If You Purchased I Bonds, Did You Add a Beneficiary?

If you purchased I Bonds as an Individual and did not add a beneficiary then it is suggested you now add a beneficiary online. See instructions below!

As expected, the Treasury Direct user interface is awful. If you have any questions please feel free to contact Larry Koeppel via email at larry@digitalwealth.la.

The registration will change from just your name to your name POD your beneficiary’s name. (Note: POD means Payable on Death).

With a named beneficiary, I bond heirs can continue holding the asset, cash it in or have it reissued in their name, according to Treasury Direct.

The accrued interest up to the date of death can be added to the original owner’s final tax return or the heir’s filing. Either way, the beneficiary can decide whether to keep deferring interest or not.

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How do I add a secondary owner or beneficiary to my securities?

Adding a secondary owner or beneficiary to securities registered in single ownership form is simple in TreasuryDirect. You can edit securities being held in Current Holdings; however, you cannot edit savings bonds held in your Gift Box. Securities in a Conversion Linked account (CLA) must first be transferred to a primary or another linked account in order to add a secondary owner.

Your electronic savings bonds and marketable securities may be registered in your name alone, your name with a secondary owner, or your name with a beneficiary. Each registrant's taxpayer identification number must be shown. Note: Registrations in entity accounts may not name a secondary owner or beneficiary. All securities in an entity account carry a registration identical to the entity account name. Updates made to the registration of a bond will not change the issue date.

To add a secondary owner or beneficiary to your securities registered in single ownership form:

Log into your primary TreasuryDirect ® account.
Click the ManageDirect tab at the top of the page.
Under the heading Manage My Securities click "Edit" a registration.
On the Edit Security Registration page, choose the security type you want to edit and click "Select".
On the Summary page, choose the security or securities you wish to edit and click "Select" (you may edit up to 50 securities to the same registration).
On the Detail page, select the registration containing the secondary owner or beneficiary you desire from the drop-down box. (If you've never created the registration, you can do so by clicking "Add New Registration". Once you've created the new registration, the system will bring you back to the Detail page where you'll find the new registration listed in the drop-down box.) Note: Entity accounts may only have one registration. All securities in an entity account carry a registration identical to the entity account name.
Once you've selected the desired registration, click "Submit" to complete the change in registration for the security.

https://www.treasurydirect.gov/indiv/help/TDHelp/howdoi.htm#addsecondary