- Paper EE savings bonds come in face values of $50 to $10,000. You buy paper U.S. Savings Bonds for half their face value, starting at $25 for a bond with a $50 face value. When a paper bond matures, said TreasuryDirect.gov, you redeem it for its full face value. At current interest rates, a paper EE bond bought in mid-2010 will mature in 20 years but will pay interest for 10 additional years.
- As of September 2010, EE bonds were paying 1.4 percent interest. The interest rate is reset every April 30 and Oct. 31, based on prevailing financial market conditions. That rate applies to all bonds sold during the six-month period following the reset, said the TreasuryDirect website.
- You purchase electronic EE series bonds directly from the government through TreasuryDirect.com, with a minimum purchase of $25. They pay the same interest as paper bonds. You buy electronic bonds at full face value so there's no maturity date like with paper bonds. At current interest rates, electronic bonds will double in value in 20 years but will keep paying interest for another 10 years.
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