Opening an account at TreasuryDirect to buy I Bonds is an easy process for most people. It takes less than 15 minutes (see How to Buy I Bonds). However, a small percentage of people run into an issue with ID verification. They are asked by TreasuryDirect to get a signature guarantee on a paper form FS 5444.
Automated ID Verification
TreasuryDirect uses an automated third-party service to run ID verification. Many other financial institutions do the same for opening accounts online. Your account is kicked off to an exception process when the automated service says they can’t verify your identity based on the given information.
When this happens at other financial institutions, they may ask you to upload pictures of your driver’s license or show up at a physical branch with your ID. Because TreasuryDirect doesn’t have any physical branch, they ask you to get a signature guarantee on a paper form and mail it to them.
Unrelated to Credit Freeze
Failing ID verification isn’t caused by having a credit freeze. You can still pass with a credit freeze in place. You don’t need to unfreeze your credit before you open an account with TreasuryDirect.
It has more to do with matching your name, date of birth, Social Security Number, driver’s license number, address, and phone number. If you moved recently, the ID verification service may fail you because they don’t have the updated information yet. Or perhaps the ID verification service simply doesn’t have all the information for everyone. It’ll return a failure when it can’t match the information.
It’s not your fault. The automated ID verification service just isn’t 100% reliable. You’ll have some extra work if you’re unlucky.
No Longer Required for Changing Bank Account
TreasuryDirect used to require a signature guarantee on Form FS 5512 when you wanted to change the bank account linked to your account. This is why you should choose a bank account that you intend to use for a long time when you open your TreasuryDirect account. Changing it down the road may require more work.
[Update on December 12, 2022:] TreasuryDirect can change the linked bank account online now. Go to ManageDirect and then Update my Bank Information.
Not Required for Cashing Out
Once you have the TreasuryDirect account set up and the bank account linked, buying more I Bonds or cashing out won’t require a signature guarantee again unless your account runs into other problems.
Cashing out (redeeming) is handled by the automated system. When I cashed out I Bonds some time ago, the money showed up in my linked bank account the next business day.
Certifying Officer or Notary
The latest edition of the Account Authorization form FS 5444 requires a signature guarantee from either a certifying officer at a financial institution or a notary. Getting it signed by a notary public is easier than getting it from a bank or credit union. Make sure you download the latest FS Form 5444.
Other TreasuryDirect forms don’t accept a notary stamp. You still need to get it signed and stamped by a certifying officer at a financial institution.
You don’t need to go to a place where you have an account, although being a customer certainly helps. They’re only doing you a favor because TreasuryDirect isn’t paying them and they have no obligation to do it. It’s easy for them to say no for fear of liability or simply because they haven’t seen it before.
Any Bank Works
The financial institution you go to get a signature guarantee doesn’t have to be the same bank or credit union you use in your TreasuryDirect account. If you use an online bank in TreasuryDirect, you can go to a different bank with a brick-and-mortar branch for the signature guarantee. If one bank refuses you, you can go to another bank.
If you go to a bank or a credit union, talk to someone working at a desk, not a teller. The teller may not be familiar with it. Try to catch someone more experienced who may have done it before. Ask nicely. If you get a “no” from someone, try a different branch or go to a different bank. Try a credit union or a small community bank, which may be more community-minded and willing to go the extra mile.
When I needed it, I made an appointment at a Bank of America branch and they did it for me.
Not a Medallion Signature Guarantee
TreasuryDirect asks for a signature guarantee, not necessarily a medallion signature guarantee. A medallion signature guarantee is one form of acceptable signature guarantee but it’s not the only one.
A medallion signature guarantee is a program of the securities industry. It’s used more for transferring brokerage accounts. If your broker has a physical branch near you, you can try it there but many brokers only give medallion signature guarantees when it involves their own accounts. They don’t do it for outside accounts. If you have large accounts at the broker, they may agree to make an exception.
Many banks and credit unions don’t give medallion signature guarantees but the [normal] signature guarantees they give for signing checks or cashing savings bonds will work for TreasuryDirect. So don’t start your conversation at a bank or a credit union by asking for a medallion signature guarantee. Simply say you need a signature guarantee.
Mail and Wait
If you succeed in getting a signature guarantee from someone willing to accommodate, now you mail it to the address on the form and wait. It may take a month for TreasuryDirect to complete the process. You’ll receive an email when it’s done.
I had to do this recently for changing the linked bank account. I mailed the form on December 20th. It was processed on January 4th. The turnaround time isn’t too bad, considering the mailing time, the holidays, and the flurries of activities at the end of the year. Just have some patience and let the process run its course.
