<prompt> Human: So I was cleaning out a safety deposit box and found two 1,000 dollar savings bonds in my name that were issued 081993 and 111994. They say theyre Series EE. Reading online, I dont quite understand how they work. They say Interest Ceases 30 years from Issue Date but my question is, what is the value? Are they 1,000 dollars now, or in 30 years? I dont need the money, but am I better off cashing these in now and putting the money in one of my mutual funds or something with a better return?  <response>: These have essentially no risk of default - they are risk free by any sane definition of that term - and are going to earn 4 over the next 910 years. The current rate if you were to buy a 10-year US Treasury bond today would be 2.75. So you are getting a 1.25 premium with no additional risk.If I were you Id hold them until you could get a better return on your money, from the US Treasury, for a term commensurate to the bonds expiration. For example, in 4-5 years, if the rate on the 5-year US Treasury bond was more than 4, itd be time to cash them in. That may never happen; so definitely cash them in on the dates they quit earning interest. 