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Tables of Contents for U.S. Savings Bonds
Chapter/Section Title
Page #
Page Count
Tables and Figures
xi
2
Preface
xiii
2
Acknowledgments
xv
Chapter 1 Why a Book on U.S. Savings Bonds?
1
6
Two Primary Misconceptions about U.S. Savings Bonds
2
1
Lack of Information Leads to Costly Mistakes
3
1
What You Can Expect from this Book
4
1
What You Cannot Expect from this Book
5
1
How to Use this Book
6
1
Chapter 2 Banks and Bonds: The Untold Story
7
8
U.S. Savings Bonds Are Not a Bank Product
8
1
The Changing Relationship between Banks and Bonds
8
1
Evaluation of Bank Services: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
9
2
How to Determine the Level of Service Your Bank Provides
11
4
Chapter 3 Understanding Interest Rates
15
24
Why Bond Owners Need to Know Interest Rates
16
1
Why All the Confusion?
16
1
Common Misconceptions
17
2
How Interest Rates Are Determined
19
7
The Old Rules
19
5
The New Rules
24
2
What About the October 1986 Bonds?
26
5
When Will the Interest Rates Change?
31
8
Chapter 4 Timing Issues and Maturity Periods
39
10
Common Misconceptions
39
1
Timing Issues at Redemption
40
2
Timing Issues at Exchange
42
1
Timing Issues at Final Maturity
42
2
Timing Issues at Purchase
44
1
What Does "Maturity" Mean?
44
5
Chapter 5 Organizing Your Bonds
49
6
The Importance of Organizing Your Bonds
50
1
What Information Is Needed for Record Keeping?
50
1
Where Should Bonds Be Kept?
51
1
How Should Bonds Be Organized?
51
1
Where Should Your Bond Record Be Kept?
52
1
Inventory Checks are Critical
52
1
"To Do" List
53
2
Chapter 6 Recovering Lost Bonds
55
8
Replacement Is Possible
55
1
Filing a Lost Bond Claim Form
56
1
Bonds Found after a Replacement Has Been Issued
57
1
Whether or Not to File a Form
57
1
Non-Receipt Claims
58
5
Chapter 7 Tracking Your Investment
63
26
Options For Tracking Your Investment
63
1
The Most Important Information to Know about Your Bonds
64
3
How to Build a Savings Bond Statement
67
7
Understanding Your Savings Bond Statement
74
15
Chapter 8 Comparing Savings Bonds to Other Investment Options: Everybody Has an Opinion
89
12
How to Spot Bad Advice
90
1
Are Your Bonds Performing to Your Expectations?
91
2
How to Evaluate Bonds You are Considering Purchasing
93
1
How to Evaluate HH Bonds You are Considering
94
1
Savings Bonds vs. Savings Accounts, CDS, Money Market Funds
95
1
Savings Bonds vs. Treasury Bills, Notes, and Bonds
95
1
Savings Bonds vs. Pork Bellies
96
5
Chapter 9 Taxation Issues for U.S. Savings Bonds
101
18
Common Tax Mistakes
102
1
How and When to Report Interest Income
102
4
Who Has to Report Interest Income
106
2
Tax Concerns when Transferring Bonds
108
2
Taxes upon Death
110
1
Watch Out for Double Taxation
111
1
Federal Estate Tax
112
1
Gift and Inheritance Taxes
113
1
Estate Planning
114
5
Chapter 10 Savings Bonds and Retirement: What To Do
119
14
Pre-Retirement Issues
120
4
Post-Retirement Issues
124
9
Chapter 11 The Educational Feature of Series EE Bonds
133
12
Common Misconceptions
134
1
What the Advertising Did Not Cover
135
1
Conditions for Qualifying for the Tax-Free Status
135
2
Record Keeping for the Educational Feature
137
1
Will the Current Interest Rates Be Enough?
