Press Room FAQs
What is TreasuryDirect?
TreasuryDirect allows customers to electronically purchase, manage, hold and redeem Treasury securities online through electronic transfers to and from a designated savings or checking account.
Does TreasuryDirect offer ALL Treasury securities for sale online?
TreasuryDirect offers the full range of Treasury’s consumer securities, including Bills, Notes, Bonds, Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS) and Series EE and I savings bonds. TreasuryDirect account holders can purchase 4, 13, 26, and 52-week Treasury Bills, 2, 5 and 10-year Notes, 5, 10 and 20-year TIPS (Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities), and 30-year Treasury Bonds.
TreasuryDirect account holders are able to purchase these savings bonds and marketable securities in a single online account, providing 24/7 convenience for tracking and managing all Treasury consumer securities.
What's going to happen with the old paper savings bonds?
Paper savings bonds will still be available for purchase through financial institutions and many companies' payroll savings plans for several more years. They will continue to earn interest and be honored for redemption throughout their 30-year life.
Can I still purchase savings bonds using my credit card?
Savings Bonds Direct was discontinued on Dec. 30, 2003, and customers can no longer purchase bonds using a credit card. Instead, customers can log onto www.treasurydirect.gov and open an account to purchase their bonds by debiting a checking or savings account. No paper bonds are issued through TreasuryDirect.
What about EasySaver; has that program been eliminated, too?
Treasury stopped accepting new EasySaver accounts after Dec. 30, 2003. Sales through accounts established prior to that date continued through March 2005.
I bought an I bond through TreasuryDirect but didn't receive the paper bond. Why not?
When you purchase a savings bond through TreasuryDirect, you won't receive a paper bond. Instead, your purchase is immediately listed in your account which you can view online anytime.
Electronic savings bonds comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, requiring all federal agencies to reduce the amount of federal paperwork imposed on the public.
Is it safe to purchase savings bonds and marketable securities online?
Yes. TreasuryDirect uses Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) software, a widely accepted method for sending secure information over the Internet. This software encrypts all personal and payment information so that it cannot be read as the information travels over the Internet. The Treasury does not share your personal information with anyone.
In addition, TreasuryDirect has implemented several security features to protect your account such as the virtual keyboard.
How can I buy a savings bond as a gift?
The "Gift Box" function allows customers to buy savings bonds for someone else and keep the bonds in their own account until they are ready to give them to the recipient. Once the purchaser knows the recipient's required information – his or her full name, social security number and/or taxpayer ID number and address – and has confirmed that the recipient has established a TreasuryDirect account, he or she can transfer the gift into the recipient's account. The gift recipient will then receive an e-mail announcing the transaction.
Currently, anyone 18 years of age and older can be a TreasuryDirect account holder. In January 2004, additional account registration options were added to TreasuryDirect that allow account holders to establish accounts for minors and custom accounts within their primary TreasuryDirect account.
Can I transfer my bonds into someone else's TreasuryDirect account?
Absolutely. Customers can buy an I bond or EE bond and place it in the site's "Gift Box" to give at a later date. When the purchaser/holder is ready to give the gift, he/she can transfer it into the recipient's account. An email is sent to the gift recipient announcing the transaction.
Note: Deliveries from the Gift Box are ownership transfers that may have tax consequences.
What will happen to TreasuryDirect accounts for Treasury bills, notes and bonds? Will they carry over or do customers need to set up a brand new account?
Holders of TreasuryDirect accounts for Treasury bills, notes and bonds can continue to access those accounts by clicking on "Electronic Services for Treasury Bills, Notes and Bonds." To reduce confusion and differentiate from the new system, we have renamed TreasuryDirect to Legacy Treasury Direct. Account holders will continue to be able to make noncompetitive purchases in bills, notes, and TIPS. In January 2007, we stopped offering 30-year bonds and 20-year TIPS in Legacy Treasury Direct, but they continue to be sold in TreasuryDirect.
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