If youre like many Americans over the age of 55, youve probably had money taken out of your paychecks for years and years in order to purchase U. S. savings bonds. Those bonds are probably sitting in a safe deposit box at your local bank or in a drawer safely tucked away at home. But, while you might know where those bonds are right now, do you have any idea how much they are actually worth?

It seems to be a fact of life that World War II-era Americans purchased U. S. savings bonds for any number of reasons. First, it was the patriotic thing to do. America needed the money to support the war effort and Americans were more than willing to lend their support. Second, it was an excellent way to save for retirement, or for a child's education, or for any other reason. Third, the interest paid on U. S. savings bonds was competitive and the income taxes were deferred until the bonds were actually cashed in.

For some reason, though, many of the U. S. savings bonds that were sold never did get cashed in until after the owner's death. Then, a family member would discover them and wonder how much they were actually worth.

Of course, if you're in that situation today, you could take the bonds to your local bank and have them figure it out. But, there is another way to get the information. The Bureau of the Public Debt, Department of the Treasury, has a web site that provides all that information, including a calculator with instructions so that you can figure out how much your bonds are worth today - and you can do it all by yourself.

So, if you have any questions about your savings bonds, go to http://www.publicdebt.treas.gov/. And dont forget to bookmark the site for future reference.