasury stops honoring the bond altogether — for EE bonds, this is 30 years after maturity, meaning 60 years from the issue date. After final redemption, you cannot cash the bond through normal channels.
In practice, this distinction matters only if you hold a bond for 60 years without cashing it. At that point, you would need to contact the Treasury directly to recover your money, and the process is more complicated. For most people, the relevant date is the 30-year maturity, when the bond stops growing.
Comparing EE bonds to other savings options after maturity
Once your EE bond stops earning interest, it becomes a less attractive savings vehicle than alternatives available today. The table below shows how a mature EE bond compares to other common savings products, though actual rates vary by institution and change over time.
| Product | Interest Earned After Maturity | Liquidity | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mature EE Bond (30+ years old) | None | Can redeem anytime | None |
| High-Yield Savings Account | Varies by bank, currently 4–5% range | Withdraw anytime | FDIC insured up to $250,000 |
| 1-Year CD | Varies by bank, currently 4–5% range | Locked until maturity; early withdrawal penalty | FDIC insured up to $250,000 |
| Money Market Account | Varies by bank, currently 4–5% range | Limited withdrawals per month | FDIC insured up to $250,000 |
The main reason to keep a mature EE bond is if you have no other place to put the money and want to avoid the tax hit of cashing it in during a high-income year. Otherwise, redeeming it and moving the funds to a higher-earning account makes financial sense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I extend an EE bond past 30 years so it keeps earning interest?
No. Once an EE bond reaches 30 years, it stops earning interest permanently. You cannot renew it or extend the earning period. Your only option is to redeem it and reinvest the money elsewhere.
What happens if I lose a paper EE bond certificate?
Contact the Treasury at 844-284-2676 or visit treasurydirect.gov. They can search their records and issue a replacement certificate or process a redemption if the bond has matured. You will need to provide proof of ownership, typically your Social Security number and the bond's approximate issue date.
Do I have to cash in my EE bond when it reaches 30 years?
No. You can hold it indefinitely without penalty. However, it will not earn interest, so keeping it in a savings account or CD that pays interest is usually a better choice financially.
If I inherited an EE bond, when does it stop earning interest?
The 30-year earning period is based on the original issue date, not the date you inherited it. If the bond was issued 25 years ago, it will earn interest for 5 more years regardless of when you received it. Check the issue date on the certificate to calculate the exact maturity date.
How much will my EE bond be worth when it stops earning interest?
That depends on the bond's purchase price, the interest rate it earned, and how long you held it. You can find the exact value by logging into TreasuryDirect, checking the certificate itself if it is a paper bond, or calling the Treasury. The value shown is what you will receive if you redeem it.