| How to Add a New Book to the Goodreads Database Posted: 21 Jul 2016 05:00 PM PDT Are you tired of trying to find a book that you've read (or are in the process of currently-reading) and that isn't listed in Goodreads? It's tiring when you end your search for that great book on Goodreads with the result of "No book by that name results". But as a did you know, you can add new books to the database as you come upon them. Look no further than the advice in this article to give you the advice you need to let you add books to the Goodreads database, so you no longer have to worry that this book won't be found again. - Visit the Goodreads website in your web browser. Goodreads is a popular social bookmarking tool used to share the books you're currently reading with friends.
- Search the Goodreads site for your book. You can choose to search by name, author's name, ISBN (13 digit/generally starts with '978'), ISBN (10 digit-old style ISBN barcode number), as well as a slew of other items.
- Determine if the book is a new book that needs to be listed, or if it's a new edition of a book that's already listed. Although most often this can be determined by comparing the title with titles by the same author already on the Goodreads site, since every book is different, there are exceptions.
- Newspapers, magazines, and comics are not books. [1]By definition, these are not books for Goodreads, and therefore MUST not be added to the database.
- Use the Add a New Book to Goodreads website link, to add your book.
- Bring your book near your computer. You'll need a few things directly from your book. If you don't have a copy of that particular book handy, it's good to note that Goodreads allows information to be copied off of the WorldCat and Amazon given you have a copy of the ISBN or ASIN of that copy of the book handy. As per policy, you can't take any information from Amazon's competitor, Barnes and Noble, and therefore this information can't be borrowed (such as for a Nook version of your book).[2]
- Type in the new book's title into the "title" field. Although the page tool does a secondary search for verification to see if the book exists and gives you comparable results, take a moment to second check this list. title and determine if any comparable matches can be found. If you think the book's title is a match, but aren't completely sure, right-click the item and click either "open in New Window" or "Open in New Tab".
- If the book is part of a volume or set of books, this titling can be interesting. After the title of the book, enter a space then the volume number in parenthesis. (i.e. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets should be titled as "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter, #2)" (However, this item is already in the database so don't use this example as a real entry of a brand new book[3]).
- Scroll down the list until you find the "Sort by Title" field. Type the title in again, as if you were looking through an old-style card catalog. You can omit the words A, an, the, etc and type the remainder of the text[4] A title known as "A New Light" would be listed as just "New Light".
- Book entries that are part of a series get some special treatment. As opposed to adding the volume number last, you add it after the last few words at the end of the title. (i.e."Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets would be sorted out as "chamber of secrets (Harry Potter, #2), harry potter) as opposed to "chamber of secrets, harry potter (Harry Potter, #2)". However, be aware that new editions of already present books should have the corrected sort-by field entered already when you enter in to add another edition entry.
- Type the author's name in the "author" entry box. As is stated on the New book entry page, add authors as they appear on the front of the book; however, if different verification sources disagree on the order or if there is no verifiable cover present, you can list them in alphabetical order.[5]. However, with different format's of authors names, the formatting of the name is different dependent on your exact scenario and few situations will ever be the same for brand new books that aren't in the database just yet.
 - The very first author should be only the primary author of the book. No other authors should be listed within the first text box of authors. Make sure to return the name with the proper capitalization (capitalization should never be the same as the way it looks on the book, if the book presents it's authors in all-CAPS, but should be written as if it was the legal name entry on a paper form). Make sure to list the names starting with the first name with a space then the middle name (if available) then a space and onto the last name. Doing so will help the Goodreads Librarian link the books (if they indeed find it is a separate edition of an already present edition of an existing book) instead.
- Authors who use their initials should list their names without a space between letters of a name but should have a period after each and every initial. (ex. J. L. Roth should be listed in this box as "J.L. Roth".)
- If the author supplies their middle name as an initial, follow the initial rules in the sub-step immediately above. (If they send their initial, provide their initial followed by a period followed by a space and then their last name. If they provide their full middle name, type that in the box instead, as was written.)