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Joe says
Thanks for the article. Going thru this right now. The TreasuryDirect sign-up page should indicate that providing driver’s license details will help with ID verification. When I signed-up, it was not marked with the usual ” * required information ” and I left it blank. The account is opened and TreasuryDirect did a $0.00 verification deduction from my bank account, but I still need to submit Form 5444 to open the account.
Went to 2 banks where I had accounts. NYC area. HSBC didn’t have a clue and said they don’t provide such things. It’s being sold to Citizens Bank so I suppose there’s a bit of chaos there. At Citibank the person I spoke with said I needed to provide a TreasuryDirect account statement for them to provide the MSG. I told them it was impossible for me to provide an account statement when the form I need to submit is for opening the account in the first place. I also said I was not moving any monies/securities and only needed a signature guarantee. The were flustered and then said there is nobody who can help today and to come back tomorrow (if that was true then they should have told me that firstly and not waste time arguing with me about providing an account statement).
Going to try other branches to see if I can get some resolution.
Tyler says
The Treasury Direct form FS 5444 (Account Authorization) has been revised as of June 2022. The wording that used to indicate that a Notary Stamp would not be acceptable has been removed. My friend has recently had his “hold” removed after mailing in his Form FS 5444 with only a Notary Stamp by his credit union.
Mike Minkov says
Thanks for the article too. We sent the form 5444 months ago. As others on this blog, it was impossible to get the stamp at any bank we have opened accounts with, but finally we had luck with Wells Fargo brokerage place, absolutely by chance.
I think now with a notary option it might be an easy task, though with a certain effort.
Unfortunately, nothing has changed since we mailed the form 5444. Account is still locked… Our only error was that apartment number was placed on the second address line for my wife’s account on TreasuryDirect.gov while setting things up earlier. The reason we know it because my wife’s account has been locked after the setup, it reminded me the issue with a credit card transaction. Then when we tried to do it for myself, we used a complete address line and it worked fine. By the way, the Form 1040 has apt. No. in a separate box…
How stupid the situation is for us…
Jeff with no I-Bonds says
My current bank is internet only Ally so that wasn’t going to work. I went to several local institutions and all refused even when I said I would open an account.
I also went to the local Fidelity office, where I do have an account, but after much back room discussion their stance was they would not guarantee anything on someone else’s paperwork.
Harry Sit says
I added a small section on having the form notarized and attaching a note. It’s worth trying as a last resort.
Tom says
Hi Jeff: my wife and I are having the same issue as you. We use Ally, Fidelity and Vanguard, no help. We opened a checking account with Chase, they also would not do the signature guarantee. Like you, I tried a couple other banks, willing to open an account if they could help, no luck. Did you finally get it worked out? How? We simply need to change the bank on our Treasury Direct accounts as the original account used has been closed. (Big mistake).
Thanks
Tom T
Vachhani says
We had the same problem about form 5444. Most of the banks refused. Finally got done at Bank of America, riviera branch, Torrance.
Steve says
I have had the same problem when Vanguard required me to get a signature guarantee years ago in order to transfer assets in another account to them.
It is funny/ironic when online institutions such as Treasury Direct and Vanguard insist on signature guarantees. They want some agency with a physical presence to “guarantee” not just the signature, but agree to be financially liable if the signature is not valid. Who in their right mind would agree to that?
The IRS, a Treasury agency, does have physical offices that taxpayers can use to verify their identities for tax purposes. Treasury ought to allow that method of signature verification.
Fidelity has required me to provide a signature guarantee when I needed to transfer a mutual fund account with a slightly different registration to Fidelity. But Fidelity has local offices, so it was no problem. Just one more reason, among others, that Fidelity is an easier place to do business with than Vanguard.
Good article.
Good luck to anyone who has to get a signature guarantee for Treasury or any other firm without a local office. You’ll need it.
Harry Sit says
Maybe they should contract with USPS as the State Department does for passport applications.
Jeff with no I-Bonds says
The IRS is mandating verification via the ID.me service starting this Summer. Alternatively, the Treasury could rely on this.
Harry Sit says
I went through the wringer to get an ID.me account. It was more difficult than getting the signature guarantee from a bank, but at least it doesn’t rely on third parties that don’t have good reasons to cooperate.
Steve says
Re Harry’s comment below: If Harry Sit “went through the wringer” to get his ID me account, the rest of us are in big trouble. This was the first I read about IRS moving to new system for authentication.
I had enough trouble setting up existing IRS online account because my cellphone provider was not one that enabled me to verify myself online. I had to create IRS online account because my small federal tax refund and the related tax return were blocked/stopped from processing until I verified my identity.
