EE Bond calculator
| Held for | Yearly return | Value | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Estimates from the rate Treasury set for bonds issued now. Later rates may differ.
EE Bond rate history
The fixed rate set each May and November for newly issued bonds.
| Bonds issued from |
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How EE Bonds work
- Term
- Earns interest for 30 years, or until you cash it in.
- How it pays
- A fixed rate, with interest added to the bond's value. At 20 years Treasury makes up any shortfall so the bond is worth double.
- Buying
- From $25 to the cent, up to $10,000 per person each calendar year.
- Cashing in
- Not in the first 12 months. Before 5 years you give up the last 3 months of interest.
- Taxes
- Federal income tax, which you can defer until you cash in. Exempt from state and local income tax.
How this calculator works
An EE Bond earns its fixed rate, compounded every six months. At 20 years the calculator raises the value to double the purchase price when the rate alone falls short, as Treasury guarantees.
Yearly return is the value at redemption turned into an annual rate; per year is the interest divided evenly over the years held. Rows under five years include the penalty of the last three months of interest. The 30-year row assumes the same rate continues after year 20; Treasury may change it then.
Ready to buy EE Bonds?
You can buy EE Bonds directly from the U.S. government at TreasuryDirect.
Treasury Calculator is an independent site and is not affiliated with the U.S. government.