- Names with title or degree designations should be included in the list, but must never list these designations in the author name field itself, unless it is necessary to avoid confusion or is part of a recognizable pen name (such as "Dr. Seuss") (however, Dr. Doug B. Hornet should be listed as "Doug B. Hornet")
- Suffixes to a name should be included separated by a space after the last name.
- Additional authors (such as editors, narrators for audiobooks, etc.) should be listed as separate entries on new lines in the form. Supply the type of author for the book with the box that is displayed after clicking the "Add role" link next to the author's name box. Although you can choose between many different types of author-roles in the author role drop-down, there is a fill-in box that can be accessed if the author role isn't supplied.
- If more than one author exists, there's a link just below this box, that asks you for these additional authors. Supply as many as is given in the order they appear on the front cover of the book, after clicking the "Add author" link as many times as you need to enter all of them into the appropriate boxes.
- Upload the picture of the front cover of the book into the box just below the "Add a cover image for this book." field. Although it's okay to use your own image of that exact book from a file you have on hand, it is also acceptable to use the Amazon book picture (as long as the picture isn't just Goodreads or Amazon stock photos (stock photos on Goodreads look like a brown-covered book with just the plain text of the title and author of the book, as for Amazon, these generic cover art may vary a little more widely depending on the situation) or as long as the photo isn't a book with the same title but as another edition-again, it's best to research the item on Amazon under it's ASIN or ISBN before searching with the title.[6]
- Type in the ISBN or ASIN (Amazon-only direct access ID-type) codes. From one Librarian to the rest of the reading community here on wikiHow, Goodreads wants regular paperback or hardcover books to be listed under the ISBN or ISBN-13 number and use only the ASIN numbers for Kindle and Audible books.[7] Use ISBN numbers for anything else, but you can still research the book on Amazon for information using the items ASIN number.[8]. Click the "Click for ASIN" link to switch this box type to ASIN-mode.
- Type the publisher name and publication dates (year, month, day - text, drop-down, text) for the book into the applicable fields. (While the publisher name can be found inside the book on the publisher data or title page or on Amazon itself according to an ISBN number search in the search bar, it is best to use the publication date of the book according to the date Amazon will give to you as the Publication date line will list) However, be careful that you are punctuating and capitalizing the publisher name as it appears there.[9]If there is no data given and the data can't be retrieved from WorldCat, you can take the copyright year, leaving the remainder of the data unlisted for the other portions of the publication year: however, keep that information as a "case of last resort".[10].
- Type the number of pages the book contains into the "number of pages" box. As per Goodreads policies, they consider the amount of pages in the book to include all pages in the book, except for advertisements for other books or preview chapters. You can also grab this information from Amazon for this specific edition unique identifier. Other types of books will get special treatment and will vary greatly.[11][12].
- Click the drop-down menu for the type of format the book is (which you currently own in your hands). Most often, these entries will be "Hardcover", "Paperback", "Kindle book" (as opposed to "eBook" when bought from the Kindle for Amazon store or bought as it's own Kindle book or "Audio CD" or even "Audible Audio", but there are many more format types available in this list.[13]
- Be careful of books of the types of eBooks out there. If it is bought directly from a company selling eBooks (Amazon, Barnes and Noble), these should not be listed as "ebook" when these formats are on the list already. There are others that have similar conventions as to format types, but aren't commonly recognized or commonly used, but must be applied. If the book isn't sold from a first-rate retailer (Amazon, Barnes and Noble), you must select "eBook" from the list.[14]
- If you can't determine the format, you must select "Unknown Binding". Be careful not to select "Unbound" as these look similar from the get-go but mean two completely different things.
- Other commonly mismarked format differences include "Paperback" with "Mass Market Paperback", "Library Binding" with "Hardcover", "CD-ROM or MP3-CD with Audio CD" and must be watched accordingly.
- If this type of format isn't available, click the "Other" link and type the format into the text-entry box.
- Type the edition number, if the book has more than one edition number or is a special-entry edition information item. This field is for special entry information only (holiday edition, 2nd edition, etc.). This should be entered in the field as it is written on or inside the cover.