Chris says
For some unknown reason, Treasury Direct said that they couldn’t verify my identity and required that I get a signature guarantee. I had the same address, telephone number, and a rather large bank account for 20 years with a large bank that uses a stagecoach as their logo. I took the FS 5444 form to that bank to ask for a signature guarantee. The form says that you need either a Medallion signature guarantee or a regular signature guarantee. My bank manager stated that it had to be a Medallion guarantee and nothing else and that they no longer gave those so there was nothing they could do for me. The explanation on the form about a regular signature guarantee being adequate was rejected by this bank with no explanation. Fortunately, I also had an account at a much smaller bank, WestAmerica Bank. The bank manager there had no problem giving me a signature guarantee and in a few minutes it was done. I mailed the form to Treasury Direct and in less than a week it was accepted and my account was opened. It is a good idea to have at least two accounts at different types of banks, a large bank for some things and a small bank for good customer service.
MANNY says
Same experience for me with Chase , staff was not experienced. Wish I had an account with Bank of America.
Kat says
As the gentleman above mentioned, the smaller (I.e. your local little banks with a handful of locations) will most likely oblige you with the signature guarantee. They are happy to do it if you have an account with them. I worked at one for 7 years and handled all the signature guarantee appointments. All the local banks would set up appointments for you to do this, but not the large national banks. Go figure huh?
Ruel Ramirez says
Hi Chris,
Can I ask you if the Form you have a Signature Guarantee is the same bank you use during the application process ? I have the same problem with Chase but BofA gave me
The SG , you think I can send this one instead ? Thanks
Chris says
I used my big bank account for the online application process. When they turned down my request for a signature guarantee, I took my 5444 form to the small bank which gave me their approval within a few minutes of walking in without and appointment. I was also worried that since the bank that gave me the guarantee was different than the one used to set up the online account that Treasury Direct would not accept it. I mailed the form the same day and a few days later I received an email stating that the “T08 Hold has been removed from your account. You may now access your account using your account number and password.” I immediately did so using that same big bank account used to originally set up the online account. It worked.
Wym says
Love the casual flex about the size of your bank account. Lol
Gerry says
I rode the same stagecoach! But now, you need ONLY a plain ol’ notary for 5444 to open an account
Steve says
Good review by security blogger Brian Krebs about getting id.me account at this link: https://krebsonsecurity.com/2022/01/irs-will-soon-require-selfies-for-online-access/
Harry Sit says
To be clear, TreasuryDirect isn’t using ID.me at this time. Maybe it’ll follow the IRS in the future but right now the process is still getting a paper form signed and stamped by someone at a financial institution.
Rob Jennings says
I would be interested in what Harry actually got from Bank of America. An actual Signature Guarantee? Because when I went to my BoA branch they were clueless about what to do what this form. They offered a bank stamp which the form instructions state will not be accepted.
Harry Sit says
The signature guarantee stamp they typically use on checks.
Rob says
Well, I tried my Bank of America branch and they stated the Treasury Direct form was “the bane of their existence” as I was about the 10th customer recently they had to turn away. They said they could not provide a Signature Guarantee, Endorsement Guarantee and it was against BoA policy. At a minimum, there is inconsistency across BoA. I had to go down the street and open a credit union account, where, by the way, the entire customer experience was great.
Jim says
I am wondering what is the procedure of changing address? Is there any form that needs to be filled out?
Harry Sit says
To update your address, phone number, or email address, click on ManageDirect in the top menu and find the link “Update my personal information.” You don’t need to fill out any paper form.
Matt Morris says
I received the following message from a customer support person at Treasury Direct.
“If the financial institution does not have an official seal or stamp to use when they certify a signature, they may use the savings bond paid stamp that they normally use when cashing savings bonds for a bond owner.”
This may be the easiest type of stamp to find. Most bank tellers should still be able to redeem savings bonds and would have the stamp. But whether or not they’ll be willing to stamp a random document… hard to say.
IN says
So I tried registering with Treasury Direct the other day and got this request. I tried going to my local Wells Fargo branch where I have my accounts and while everyone seemed to be helpful, even the branch manager had zero clue about what to do with it, let alone other staff members. I’ll try a few other local branches, as well as BoA branches tomorrow, but I have a different question here – I clearly get why I may have gotten this – I recently moved and as of now my DL is still from my old state and my address is in another state (very hard to get DMV appointments here!). Will it work if I simply wait a few weeks, change my DL to a new one, wait another week to make sure changes propagate to all verification databases and then attempt to register the account again?
Basically, once you have been asked this form, is it a kind of a permanent SSN-level ban on you until you actually provide the form OR you can just wait out a few weeks / months and try registering again with a new state-issued ID? Or can/should you call Treasury Direct and ask them to drop the existing account and then you’d be able to try creating a new one?
