20
SOUTHERN SENIOR MAGAZINE
| Fall 2014
By Jackie Brahney
Savings Bonds.com
S. Savings Bonds,
owned by approxi-
mately 50 million
Americans, many of
them Senior Ameri-
cans, can be a puzzling investment.
Once purchased, paper savings bonds
were often tucked away and forgotten
about in drawers or safety deposit boxes.
The lack of any sort of financial state-
ment is likely why most don’t
understand how bonds work, or worse,
what they are worth. Thanks to the
internet, bond statements and bond
management services can be easily
obtained. Every investor should pull
out their savings bonds and start man-
aging them. Here’s why:
Savings Bonds Do Not All Perform the
Same.
Since 1935, various series of savings
bonds have been sold including A-D, E,
EE, I, H and HH, along with a bevy of
disguised E or EE bonds with patriotic
names stamped on them. The series,
month and year of issue determines the
rules, interest rates and regulations ap-
plicable to a bond. By accessing a de-
tailed, Bond Inventory Report or by
simply opening a monthly summary
emailed Alerts! Report (bond statement),
bond owners will learn pertinent finan-
cial information, including current cash-
in values, investment growth, interest
rate performance, along with important
timing, maturity and taxation issues.
Bond Management Services Help In-
vestors Avoid Common Financial Pitfalls.
All too often bond owners make
irreversible, costly financial mistakes.
Common problems include; improper
registration, holding onto bonds earn-
ing zero interest, forfeiting up-to six
months’ worth of interest, cashing in
the best performers, while holding onto
those with the lowest yields, redeeming
more bonds than necessary, creating
unfavorable taxation situations and
possible IRS penalties and fines.
Bond management services
educate bond owners about
i mp o r t a n t
information
they need to
know up to
three months
in advance - so
they can do
proper financial
planning, maximize
their investment and
avoid costly mistakes.
Better Bond Protection
and Replacement.
Thefts, fires, floods and
natural disasters occur daily.
Unfortunately, paper bonds are
often destroyed or lost as a result.
When bond information is stored
in a reputable management service,
such as SavingsBonds.com’s VIP
Membership, getting bonds replaced -
or the cash equivalent - is much quicker
and easier.
To learn more about SavingsBonds.com VIP Mem-
bership, go to SavingsBonds.com.
Over 275,000 bond owners, with bond values to-
taling more than $1.1 billion have accessed Savings-
Bond.com's complimentary bond calculator.
Contact Jackie Brahney, marketing director, Sav-
ingsBonds.com
@sav-
ingsbondsgal
U.
ASK THE EXPERT
Three Reasons
Why Senior Investors Should
Start Managing Their Savings Bonds
