Inheriting US Savings Bonds

When a Savings Bond is registered to a person who is deceased, how does the executor of the estate for the deceased person have the bond transfered to another name? Also, we have bonds issued to John Doe OR Mary Doe. Both John and Mary are deceased.

Tom's response

When both co-owners are deceased, the Savings Bond belongs to the estate of the person who died last.

The executor of the estate will have to send in a form to handle the transfer. Which form depends on the Series of the Savings Bonds, the amount, whether the bonds will be reissued or redeemed, and whether the estate is still open or has been closed.

There are also issues related to whether the income tax on the bonds should be paid on the final return of the former owners, or whether the deferred interest should be passed on to the new owners.

My book, Savings Bond Advisor, has a complete discussion of the issues related to inheriting Savings Bonds.