All U S savings bonds stop earning interest at final maturity, 40 years or less from issue. Only owners of Series H or HH bonds that pay interest by check (less than 1% of all bonds) are notified - all others (including owners of Series EE savings bonds) must take affirmative action to replace or redeem lost bonds.

The value of unredeemed U.S. Savings Bonds that have reached final maturity currently exceeds $12.5 billion. The Bureau of Public Debt processes claims averaging $7-10,000 daily, but does little to track down missing owners. Even if notification were attempted it likely would be unsuccessful, given issue records are at least thirty years old and addresses are not current.

In addition to lost, destroyed and forgotten savings bonds, each year thousands of new savings bonds and bond interest payments go undelivered when the savings bond owner moves and fails to provide a forwarding address. Also, the US Treasury has billions of dollars in outstanding bearer and registered securities, i.e. Treasury bonds and notes, as well as Postal Savings System Bonds and Postal Savings Notes (Freedom Shares).

For assistance tracking down lost, destroyed uncashed and unredeemed US Savings Bonds and other government securities go to: Lost Savings Bond Search