Mysterious savings bonds…let them go and watch them grow!
When I was a kid, I won a history contest and was knighted at the state capitol as a “Lady of the Golden Horseshoe” (seriously, it happened). For me, the more exciting benefit of this award was that it came with $100… then I found out that it was a $100 savings bond. I wasn’t going to have access to that money for YEARS? It had to GROW first?
Delayed gratification is never fun for anyone. My wise mother simply took the envelope and put it out of sight and effectively out of my mind. I added to my collection of savings bonds over the years through random avenues such as essay contests and embarrassing radio call-in shows. Fifteen years later, an envelope from Mom arrives in the mail. It’s those forgotten savings bonds, all matured and ready to cash in! Helloooooo… its vacation time!
You don’t have to wait for someone else to give you a savings bond; buy your own! It’s a great way to save money because you can’t immediately take the money back out on a whim, and you will get back more than you paid for the bond. According to FINRA, “Savings bonds are backed by the federal government, so your money is safe. While maturity dates differ depending on the type of bond you buy and when you buy it, most saving bonds continue to pay interest for at least 30 years from the date of issue.
“You can’t cash a savings bond for a year after you purchase it, and you’ll lose three months’ interest if you cash it in within the first five years. After that, you can cash it any time without penalty and collect the interest that has accrued. “
Visit Treasury Direct or a local bank to learn more about your options for saving money through savings bonds.
Amazon Says: Most people are living paycheck to paycheck and the average credit card holder is $15,799 in debt. If you are like most people you could be one paycheck away from financia...
Amazon
Amazon Says: Budgeting. That sounds like a lot of work! But actually, budgeting is easy. You just need to make sure the money you have coming in is equal to or greater than the money you h...
Amazon