137
2
Pros and Cons of the Educational Feature
139
1
An Alternative for Reducing the Tax Burden
139
6
Chapter 12 Exchanging for HH Bonds
145
12
HH Bonds: What They Are and How They Work
146
1
Points to Consider
146
1
Where to Exchange Bonds and the Process Involved
147
1
Are HH Bonds Right for You?
148
1
Selective Redemption: An Alternative to Exchange
148
3
Tax Consequences of an Exchange
151
1
Timing Your Exchange
151
1
"New Rules" Do Not Affect H HH Bonds
152
1
Additional Technical Guidelines Covering Exchange
152
5
Chapter 13 Reissuing U.S. Savings Bonds
157
10
Common Reissue Cases
158
1
When Bonds Do Not Need to Be Reissued
159
1
How to Reissue Bonds
159
1
Who Can Help with the Forms: Cost for Assistance
160
1
Which Reissue Transactions Create a Taxable Event
161
1
What Reissue Forms Are Available and from Where
162
1
Where to Send the Reissue Forms
163
4
Chapter 14 Purchasing U.S. Savings Bonds
167
18
An Explanation of Bonds Available Today
168
3
When Is the Best Time to Purchase Bonds?
171
1
Where and How Can Bonds Be Purchased?
171
2
Who Can Buy U.S. Savings Bonds?
173
2
Purchase Limitations
175
1
How to Compute whose Purchase Limit is Being Used
175
1
How Should Bonds Be Registered?
176
2
Purchasing for Special Occasions
178
1
Bond Series that Can No Longer Be Purchased
179
1
Bond Investment Growth with Systematic Purchase
180
5
Chapter 15 Redeeming U.S. Savings Bonds
185
8
Where Can Bonds Be Cashed?
186
1
Who Is Eligible to Cash a Particular Bond?
187
1
What Are the Tax Consequences?
188
1
What Should Be Considered Prior to Redemption?
189
2
Watch Out for These Errors
191
2
Chapter 16 Recent Changes in the Bond Program and How They Affect You
193
8
A Change in the Guaranteed Interest Rate (1993)
193
2
The Impact of the 1993 Rate Change
195
1
A New Method of Distribution (late 1980s to 1995)
196
1
New Reissuing Sites (1992-1995)
197
1
GATT Legislation and Its Impact (1994-1995)
198
2
Coming Next...The Inflation Bond (1998)
200
1
Chapter 17 Comparative Study: Old Rules vs. New Rules
201
10
Which Bonds Are Affected and What Time Periods are Covered?
202
1
Brief Summary of Old Rules
202
1
Brief Summary of New Rules
202
1
Impact on Bonds Held Less than Five Years
203
1
Impact on Bonds Held More than Five Years
204
1
Impact on Educational Savings
204
1
Impact on Maturity Periods
204
1
What Did Bond Owners Lose Under the New Rules?
205
1
What Did Bond Owners Gain Under the New Rules?
205
1
GATT-cha: Two Ways the Government Is Saving Money
206
5
Chapter 18 Summary Questions, Tips, and Opportunities
211
12
Questions Bond Owners Ask
211
7
Ten Tips for Bond Owners
218
1
A Chance to Become Rich
219
2
A Chance to Become Famous
221
2
Chapter 19 U.S. Savings Bond Resources
223
16
Organizations that Perform Savings Bond Services
224
7
Common Savings Bond Activities: Who Do You Call?
231
3
Forms, Publications, Tables, and How to Get Them
234
5
Appendix A: Just the Basics, Please!
239
10
The Difference between Savings Bonds and Treasury Bonds
240
1
Series EE Bonds
240
2
Series E Bonds
242
1
Savings Notes Freedom Shares
243
2
Series HH Bonds
245
1
Series H Bonds
246
1
What's Next? The Inflation Protection Bond
247
2
Appendix B: Tables of Redemption Values
249
8
Glossary
257
6
Bibliography
263
2
Index
265