Treasury Department urges people to buy bonds online
By Claudia Buck, Sacramento bee for Hometown magazine hen it comes to socking away savings, most people think of their bank accounts, their 401(k)s or their stocks. Or maybe what they’ve stuffed in a shoebox or under the mattress. The federal government is hoping more consumers will instead think about T-bills, T-notes and U.S. savings bonds. Last month, the U.S. Treasury announced its new “Ready.Save.Grow.” campaign to get people focused on setting aside savings — online. Coming out of the recession, “We want to get the word out at a time when people are really focused on savings and making sure they have enough money to last into retirement. These are lowcost, lowr i s k investments that could benefit you,” said Joyce Harris, spokeswoman for the U.S. Treasury in Wa s h i n g ton. There’s a new Web face — www.treasurydirect.gov/readysavegrow — and a host of new partners, including AARP and the Consumer Federation of America. It’s all about reminding consumers that the U.S. Treasury offers six savings tools, from Series EE and I savings bonds to Treasury bills, notes and bonds. Harris said recent research showed that many Americans didn’t know about the Treasury’s website and the ability to buy savings bonds and other Treasury products directly via computer. The Ready.Save.Grow. campaign is also an effort to ensure that the decision to eliminate paper savings bonds doesn’t cause a dramatic drop-off of buyers. As of Jan. 1 this year, Americans can purchase U.S. savings bonds only in digital form. That caused a ruckus among many people who had purchased paper savings bonds for decades at their local bank to give as gifts to children and grandchildren. Marc Prosser, who runs the LearnBonds.com website, launched an online petition in December to try to get Congress to bring back the paper. His goal is 100,000 signatures. By the end of March, his site, www.bringbackpapersavingsbonds.com, has collected more than 2,200 signatures. The petition, which calls the switch to paperless bonds a “mistake (that) can be reversed,” contends that buying bonds electronically has made it more difficult for those without Internet access or who are
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uncomfortable giving out financial information online. To purchase a savings bond today, both the buyer and the recipient must set up an online TreasuryDirect account. When giving one as a gift, the buyer can print out a gift certificate customized for birthdays, a new baby, anniversaries, etc.
Currently, there are 691 million U.S. savings bonds, worth $180 billion, in the public’s hands, according to the Treasury. Like Harris, Prosser said savings bonds can be an effective savings tool for everyday Americans. “If you’ve got between $50,000 to $100,000 a year and are looking for something safe and secure, they’re a good thing,” he said. “They’re a great savings tool if you’re a middle-class family trying to put money away for your kids’ education.” But buying them paperless? “Giving a kid an email (that says you’ve purchased a savings bond) diminishes its value as a learning tool,” Prosser said. By contrast, “Handing (someone) a heavy-stock paper bond with an official seal makes an impression. It’s mysterious and unique and a starting point for a discussion about fi-
nances.” There is still one route to buying a paper savings bond: your tax refund. Under an IRS program launched in 2010, taxpayers can purchase up to $5,000 in Series I savings bonds, using part or all of their tax refund. The paper bonds can be issued in $50 to $1,000 denominations. For instance, a grandparent getting a $2,500 tax refund could designate the IRS to apply it to five $500 bonds for grandchildren. The Treasury, which says it will save $120 million in the first five years on printing, mailing and storage costs, is emphasizing the 24/7 convenience of buying savings bonds electronically. (For more details: www.TreasuryDirect.gov Reach Claudia Buck at cbuck@sacbee.com) •••
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