can i purchase savings bonds at any bank???

Question

my bank has the worst hours!
i buy savings bonds for my neices on their birthdays and i moved to a new area and my bank is great, but doesn't have very friendly hours.
can i buy savings bonds at any bank or do i have to have an account there??

anyone know?
thanks!

Answer 1

In most states, most banks handle Savings Bond transactions, but not all banks handle them. Each bank can set its own policy about whether it will sell to people who don't have an account.

Banks earn just a small fee - less than a dollar - on Savings Bond transactions, so they don't have any incentive to offer this service to non-customers.

The answer above about buying Savings Bonds directly from the Bureau of Public Debt is mistaken. You can buy Savings Bonds by mail from the Federal Reserve, but you have to get to forms first. This article describes the entire procedure:

http://www.savings-bond-advisor.com/federal-reserve-banks-that-handle-savings-bonds-transactions/

You can also buy electronic Savings Bonds if you open an online account at TreasuryDirect, but these don't make very good gifts.

Answer 2

Yes, they can be purchased from any bank or directly from the governmental institution that issues them: The Bureau of the Public Debt.

http://www.publicdebt.treas.gov/