- Type in the "official url" to the book if there is one available. This field is optional and should be used if there is an author or publisher site that describes the book you have. It should never list a fan site, library or other site about the book.[15]
- Copy the book's description from the Amazon-specific unique description of the book, or enter the words from the very back of the book in the order they appear on the back of the book (unless the back of the book has book critics reviews which you can omit from the Description box. This Description box is critical should the addition other editions pop-up, as these carry-over without even asking the edition adder from one edition to the next. If there is no data on this page as for this description, you can copy the data off the back cover or dust jacket to the book word-for-word, [16].
- Although this rarely happens, if you still have no data for this box, you can write your own summary for the description, without writing a spoiler inside the box and without using images or links to external sites.
- You can grab data in certain circumstances as to describe books from Wikipedia, but the exact link to this site must be written inside the description box to explain where this data originated from.
- Scroll your eyes and the page down slightly, and select from the drop-down menu underneath the description, the language the book is written in. Although the default selection at the top of the list is English (as English is the most-commonly used language for book entries on Goodreads), this language will depend on what language the book is written in. (i.e. If the book is a translated book (of an English book) into Portuguese, this entry must be selected as "Portuguese" since this is the language of the book.[17]
- Look below the "Work Settings" label to find three fields (for non-Librarians) to fill in. Although optional, sending this information out will help those looking to find a book with alternate information, or which has been republished with drastically different information.
- Type in the original title and original publication dates using the same formatting as the title and publication dates field formatting above, if the data differs widely from the very first publication to the present-day one. Most often times, the original publication date will be the earliest copyright date mentioned on the book's title/publication data page just a few page-turns inside the book.[18]
- Watch out for the "media type" field. Although it can be your "best friend" when the media is something other than a book, it can also be your worst enemy if you accidentally select "not a book". For information on what isn't a book or is something other than those books most commonly used, utilize the information presented here. The not a book option will now display for every account that is created, though it is only supposed to show for Goodreads Librarians.
- Look out for the reCaptcha image. Although users who are long-time users are grandfathered in to not having to fill this field out, those who aren't will need to fill out this box. The reCaptcha box, once checked, will verify that you aren't a robot that is sending new books through the database, each and every time you fill out this form.
- Scroll back down to the end again (or tap the button on your keyboard) and click the "Create book" button.
EditNew Alternate Edition - Search for the profile page of the book, and make this book display. At the very least, search by the ISBN or ASIN number. Then try searching by complete title, but this type isn't very good. Not only will searching help narrow the search down to books with the same name, it'll also narrow the search down to duplicate editions of existing editions of the same book you might be wanting to add. Click the most accurate match to another version of the book (according to title), if it still doesn't display.
- If a relative search result displays in the search bar in real-time (especially with an ASIN/ISBN search), this yields the possibility that you'll need to add another edition if the two items aren't the same. If you searched by the title and came up with a relative title, it's time to create an alternate edition with the title given - if not, it's time to create a new book entirely.
- Click on the "Add New Edition" link that is found underneath the section containing images of other editions of the book that are other editions of the book in the database. If there are no other editions of the book, you'll find this link towards the top of the listing above the "Get a copy" section that contains some critical other places to purchase the book that is always displayed.
- Verify the pre-filled text of the Add a New Edition page is displayed. With the New Edition page, the form will prefill several items including the title, sort-by title, author, and description - most of which you can just do a "once-over". The rest you'll have to type in manually.
- Recognize the need to add what Goodreads calls an "alternate cover edition" when the ISBN comes up but the cover is different (those that don't have a cover but can be obtained legally for Goodreads' use is different and only a Goodreads Librarian can help and should never be re-added).
- Try adding in the ISBN-10 or ISBN-13 numbers into the appropriate fields, or switch the ISBN numbers into ASIN entry (for Kindle or Audible books) by clicking the "Click for ASIN" and typing the data into the appropriate field according to what is displayed in the book's details.
- Goodreads Librarians recognize how annoying it is when adding one and the ISBN sends back an error. However, if you aren't a Goodreads Librarian, you'll want to hold off on clicking the "Create book" until all fields are filled out to their entirety.
