Series I to Earn 3.36%, Series EE to Earn 1.20% Fixed Rate, When Bought from November 2009 Through April 2010
FOR RELEASE AT 10:00 AM
November 2, 2009
I to Earn 3.36%, Series EE to Earn 1.20%
The Bureau of the Public Debt today announced an earnings rate of 3.36 % for Series I
Savings Bonds, and a fixed rate of 1.20 % for Series EE bonds, issued from November 2009
through April 2010. Earnings rates for I bonds and fixed rates for EE bonds are set each
May 1 and November 1. Interest accrues monthly and compounds semiannually. Bonds held
less than five years are subject to a three-month interest penalty. Both series have an
interest-bearing life of 30 years; the EE bond fixed rate applies to a bond’s
20-year original maturity.
I Bond Earnings Rate 3.36%, Fixed Rate 0.30%
The earnings rate for Series I Savings Bonds is a combination of a fixed rate, which
applies for the life of the bond, and the semiannual inflation rate. The 3.36% earnings
rate for I bonds bought from November 2009 through April 2010 will apply for their first
six months after issue. The earnings rate combines a 0.30% fixed rate of
return with the 3.06% annualized rate of inflation as measured by the Consumer Price
Index for all Urban Consumers (CPI-U). The fixed rate applies for the 30-year life of I
bonds purchased during this six-month period. The CPI-U increased from 212.709 to 215.969
from March 2009 through September 2009, a six-month increase of 1.53%.
Series EE Bonds Issued from May 1997 Through April 2005
Series EE bonds issued from May 1997 through April 2005 continue to earn market-based
interest rates set at 90% of the average 5-year Treasury securities yields for the
preceding six months. The new interest rate for these bonds, effective as the bonds enter
semiannual interest periods from November 2009 through April 2010, is 2.19%. Market-based
rates are announced effective each May 1 and November 1. A three-month penalty applies to
bonds redeemed before being held five years.
Series EE Bonds Issued Before May 1997
Series EE bonds issued before May 1997 earn various rates for semiannual earnings periods
beginning between November 2009 and April 2010, depending on dates of issue.
Matured Series E Savings Bonds and Savings Notes
Series E savings bonds continue to reach final maturity and stop earning interest. Bonds
issued from May 1941 through November 1979 no longer earn interest. All U.S. Savings
Notes (Freedom Shares), which were issued from May 1967 through October 1970, have also
stopped earning interest. Series E Bonds with issue dates from December 1979 through
April 1980 will reach final maturity during the next six months.
More Information
Earnings rates and actual yields for Series I and EE bonds can be found in Earnings
Reports for the respective series on Public Debt’s website, www.treasurydirect.gov. The website
also contains information and instructions for opening an on-line account to purchase
electronic I and EE bonds, as well as Treasury marketable securities. Account holders can
purchase, manage, and redeem electronic savings bonds using the Internet 24 hours a day,
seven days a week. Detailed information about all Treasury securities, including savings bonds and
marketable Treasury bills, notes, bonds and TIPS (Treasury Inflation Protected
Securities), is available through www.treasurydirect.gov.