Question: My father says my mother bought me U.S. savings bonds when I was born, but I have never seen them and she never mentioned them to me. He said she “put them away” but has no idea where. They haven’t turned up as I’ve gone through paperwork after my mom died last year. These would have been paper bonds, purchased around 1987. Is there a way to track them down?
Answer: Try the Treasury Hunt search engine at treasuryhunt.gov, which the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Bureau of the Fiscal Service launched in 2019 to encourage people to redeem savings bonds that no longer earn interest. At that site you would input your Social Security number and current state of residence into an encrypted form to check whether bonds that have matured but not been redeemed are registered to you. Results return immediately, and you’ll receive further instructions if there are potential matches, the website says.
Based on the year you mentioned, if your mom purchased paper savings bonds, they likely were Series EE, which mature in 30 years; yours would be 35, if issued. It is possible to reissue a lost, uncashed Series EE paper bond in electronic form, once the record is located, according to the bureau’s website, treasurydirect.gov.
The bureau describes Treasury Hunt as “our online search engine for finding matured, uncashed savings bonds (over 30 years old and no longer earning interest). You can also find missing payments on other securities.”
You can use the tool to search for yourself or for savings bonds owned by deceased family members, it says.
Q: Usually, there is a drug disposal event each fall. Will that be happening?
A: Yes. The next National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is scheduled for Oct. 29. Hawaii’s drop-off sites and hours are expected to be finalized by early October. People are encouraged to collect their unused and unneeded prescription medication for safe disposal on that day.
Q: Regarding the Hawaii rebate, I filed my state tax return electronically on Feb. 15. I owed $251 and paid with a check, which was taken out of my account the same day. Will I be getting the rebate wired into my account?
A: No. Hawaii residents who owed additional taxes when they filed their 2021 state tax return will receive the Act 115 refund by paper check, according to the state Department of Taxation. Paper checks are being mailed out in small batches and should arrive by the end of October.
As of Tuesday, 4,749 paper checks had been issued, compared with 281,861 electronic direct deposits, according to DOTAX, which said nearly $160 million in Act 115 rebates was issued as of that date. Electronic direct deposits were made to the same accounts where Hawaii residents received a direct deposit of their 2021 tax refund.
Auwe
Vehicles ignore “no parking” signs on Moaniani Street in front of the Costco Waipio gas station. Illegally parked cars should be ticketed or, better yet, towed. These parked cars block the view of oncoming southbound traffic, creating a safety hazard for drivers trying to exit the Costco driveway and clogging the traffic flow. — A reader
Mahalo
On Sept. 7, Brandon came to my rescue at Kaimuki shopping center. The elevator was not working on the 4th Avenue side. He escorted me from that elevator to the other elevator on 5th Avenue. He then took me to Longs upstairs, since I had to pick up medication. He was nice enough to insist that I sit while he waited in line and even paid for my medication. Thank you again, Brandon! I’m thankful there are still good people in Hawaii taking care of us old folks. — Grateful senior
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
