The U.S. Treasury Is Holding Billions in Matured Savings Bonds: How to Check If You Have Unclaimed Money

The U.S. Department of the Treasury is holding about $29.7 billion in matured U.S. savings bonds, and millions of Americans may still have money sitting there unclaimed. If you or a family member ever bought paper savings bonds and forgot about them, now is a good time to check.

A matured savings bond has reached the end of its earning period, which means it is no longer collecting interest. In many cases, the owner simply needs to locate the bond and redeem it, but because these bonds can be decades old, many people have lost track of them.

Worth reading: The State By State Guide to Unclaimed Assets
 

Why this matters

Savings bonds are often bought as gifts, savings tools, or long-term investments, then forgotten over time. According to Treasury-related unclaimed property reporting, roughly 80 million matured bonds may still be unredeemed.

That means there could be money owed to you, a parent, a grandparent, or another relative. The key is knowing where to look and how to start the search.

Check this out: Unclaimed Money Alert: A $1 Million Texas Lottery Prize, Louisiana Payouts, and Billions Still Waiting to Be Claimed
 

How to check for unclaimed savings bonds

The old Treasury Hunt website is no longer available, but there are still ways to search for missing or matured bonds. One of the easiest tools is MissingMoney.com, a free national unclaimed property search site endorsed by state treasurers.

You can use it to:

• Search for unclaimed property in participating states.

• Find possible matches for matured savings bonds.

• See links to the official state website where you can begin a claim.

If there is a match, the site will usually direct you to the proper government office to continue the process.
 

Other places to look

The U.S. Treasury also offers guidance on savings bonds, including how to redeem them and how to calculate value. If you still have the paper bond, check the serial number, issue date, and owner information, since those details can help confirm whether the bond is still valid and who can claim it.

If the bond was issued long ago, especially in a parent’s or grandparent’s name, it may still be worth checking old records, family files, safe deposit boxes, or estate paperwork.
 

What to do if you find a match

If a bond appears to belong to you, the next step is usually to file a claim with the appropriate state or federal office. Be prepared to provide identification, proof of ownership, and any supporting documents that show your connection to the bond.

If the bond belonged to a deceased relative, the estate may need to handle the claim instead. In that case, probate records or a death certificate may be required.
 

Final thoughts

Billions of dollars in matured savings bonds are still sitting unclaimed, and some of that money may belong to your family. A quick search could reveal forgotten savings that have been sitting untouched for years.

The sooner you check, the sooner you can find out whether you’re owed money that was never redeemed.

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