You wouldn’t have the slightest idea of how fast your savings bond investment is growing if you do not have a way of tracking the growth record.
To some, all they want is to just invest and wait for the speculated time of maturity, while to others, they want to keep a track record and follow how much their savings bond is worth at a time through its maturity.
So, for you who would want to keep a record of the growth of your savings bond, you will see how you can keep a record of your investment and the tools that can help you out in this article.
You wouldn’t understand how long it takes for your $100 saving bond investment to mature if you don’t know how it works.
Therefore, see the table of contents above for an overview and click on any topics that catch your fancy.
Table of contents
How Does Savings Bond Work?
A savings bond works by paying a fixed interest rate on a bond. Depending on the saving bonds you get, you might recover the bond for twice the amount you bought it.
If there is no reclaim on the savings bond by year 30, there must be an account for it.
Although this might not be the best investment, the U.S. government regulates the rate of returns on your savings bond, and sometimes, the market conditions do.
To fully mature into twice the amount of the original value, it takes a great deal of time says, up to 20 years.
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Types of Savings Bonds
There are two types of savings bonds sold by the U.S Treasury. They are Series EE and Series I savings bonds.
Over the years, lots of savings bonds have been issued of which some are no longer offered by the government but still have investors.
Other outdated bonds in the likes of Series E and Series HH may still be under some savers in the U.S.
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#1 Series EE
This savings bond earns a fixed interest rate and is traded electronically. Before now, the EE savings bonds used to be delivered on paper and were sold at half the face rate.
For instance, one could buy a bond for $100 and it would be worth $200 at the time of redemption which maybe after a certain time.
Series EE bond grows interest for 30 years and there is no penalty for redeeming the bond after 5 years.
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#2 Series I
This savings bond can either be sold electronically on TreasuryDirect or in paper form.
The interest rate for bonds bought from May to October is at 1.06%.
Few others exist, and they are Series E and Series HH.
What is the Difference Between a Savings Bond and a Savings Account?
Although similar, we interchangeably use these terms. Therefore, it is expedient we note their specifics and when to use them correctly.
Following this, we’ll outline their key differences to set things straight.
Savings Bond
- A savings bond runs for a defined period, usually from 0 to 10 years or even longer.
- Just as the word ‘bond’ means you to be under an obligation, it requires you to not touch your money for a full term, unlike in a savings account.
- Some bonds will grant you access to your money before the term ends but have you been fined for it?
- A savings bond pays a stipulated interest rate occasionally.
Savings Account
- There is no set time for you to access your savings account
- Savings accounts are more flexible than their counterparts.
- You can gain access to your account without fear of penalty. This make savings accounts perfect for emergency funds.
- The requirements for deposits are usually lower than savings bonds.
Therefore, a savings account is basically easier to access than a savings bond and attracts a lower interest rate.
Regardless of which type of accounts you run, whether savings account or savings bond, your money is under protection by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS).
Also Read: Best Income Producing Assets You Should go for.
How Much is a $100 Savings Bond Worth?
The worth of a $100 savings bond varies according to when it was bought. Did you know there are various ways you can check to know your investment’s worth?
Some tools you can use in checking it are free and you can access them at www.treasurydirect.gov.
Therefore, the worth of a savings bond depends on some factors such as
- When was the bond issued?
- Was it sold at a face value or a percentage of face value
- What type of savings bond it is.
If you buy a savings bond electronically, you can also set up a stockpile to quickly view the next mature date, increase date, and payback worth.
It requires you to type the specific bond and the issue date. To also be accurate, you will need the bond’s serial number.
Once you have the slightest idea how much your bond is worth, you can decide whether to redeem the bond.
Using the Savings Bond Calculator will give you amazing results for your $100 savings bond investment.
Final Thoughts
Try not to sit on money that is coming to you. It is a smart thought to record what your bond calculator says your savings bond is worth so you will be certain to get each dollar you’re owed.
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