- Acknowledging where the error lays if you get the error message yourself is a big help, and can be remedied through an action that you can also take.
- Enter all other data into the form, including the cover image of the book, utilizing the same form data as you would have entered had you been entering a new book itself. Use the same conventional formats as those used in the above method (adding a brand new book to the database). These same conventions apply to adding alternate editions too.
- Click on the "Create book" button at the bottom of the form of data you've just entered.
- Currently, there is no way to add a book to the database in their iPhone/smartphone app.
- At the bottom of the page, there are additional fields that you may choose to enter (if the data is available).
- As of January 27, 2012, Goodreads no longer uses sources to books sourced through Amazon. They will be removing all books not specified to new sources on January 30, 2012.
- While some fields are mandated to be entered, there are some that are optional. But since you should have the book there, it would be nice to add these too. Don't forget some of the optional fielded questions such as the ones this article has shown above.
- If the book you are choosing to add is another edition of a book Goodreads previously has but this edition has not previously been added yet, the link/button for adding this additional book can be found in the same section as the Other Editions and "Change Editions section on the other editions of the same said book's book-profile page.
- For most of the information you see, you can borrow the information from the Amazon page for that exact listing of the book (including that unique/specific edition of the book in question).
- Acceptable types of books to include in the list beyond just hardcover, paperback and a mess of eBooks and audiobooks of all sorts include coloring books, repacks, F&C sheets, bound sheet music/scores/librettos, atlases, reference books (books on CD-ROM)...and many more....[19]
EditThings You'll Need - Internet access
- Goodreads account
- The proposed book that needs to be added to the Goodreads database
EditRelated wikiHows EditSources and Citations
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| How to Cope After a Food Binge Posted: 21 Jul 2016 09:00 AM PDT We've all binged, whether it's because we were bored, or hungry, or even upset. This is a human reaction. After a binge you are likely to feel guilty, anxious, depressed or low on self-worth. A lot of people have done this at one time or other in their lives; it is important to recognize that you are not alone. Instead of beating yourself up, realize that there are a number of ways to cope after a food binge, which will enable you to recognize and prevent future bingeing. EditTaking Immediate Steps After Binge Eating - Forgive yourself. If you realize you are binge eating, do not be hard on yourself. Forgive yourself and recognize that there is likely something going on in your life that is affecting your emotions, which is causing you to binge eat.[1] To forgive yourself, follow the following steps:[2]
- Admit to what you have done (in this case, binge eating).
- Accept that you did the action, and that it is in the past.
- Reflect on who you have hurt (in this case, yourself).
- Move on. Let go of your guilt and try to learn from your experience.[3]
- Go for a walk. One of the immediate steps you can take to cope once you realize that you are bingeing is to change your environment. This action will get you out of the physical space where binge eating is happening. Take a walk by yourself or with a friend.
- Walking outdoors, especially with someone else, can boost your mood and help promote improved mental health.[4]
- Walking after meals can also help your body process the nutrients from the food you have eaten.[5]
- Call a trusted friend or family member. Talking with someone will help draw you away from your bingeing and give you a chance to talk it over. A trusted friend or family member who knows your history with binge eating can help get you through this difficult time.
- If you call a friend on your cell phone, try going for a walk outdoors while you talk on the phone.
- Try to relax with deep breathing. Sit in a comfortable chair with your feet flat on the floor. Close your eyes. Begin taking long, deep breaths, inhaling for a count of 3 and exhaling for a count of 3.
- Drink water or peppermint tea. Your stomach may not feel very good after binge eating, so calm your stomach by drinking water or peppermint tea. Peppermint tea is used to aid in digestion, along with soothing other ailments.[6]
- Don't try to compensate for your eating. Don't resort to vomiting, skipping meals, or counting calories in order to compensate for binge eating. Instead, start fresh by eating a healthy meal the next time you are hungry.
- Wait until you're hungry to eat again. Even if it's lunchtime, don't eat until you feel hungry again. Your body is processing the food that you ate during the binge, so give yourself some time to digest.
