Rates and Terms for HH Bonds

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Note about H Bonds: All H Bonds are at least 30 years old. They no longer earn interest.

Note about HH Bonds: We stopped issuing HH Bonds after August 2004. HH Bonds earn interest for up to 20 years, so you may have HH Bonds that are still earning interest.

How do HH Bonds earn interest?

HH Bonds earn interest that we pay every six months.

  • You locked in the interest rate for the first 10 years after the HH Bond's issue date.
  • On the bond's 10th anniversary, we can reset the rate for the next 10 years of the bond's life.
  • Interest stops when the HH Bond is 20 years old.

In what months does my HH Bond earn interest?

The interest on an HH Bond is paid directly to you on the first day of the 6th and 12th month anniversaries of the month in which we issued the bond.

Issue month of your bond We pay interest on
January January 1 / July 1
February February 1 / August 1
March March 1 / September 1
April April 1 / October 1
May May 1 / November 1
June June 1 / December 1
July July 1 / January 1
August August 1 / February 1
September September 1 / March 1
October October 1 / April 1
November November 1 / May 1
December December 1 / June 1

What is the interest rate for HH Bonds that still earn interest?

Issue date Age of the bond Interest rate
Jan. 2003 through Aug. 2004 any age up to 20 years 1.5%
Before Jan. 1, 2003 Less than 10 years 4.0%
10 years to 20 years 1.5%

How much interest is that?

If your bond is for At this interest rate Your payment every six months is
$500 4.0% $10.00
1.5% $3.75
$1,000 4.0% $20.00
1.5% $7.50
$5,000 4.0% $100.00
1.5% $37.50
$10,000 4.0% $200.00
1.5% $75.00

Does the interest get added to HH Bonds?

No. The interest is always paid to you if you are the bond owner.

This is different from the way that EE and I Bonds earn interest. With an EE or an I Bond, interest is included in the value of the bond.