Comments on: Savings Bond Series EE face value confusion

by: Tom Adams

Mon, 19 Apr 2010 14:02:24 +0000

Bill - I don't have a complete history of changes, but the original press release about the $5,000 annual limit includes this:

Savings bond purchases have been subject to an annual limit since Series E Bonds were first issued in 1941. Over the years, limits have been adjusted by the Treasury Department several times and have ranged from a low of $3,750 (at issue price) for Series E bonds from 1941 through 1947 to the $30,000 (issue price) limit that most recently applied to both Series EE and Series I bonds. The limit was last set at $5,000 (issue price) in 1973.

Of course to be meaningful, you'd have to adjust these values for inflation to compare with the current limit. When you do that, you find the current limit is absurdly low compared to the others.

Tom Adams

by: Bill Barrow

Fri, 16 Apr 2010 04:10:36 +0000

What was the maximum dollar amount of EE bonds one could buy in a year in the 1980s? Thank you.

by: Tom Adams

Mon, 05 Apr 2010 14:21:25 +0000

Terri - yes. If you hold them for the full 30 years they pay interest, Savings Bonds are always worth more than their face value.

Tom Adams

by: Terri

Sat, 03 Apr 2010 01:07:46 +0000

I am confused on some ee bonds I purchased can they be worth more than the face value?

by: Tom Adams

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 13:51:22 +0000

Lalie - Here's my page about the college education deduction, but the short answer is no, you can't do that.

Tom Adams

by: Lalie

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 21:44:18 +0000

We have bonds that have matured & not matured. We paid for our daughter's college but she got a loan when she went for her masters. My question is, can we cash these bonds, use it to pay for the loan and not pay tax on the inteest earned?

Thanks for any help you can give us.