- When you do eat, try for protein, such as an egg or some chicken. Protein will make you feel full for a longer period of time.
- Get a good night's sleep. Getting some rest will allow your body to recover and you will begin to feel better. It is also a great chance to start again with a new day/afternoon/evening ahead of you.
- A lack of sufficient sleep can cause you to feel hungry and crave high-fat or high-carbohydrate foods, which may contribute to further binge eating in the future.[7]
- Be patient with yourself. It can take up to 3 days to recover from a food binge, so give yourself time to feel better. Be patient and gentle with yourself.
EditUnderstanding Binge Eating - Recognize the symptoms of binge eating. The National Institutes of Health defines binge eating as: "an eating disorder in which a person regularly eats unusually large amounts of food. During binge eating, the person also feels a loss of control and is not able to stop eating."[8] The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual V (DSM-5) says that this behavior must occur at least once per week for three months to be classified as an eating disorder.[9] Check if one or more of the following symptoms is present:
- Eating large amounts of food frequently throughout the day.
- Eating when not physically hungry.
- Unable to stop eating even after the person is no longer hungry.
- Eating alone or hiding the food and the amounts eaten from others.
- Feelings of shame, disgust, depression and guilt after eating.
- Binge eating does not necessarily include purging behavior (forcing yourself to vomit).
- Recognize the link between binge eating and depression. Clinical depression is linked to binge eating. In fact, a person who has symptoms of binge eating could benefit from being evaluated for depression since the two are so closely related.[10]
- Although binge eating is more common in females than in males, both genders can develop binge eating patterns as a response to depression and stress. Females typically develop eating disorders in adolescence while males may not see symptoms until adulthood.
- Recognize the link between binge eating and body image. Body image is how you see yourself when you look in the mirror and how you feel about your body's height, shape and size. Body image includes the way you feel about your appearance and how comfortable or uncomfortable you feel in your body. According to the National Eating Disorders Association, "people with negative body image have a greater likelihood of developing an eating disorder and are more likely to suffer from feelings of depression, isolation, low self-esteem, and obsessions with weight loss."[11]
EditManaging Your Emotions - Have a support team in place. Binge eating, as with any eating disorder, has its roots in strong and painful emotions.[12] When you begin to change your eating habits, those emotions will surface and may feel overwhelming at first. To cope, find people who will support you in your endeavors to manage your emotions.
- This can include your medical professional, a nutrition specialist, a counselor, peers who will not sabotage your goals, a support group of people dealing with the same issues, and trusted and safe family members.
- Seek counseling from a licensed professional. Visit a counselor or therapist who specializes in eating disorders. Follow his or her guidance in finding the right support group for your needs.
- Remove yourself from abusive situations or environments. If you are able to, remove yourself from circumstances or environments that are emotionally or physically damaging. Domestic violence, sexual abuse, emotional abuse and physical abuse are all triggers for binge eating. You may need law enforcement and social services to help you leave a dangerous situation.
- Don't get discouraged. If you experience setbacks, don't get discouraged. Even if you do binge eat, rest assured that you are beginning to cope with the disorder when you recognize that you are bingeing and when you step away from the food. If you immediately change your environment to clear your head and your emotions and allow your body time to recover, you are moving forward. You are not alone and there is help. Don't get discouraged when you experience setbacks. This is part of coping and moving forward.
EditPreventing Binge Eating - Follow an eating plan. Preventing binge eating can be achieved with planning and support. Follow an eating plan that balances proteins, carbohydrates, sugars and sodium. You are less likely to need to binge for physical cravings when these elements are balanced.
- A licensed nutritionist or dietitian can provide you with healthy guidelines.
- Have healthy snacks on hand. Stock up on healthy snacks such as nuts (unless you have an allergy), air-popped popcorn, fruits in season, and yogurt. Check with your doctor or nutritionist for more suggestions.
- Drink plenty of water. Drinking plenty of fresh water will flush toxins and fat from your body. Dehydration can be mistaken for hunger and could lead to overeating. Aim to get 72 ounces of fluids for women, or 104 ounces of fluids for men, every day.[13]
- Avoid junk foods and processed foods. Stay away from all fast foods, junk foods, foods with a high fat or sugar content, and highly processed foods. These types of foods fuel cravings and can trigger an eating binge.
