Transferring Bond

Go to www.treasurydirect.gov. Log into your TreasuryDirect account (or open one in your name). Purchase the type of savings bond you wish (Series EE or Series I), in the desired denomination ($25 to $10,000). Deliver the savings bond gift to the recipient's TreasuryDirect account.

If you own a bond solely in your name and want to add a co-owner or beneficiary or change the beneficiary to a co-owner, you must have the bond reissued. To do this, fill out FS Form 4000, available online from TreasuryDirect.

Do nothing. The bond will continue to earn interest until the bond matures. Cash (redeem) the bond. Reissue: Have the bond reissued in the survivor's name. Submit a certified copy of the owner's death certificate, along with FS Form 5396 (download or order).

If there are two listed owners on a savings bond, the Treasury refers to the owners as co-owners. Each co-owner of the bond has equal ownership rights, including the right to cash the bond at any time. One co-owner can redeem the bond without the signature of the other co-owner.

A U.S. savings bond will have the name of a single owner or two co-owners printed on the bond. Only a listed owner can cash in the savings bond. To change an owner on a savings bond, a reissue request must be sent in along with the bond to the U.S. Treasury.

When you buy savings bonds as gifts, you must hold them in your TreasuryDirect account for at least five business days before you can deliver them to the gift recipient. The five-day hold protects Treasury against loss by ensuring the ACH debit has been successfully completed before the funds can be moved.

Yes. The owner can transfer EE and I Bonds to another person with a TreasuryDirect account; however, you must wait five business days after the purchase date to transfer the bonds.

A savings bond isn't transferable, so signing it doesn't allow someone else to cash it. As protection against fraud, financial institutions require more than a signature to cash savings bonds. If you're unable to cash a bond yourself, a registered co-owner can do it, or you can give someone power of attorney.

Yes. The owner can transfer EE and I Bonds to another person with a TreasuryDirect account; however, you must wait five business days after the purchase date to transfer the bonds. Are there any fees for transferring EE and I Bonds?