Cashing EE Savings Bonds
Terry – huge fan, have followed your advice on WGN for years! At one point you answered a question about the procedure for cashing paper savings bonds; it took me awhile, but I finally got around to filling out the form and calculating their worth at Treasury Direct. We are below $1000 in value so we do not have to notarize the form, but I hit a roadblock – do we need to sign the backs of the bonds before submitting them? There is nothing in the instructions (or on the Treasury Website!) mentioning whether this is a requirement. And, (surprise!) when Google searching I can find advice for both signing and not signing…most say they do not need to be signed, but I thought it would be best to check with the one financial person I know I can trust. I do not want to do anything wrong that will further complicate an already complicated process. I searched your site also, but was unable to find any reference. Any guidance you can provide would be greatly appreciated! Thank you for your time and expertise…
Terry Says
I assume you watched the video and read the instructions for cashing EE bonds at TreasuryDirect.gov: https://www.treasurydirect.gov/savings-bonds/cashing-a-bond/
Correct, you do not have to have your signature notarized if less than $1,000. But you do have to sign the bonds. Send them by registered mail, return receipt requested.
