How to Redeem a Savings Bond

Redeeming a savings bond in TreasuryViewer is a short process, but there are a couple of things worth checking before you get started.

Eligibility

Savings bonds can’t be redeemed until they’ve been held for at least 12 months from the issue date. If yours hasn’t crossed that threshold yet, the detail screen simply won’t show a Redeem button — there’s nothing to do but wait.

One other thing: bonds under 5 years old come with a penalty. You’ll lose the last three months of interest when you redeem early. The app flags this with a warning banner so you’re not caught off guard.

Finding the Bond

Open the app to the Portfolio tab, which is the first thing you see when you launch it. Scroll through your holdings — savings bonds are listed under Series EE Bond or Series I Bond — and tap the one you want to cash out.

The Redemption Process

On the bond’s detail screen, scroll past the stats card. Eligible bonds will have a green Redeem button waiting there. Tap it.

The redemption screen loads. If you’re redeeming a bond that’s less than five years old, the early-penalty warning shows up at the top of this screen. From here:

Tap Select Redemption Destination to pick which linked bank account receives the money.
The Amount field comes pre-filled with the bond’s full current value. Some bonds support partial redemption — if yours does, you can type in a lower amount. There’s a Max button next to the field to jump back to the full value if needed.
Hit the green Redeem button at the bottom to submit.

After a successful submission, you’ll see a confirmation message and the app drops you back to the home screen. The funds typically land in your bank account within a few business days.

No Bank Account Listed?

If the account you want isn’t showing up as a destination option, it hasn’t been linked to your TreasuryDirect account yet. Go to Profile → Edit Bank Accounts to add it before starting the redemption.

One thing to sort out before you do anything else: savings bonds have a mandatory holding period of at least one year from their issue date. There’s no workaround for this — TreasuryDirect simply won’t let you redeem before that point. Pull up your bond’s issue date and confirm you’re in the clear before proceeding.

Getting to the Right Page

Log into your TreasuryDirect account and click the ManageDirect tab at the top of the page. Under the Manage My Securities section, select “Redeem securities.”

Picking Your Bonds

The Redemption page will ask you to select the type of security you’re cashing in. Make your selection and click “Submit.”

From there, you’ll see a summary of what you’re holding. Check the box next to any bond you want to redeem and click “Select.” A single transaction can include up to 50 securities.

Full Redemption vs. Partial

What you see next will vary depending on how many bonds you picked:

More than one bond — You’ll land on the Multiple Redemption Request page. One thing worth knowing here: when you redeem multiple bonds at once, all the proceeds have to go to the same financial institution.
Just one bond — The Redemption Request page gives you more options. You can cash out the entire bond or do a partial redemption for a specific dollar amount. If you go partial, there’s a $25 minimum for the amount you’re redeeming, and you’ll need to leave at least $25 of value remaining in the bond.

Where the Funds Go

Use the drop-down menu to choose where you want the money deposited — either a linked bank account or a Certificate of Indebtedness (C of I).

Submitting Your Request

Hit “Review” to look over the full details of your redemption before anything goes through. If something’s off, click “Edit” to go back and fix it. When everything checks out, click “Submit.”

You’ll get a confirmation page once the request goes through. Print it or save it somewhere — it’s useful to have on hand for your records.