Series EE savings bonds bought from Nov. 1, 2026 through April 30, 2027 carry a fixed rate of 2.90%, up from 2.40% on bonds bought from May through October, the Bureau of the Fiscal Service said in its Nov. 2 rate announcement. The Treasury’s May 1 release set the prior 2.40% rate for bonds issued May through October 2026. EE bonds also come with a promise that they will be worth at least twice their purchase price after 20 years.
The change matters to anyone deciding where to park money they will not need for years. A bond bought on Nov. 1 or later keeps the new 2.90% rate, while one bought in October locked in 2.40% for the first 20 years. The new rate applies to bonds issued through April 30, 2027.
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What did Treasury set for EE bonds?
The Fiscal Service said EE bonds issued from November 2026 through April 2027 “will earn an annual fixed rate of 2.90%,” and that the rate applies to the bond’s 20-year original maturity. Bonds of both series earn interest for 30 years, and a bond cashed in before five years gives up the last three months of interest.
The earlier rate came straight from Treasury. Its May 1 release said Series EE bonds issued May through October 2026 earn a fixed rate of 2.40%, applied over the bond’s 20-year original maturity. That is a half-point increase for the new window.
How does the 20-year doubling promise work?
Treasury’s May release said “at 20 years, the bonds will be worth at least two times their purchase price.” Bonds issued since May 2005 carry the guarantee, the calculator notes. Put another way, $1,000 put into a bond is worth at least $2,000 at year 20. Tipswatch quotes the same Treasury guarantee that the bond will double in value in 20 years, and calculates that doubling is an effective return of 3.53% over that period.
That is higher than the fixed rate. A savings bond calculator checked against Treasury’s value files explains the gap: doubling by interest alone takes about 3.5% a year, compounded twice a year, so when the fixed rate is lower, Treasury adds the shortfall at year 20. A fixed rate of 3.50% or more would double the bond on interest alone. At 2.90%, a bond depends on that year-20 top-up to reach double, though the gap to 3.5% is smaller than it was at 2.40%, so the top-up Treasury has to add is smaller too.
The same calculator notes that a bond keeps its purchase rate for the first 20 years, and that Treasury may change the rate for the last 10 years. The doubling is therefore a floor at year 20, not the full story of what the bond earns if held longer. The 2.40% rate on bonds bought from May through October stays with those bonds for their first 20 years as well. A bond bought on Oct. 31 got 2.40%, and one bought a day later got 2.90%. A bond bought in the new window reaches its 20-year mark in late 2046 or the spring of 2047.
How do EE bonds compare with I bonds this month?
Tipswatch put the EE bond’s pitch in one line: “After 20 years, EE Bonds automatically double the original purchase amount.” That promise is what separates an EE bond from a savings account whose rate can change at any time, since the EE bond’s rate is fixed at purchase.
The I bond reset in the same announcement drew more attention. The Fiscal Service put the I bond fixed rate at 1.40% and the composite rate at 5.51%, which includes a 4.08% annualized inflation rate. The May release had set the I bond fixed rate at 0.90% and the composite at 4.26%. The I bond fixed rate rose by half a point, from 0.90% to 1.40%, the same size step as the EE bond’s move from 2.40% to 2.90%.
The two bonds work differently. An I bond’s composite rate combines the fixed rate with an inflation component tied to the consumer price index, and Treasury’s May release said the composite applies for the first six months. An EE bond’s rate is fixed for 20 years. EE bonds are for people who want a known rate and the doubling promise instead of inflation protection.
Where does a savings bond fit with other safe savings?
Savings bonds are one of several ways to hold money that is not exposed to the stock market. The decision turns on how long the money can sit. An EE bond asks for a long commitment, and its guarantee pays off at 20 years. Money needed in two years belongs somewhere else, and the 20-year mark is when the doubling promise applies to a bond bought in this window.
Comparing the 2.90% rate with what banks, credit unions and Treasury bills pay in the week of the purchase is the practical test, since those rates move on their own schedules. A staggered set of maturities, often called a ladder, is one way to keep some money close while the rest earns a fixed rate.
Where should the money that sits for years go?
An EE bond bought now ties up money for 20 years to get its doubling promise, and a purchase made in the wrong week can lock in a rate that is lower than the next window’s. People saving for years ahead face the same trap with CDs and Treasury bills: the best rate is the one compared the week of the purchase.
Build a CD Ladder in an Afternoon includes how a ladder works, with one plain example, and comparing rates the week you buy, with the questions to ask every bank. Its contents also cover staying inside the $250,000 limit at every bank, in a 12-page guide.
Get the CD ladder guide for splitting savings across rates the week you buy →
This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
Warren Cohen is a finance writer based in Phoenix, Arizona, covering personal finance topics including credit, banking, and beginner investing. He earned his degree in business administration from Arizona State University and began his career working in consumer finance, where he gained direct experience with lending and credit systems. He now writes for personal finance websites and fintech platforms, focusing on clear, practical content that helps readers make informed financial decisions.