- Address any medical issues. If you have acute or chronic medical conditions, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, infections or other issues, see your doctor. When you begin to take care of your physical health, it is easier to commit to your recovery plan.
- Get support. Develop a buddy system with friends or family. Ask people whom you can trust to be your buddy, to help you when you feel the urge to binge by being available to talk things through, and to help counteract any negative feelings.
- Keep a food journal. Document the feelings that you experience whenever you feel an urge to binge. Identifying the feelings is key to overcoming the triggers that bring on these feelings. Otherwise, you tend to keep associating poor feelings with the relief of food, and that leads to bingeing. Ask your doctor for advice.
- Pay attention to when you feel like you are going to start bingeing. Use a journal to write down your feelings at that moment, along with what you ate and if you exercised. Try to track why you're feeling like bingeing; is it because you are low on protein? Did you have an argument with someone? Journaling your feelings can help you identify potential triggers.[14]
- Make note of goals that you've met, either small or large. This will help you see your progression toward healing.
- Set goals. Make plans for what to do when you feel a binge coming on. Write down your motivation to not binge, post reminders around that inspire you to moderate your food intake, make weight loss or weight management plans. Doing these things will not only take your mind off of the situation, but they will help you work towards avoiding bingeing in the future and will give you a sense of accomplishment.
- Set manageable goals and aim to take steps toward reaching those goals. For example, you might say, "I want to stop eating when I don't feel hungry." Break this down into manageable pieces, where you might say, "I'm going to eat one meal every day where I definitely wait until I am hungry and stop eating when I feel comfortably full."[15] This is an attainable goal that you can build upon once you achieve it.
- Decide how frequently you could reasonably achieve goals. Some people just starting out might try for daily goals, while others might strive for weekly or monthly goals.
- Use your food journal to track your progress on these goals.
- Self-induced vomiting is a common purging technique used after binge eating. Frequent vomiting can result in metabolic alkalosis, an imbalance in the body's acid/base balance. The effects of metabolic alkalosis range from slowed breathing (including instances of apnea, the cessation of breathing during sleep) to irritability to irregular heartbeat to convulsions and coma.
- Self-induced vomiting causes stomach acid to gradually erode dental enamel, discoloring teeth and causing unusual numbers of dental cavities.
EditRelated wikiHows EditSources and Citations
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| How to Redeem Savings Bonds Posted: 21 Jul 2016 01:00 AM PDT If you have ever received U.S. savings bonds as gifts or purchased them yourself as a low-risk savings vehicle, you may be wondering about your options for redeeming them. Redeeming savings bonds is simple. You can redeem them at a local bank, a Federal Reserve Bank, or online. EditPreparing to Redeem Your Savings Bonds - Make sure the bond is eligible for redemption. You can redeem EE, E, and I savings bonds 12 months after you purchase them. However, you will pay penalties and lose accrued interest if you redeem them before they fully mature.[1]
- Redeeming an I or EE bond before it is 5 years old will result in the loss of the last 3 months of accrued interest.[2]
- I and EE bonds earn interest for 30 years if you don't redeem them. All bonds are guaranteed at least their face value by 20 years.[3]
- Redeem the bond at the correct time of year. If you are cashing in a savings bond issued in April 1997 or earlier, then you need to redeem it in the correct time of year to make sure you don't lose interest. These bonds accrue interest every 6 months, so if you redeem it near the end of the 6 month period, you will lose that 6 month period's interest. Determine which month the bond was issued in. Redeem the bond in that month or 6 months from the issue month.
- For example, if your bond was issued in January, you want to redeem the bond in January or July. If the bond was issued in October, you want to redeem it in either October or April.[4]
- Determine if you are eligible to redeem the bond. To redeem a savings bond, you must be the owner, co-owner, or entitled individual. An entitled individual includes someone with Power of Attorney or a Legal Guardian.
- If you are a beneficiary for someone deceased, you must bring a death certificate to provide proof you can cash the bond.
