Old Savings Bonds

My goal is to complete a "Friday Project" each week so I can feel more on top of the non-daily housework and chores that accumulate.

This week I read 9 Sunday papers that were gathering dust on top of my fridge. It's not a huge accomplishment, but it's a pile of junk that is no longer driving me crazy. And, hey I have a seven week old - I can start small!

Anyway, I found an interesting article in the August 29, 2010 edition of the Seattle Times that I wanted to summarize for you. It's titled "Web Hunt for Old Savings Bonds Can Yield Unexpected Treasure."

The basic idea is that there are many U.S. Savings Bonds that are sitting unclaimed and you should check and see if your parents or grandparents might have purchased some and never cashed them in. If those relatives are deceased you definitely should have a look on their behalf and those still living might appreciate the reminder that there is money available. You might check for yourself as well if you ever received Savings Bond gifts as a kid. I know I have two floating around somewhere from a library contest and a 'paper carrier of the month' award.

The website to check is www.treasuryhunt.gov, but the online search capabilities are limited to Series E bonds issued 1974 and later.

My checked my deceased grandparents' social security numbers but no luck - Rats! At least I learned something and got a blog post out of this week's Friday Project!

Katie