Savings bond value calculator, EE and I bonds.

The short answer

A savings bond earns interest monthly, and the interest is compounded semiannually: every six months the bond's rate is applied to a new principal that includes the interest earned so far. You can cash a bond after 12 months, but if you cash it in before 5 years you lose the last 3 months of interest. A bond earns interest for up to 30 years. For Series EE bonds bought now, Treasury guarantees the bond will double in 20 years, adding money at 20 years if the interest alone has not done it.

Rates for bonds issued November 1, 2026 to April 30, 2027

How the calculator works

It applies the rate you enter, compounding every six months. Between compounding dates it adds interest for the elapsed months at that rate. If the bond is under five years old, it reports the redemption value as of three months earlier, which is how TreasuryDirect describes the penalty. For an EE bond held 20 years or more it raises the value to twice the purchase price when interest alone falls short. It stops at 30 years.

For a Series I bond the combined rate changes every six months, so this tool holds one rate for the whole period. Treat an I bond result as a scenario, and use TreasuryDirect for the actual value.

Worked examples

• $1,000 EE bond at 2.90% held 5 years: ten semiannual periods at 1.45% gives about $1,154.84, with no early-redemption penalty at five years.
• The same bond held 18 months: the penalty forfeits the last 3 months of interest, so the redemption value is the 15-month value, about $1,036.67. This matches TreasuryDirect's own example of cashing after 18 months and getting the first 15 months of interest.
• The same bond held 20 years: compounding alone would give about $1,778, which is below $2,000, so the 20-year guarantee lifts the value to $2,000.

How the I bond combined rate is built

TreasuryDirect gives this formula for the combined (composite) rate: fixed rate + (2 x semiannual inflation rate) + (fixed rate x semiannual inflation rate). Its worked example for bonds issued from November 2026 to April 2027 uses a 1.40% fixed rate and a 2.04% semiannual inflation rate: 0.0140 + 0.0408 + 0.0002856 = 0.0550856, rounded to 5.51%. The combined rate cannot fall below zero.

Good to know

• New EE and I bonds are electronic only, bought in a TreasuryDirect account, for $25 or more. The limit is $10,000 each calendar year per Social Security Number for each type of bond.
• Interest is subject to federal income tax but not state or local income tax. You can report interest each year or wait until you cash the bond.
• For a paper bond, TreasuryDirect points you to its own Savings Bond Calculator. Older EE bonds followed different interest rules (the rule changed in May 2005), so this tool is for bonds that earn a single fixed rate.

Limits of this tool

• It is a projection from one rate. TreasuryDirect rounds values in its own way and applies the actual rate history of each bond, so your official value may differ by cents or dollars.
• It does not apply to HH bonds or other retired series.

FAQ

How is a savings bond's value calculated?

Interest accrues monthly and compounds semiannually: every six months the bond's rate is applied to a new principal equal to the old principal plus the interest earned in the prior six months.

What happens if I cash a savings bond early?

You can cash in after 12 months, but if you cash in before 5 years you lose the last 3 months of interest. For example, cashing after 18 months pays the first 15 months of interest.

Will my EE bond really double in 20 years?

For EE bonds issued now, Treasury guarantees the bond will double in value in 20 years, even if it has to add money at 20 years to make that happen.

What is the current EE bond rate?

Series EE bonds issued from November 1, 2026 to April 30, 2027 earn a fixed 2.90 percent for the first 20 years.

What is the current I bond rate?

Series I bonds issued from November 1, 2026 to April 30, 2027 have a combined rate of 5.51 percent, which includes a fixed rate of 1.40 percent.

How long does a savings bond earn interest?

Up to 30 years, unless you cash it in before then.

Are savings bond earnings taxable?

Interest is subject to federal income tax but not to state or local income tax, and you choose whether to report each year's earnings or wait until you get the money.

Sources

Retrieved 2026-11-02. Each link was opened and checked against the claim next to it.

• TreasuryDirect, "About U.S. Savings Bonds": current EE rate of 2.90% and I bond rate of 5.51% with a 1.40% fixed rate, the $10,000 annual limit, the 12-month minimum and the 3-month penalty (read 2026-11-02)
• TreasuryDirect, "EE Bonds": 20-year doubling guarantee, monthly interest and semiannual compounding, 30-year term, taxes, the 18-month example (read 2026-11-02)
• TreasuryDirect, "I Bonds": how I bond interest works, electronic-only sale since January 1, 2025 (read 2026-11-02)
• TreasuryDirect, "I Bonds Interest Rates": the composite rate formula, the worked 5.51% example and the zero floor (read 2026-11-02)