U.S. Department of the Treasury, Bureau of the Fiscal Service, Aids Savings Bonds Owners in Tennessee Affected by Wildfires
One-year minimum holding period waived
January 3, 2017
Washington, DC - - (December 20, 2016) - - The U.S. Department of the Treasury, Bureau of the Fiscal Service, announced it would expedite replacement of lost or destroyed paper U.S. Savings Bonds, and waive the normal one-year minimum holding period for savings bonds to assist survivors of wildfires in the Tennessee county of Sevier during the period of November 28 to December 9, 2016.
A TreasuryDirect account holder in, or evacuated from, one of the affected counties can request a waiver of the minimum one-year holding period for savings bonds by sending an e-mail from within their account, briefly explaining the circumstances. Local financial institutions are permitted to redeem paper savings bonds that are less than one-year old for bond owners affected by the disaster. Many financial institutions serve as paying agents for savings bonds.
If paper bonds were lost or destroyed, bond owners can complete a downloadable form — FS Form 1048 — available on Fiscal Service’s website, www.treasurydirect.gov. Forms also can be obtained by calling the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis Customer Service Department at (844) 284-2676. Bond owners should include as much information as possible about the lost bonds on the form. Claim applications should be signed and signatures should be certified as indicated in the form's instructions. Completed forms can be mailed to:
- For E, EE, or I savings bonds – Treasury Retail Securities Site, P.O. Box 214, Minneapolis, MN 55480-0214
- For HH or H savings bonds – Treasury Retail Securities Site, P.O. Box 2186, Minneapolis, MN 55480-2186
To help expedite the processing of claims, write the word "DISASTER" on the front of the envelope.
For an updated list of areas affected, visit FEMA’s website at www.fema.gov.
Assistance for individuals can be found using addresses at www.disasterassistance.gov.
Information source: U.S. Department of the Treasury