The U.S. Department of the Treasury is holding about $29.7 billion in matured U.S. savings bonds, and millions of Americans may still have money waiting to be claimed. If you or a family member ever bought paper savings bonds and later forgot about them, now is a smart time to check.
A matured savings bond has reached the end of its earning period, which means it is no longer collecting interest. In many cases, the owner only needs to locate the bond and redeem it, but because many of these bonds are decades old, they can be easy to lose track of.
Worth reading: The State By State Guide to Unclaimed Assets
Why this matters
Savings bonds are often bought as gifts, savings tools, or long-term investments, then forgotten over time. Treasury-related unclaimed property reporting suggests that roughly 80 million matured bonds may still be unredeemed.
That means there could be money owed to you, a parent, a grandparent, or another relative. The important part is knowing where to look and how to start the search.
How to check for unclaimed savings bonds
The old Treasury Hunt website is no longer available, but there are still ways to search for missing or matured bonds. One of the easiest tools is MissingMoney.com, a free national unclaimed property search site supported by state treasurers.
You can use it to search for unclaimed property in participating states, look for possible matches for matured savings bonds, and find links to the official state website where you can begin a claim.
If there is a match, the site will usually point you to the proper government office to continue the process.
Other places to look
The U.S. Treasury also provides guidance on savings bonds, including how to redeem them and how to calculate value. If you still have the paper bond, check the serial number, issue date, and owner information, since those details can help confirm whether the bond is still valid and who can claim it.
If the bond was issued long ago, especially in a parent’s or grandparent’s name, it may also be worth checking old records, family files, safe deposit boxes, or estate paperwork.
What to do if you find a match
If a bond appears to belong to you, the next step is usually to file a claim with the appropriate state or federal office. Be ready to provide identification, proof of ownership, and any supporting documents that connect you to the bond.
If the bond belonged to a deceased relative, the estate may need to handle the claim instead. In that case, probate records or a death certificate may be required.
Final thoughts
Billions of dollars in matured savings bonds are still sitting unclaimed, and some of that money may belong to your family. A quick search could uncover forgotten savings that have been untouched for years.
The sooner you check, the sooner you can find out whether you’re owed money that was never redeemed.
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