- If you are a parent or guardian, you must bring a birth certificate or other identification materials if you wish to cash the bond for your child.[5]
- An owner or co-owner can cash the bond without the knowledge of the other person.[6]
EditRedeeming Your Savings Bond - Visit your local bank. Go to your local bank to redeem your savings bond. If you are a customer, you may only have to have an active account and proper identification. If you are not a member of the bank, the bank may not redeem the bonds, or they might place restrictions on them, like limiting the amount they will cash.[7]
- Contact your bank before redeeming them. Find out if they redeem savings bonds, what their dollar limit is, and what documents you need to redeem the bonds.
- If the bank won't redeem your bonds, try the Federal Reserve Bank. You can do this electronically or by mail.[8]
- Have the proper identification. Bring proper identification, such as a driver's license or a social security card. When redeeming the bond at your bank, the name on the bond, the name on your account, and the name on your identification need to match. You may have to have an account at the bank for at least 6 months. If you do not have an account, you will have to show a photo ID and provide a signature.
- You can also have an identifier take you to his bank where he has had an account for 6 months. The person with the account must have a legitimate connection to the person cashing the bond. For example, it cannot be landlord-tenant or a patron from a business. You both will be required to give name and address, relationship, and length of acquaintance.[9]
- You will have to sign the "Request for Payment" section of the bond. Your signature will have to match the signature on file. If you are at the bank with someone with an account, he will have to sign the "Request for Payment."
- The bank will write your account number on the back of the bond. They may also write the type of identification or your address on the back.[10]
- Fill out a Power of Attorney form if you need to. If you are in a situation where the owner of the bond needs a Power of Attorney, such as the owner of the bond is in the hospital or home-bound, you can fill out the Power of Attorney form (PD F 5188). This form authorizes the person whose name is on the form to sell or cash the bonds.[11]
- Another way to do this is to submit a certified copy of the power of attorney to the bank. The Power of Attorney document must state explicitly that you can cash the savings bonds. The document must be notarized. If you do this, only a Federal Reserve Bank can cash the bonds.[12]
- This form is located through the Treasury Department website.
- Put in writing the child is too young to cash if cashing for a minor. If you are the parent of a child too young to sign the request form, you must provide proper identification that you are the parent.
- On the back of the bond, you will enter something like this: I certify that I am the parent of John Doe with whom John Doe resides/to whom legal custody has been granted. He is 3 years old and is not of sufficient understanding to make this request. Nick Doe on behalf of John Doe.[13]
- If a child is old enough to sign his or her own name, they can go to the bank and sign the bonds while accompanied by an adult.[14]
- Redeem the bonds electronically. To redeem your bonds electronically, go to the United States Treasury online marketplace, TreasuryDirect.gov. TreasuryDirect.gov gives individuals the ability to redeem their electronic savings bonds online and transfer the proceeds to a bank account. You may also request a check for the proceeds.[15]
- TreasuryDirect.gov also provides a service which allows you to convert your savings bond certificates into electronic savings bonds for easier filing and tracking. This will relieve you of the burden of storing your certificates. It makes redeeming bonds significantly easier.
- Claim earned interest on your tax return. Although savings bonds earn interest during each year of ownership, the taxes on this income are not due until the bonds are redeemed. Interest is reportable as taxable income for the year in which the bonds were redeemed on line 8a of the federal Form 1040.
- Some circumstances may allow you to receive interest on Series EE bonds without being subject to taxation. For example, Series EE bonds which are redeemed and used for education expenses are exempt from federal income tax. This exemption is limited to income thresholds which are adjusted each year. Refer to the Internal Revenue Code for updated threshold levels and other requirements.
- If you are a victim of a disaster, like flood, fire, hurricane, or tornado, you can redeem your bond before the 12 month period/[16]
- A helpful service offered by TreasuryDirect.gov is the TreasuryHunt program. By entering your Social Security number, you can instantly locate any outstanding savings bonds issued to you which have reached their full maturity. This is a great service for individuals who may have lost track of savings bonds over time.[17]
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