Harry Sit says
I don’t think they’ll let you open a new account when an existing account is pending. Maybe you can call and ask them to cancel the pending account, but there’s no guarantee that your new information will propagate to the right places in a few months. The verification service is sort of a black box. It’s probably still easier and faster to find the right person at a bank or credit union to complete the verification form.
IN says
Thank you, Harry, I went to BoA branch the next day and, unlike Wells across the street from it, the assistant manager knew *exactly* what I needed and less than 30 minutes later (with at least 20 minutes being a wait until she finished with other customers) I walked out of that brank with a Signature Guaranteed stamp on the paperwork.
I dropped it into the mailbox the same day, so we’ll see how quickly TreasuryDirect will process it! Thanks again!
IN says
So, just to post some progress – I received an email from Treasury Direct on May 21 (so ~3 weeks since I mailed my form):
—
“Dear Customer, This is a system generated email to communicate we received your Savings Bonds/Treasury Marketable Securities materials.
Cases are worked in the order they are received in our office. Your request is important to us and will receive attention as soon as possible. Please allow up to 16 weeks for review and processing. If we require additional information, we will contact you. Thank you for your patience.(…)”
—
My account is still locked, so I guess they received the paper, probably scanned it to the system, but did nothing else yet to unlock my account.
Steve says
IN: Thank you for sharing the “progress” response you received from Treasury Direct thanking you for being patient for 16 weeks for Treasury to process your request.
I wish everyone jumping on this bandwagon for 7.5% interest rates would read your comment, Harry’s post about signature guarantees, and all these comments before signing up for I-bonds.
If these are the problems you are experiencing in opening a Treasury Direct account, do you wonder what you (or your heirs) will experience in the future when attempting to redeem your I-bonds?
Harry Sit says
Redeeming I Bonds doesn’t require a signature guarantee. When I redeemed some time ago, the money showed up in my linked bank account the next business day. When the beneficiary or second owner already has an account, getting bonds transferred from the deceased owner doesn’t require a signature guarantee either.
Benjamin Perley says
Chase gave me a medallion stamp, no questions asked, as a credit card customer. I made an appointment online at the branch I knew had an officer authorized to do them. Apparently it comes with a requirement of a three hour class, so not every branch has one.
Cindi says
How did you make an appointment online? I’m a Chase customer and have called two branches, neither of which could/would help me (though they were nice about it). I tried finding branch info for medallion on the Chase website, but couldn’t find anything about it at all.
ec on says
I once tried to get a Chase branch to gurantee stamp a stock certificate, had been credit cardholder for 4 years. They said I was not really a “customer” and balked.
Mark Gardner says
I think this is a stupid constraint the government is placing on Treasury to have signature guarantees on bank changes.
I am suspicious this constraint not to automate was slipped into regulations by some banking lobby that loses out if many Americans open these accounts.
Linus says
It’s topsy turvy if the Treasury requires citizens to go to bank to guarantee a signature but don’t require a bank to provide this service.
Steve says
As of last year, there was $29 billion of MUD (matured, unredeemed) savings bonds. MUD and other downsides of I-bonds are described in a post on HumbleDollar “No I for Me”. Link: https://humbledollar.com/2022/02/no-i-for-me/
The author of that post overlooked the signature guarantee hassle, which is just one more reason that I-bonds in a Treasury Direct account are not the same as cash, and should be treated with caution.
Scott says
My bank is being taken over by another bank and the materials state that the routing number will change. Am I thinking correctly that I will have to submit form FS 5512 with signature guarantee to Treasury Direct to make that bank change? Thanks!
Harry Sit says
Sometimes the old routing number will continue to work for a while but eventually you’ll have to submit the form with a signature guarantee to make the change.
B says
I applied for an account and received an email stating they had trouble verifying my information. I went to my bank (Chase) and they said the form does not meet their criteria. I guess I will try Bank of America.
Bridget says
I finally was able to speak with someone at Treasury Direct and the rep said that a notary will be accepted for now because a lot people were having trouble getting someone to sign off on the form.
JL says
Does the notary have to be from a financial institute(a bank)? Will it be acceptable by a UPS store?
Harry Sit says
Look at the form that describes who is a certifying officer. A certifying officer can use a notary stamp but not all notary publics are a certifying officer.
Jeff says
I went into a Bank of America branch here in Dallas, the relationship manager confirmed that the form didn’t require a medallion signature guarantee (which they only do at select branches) and that all branches are able to do non medallion signature guarantees but the employee that is authorized to do the signature guarantee for that branch was out sick that day. He told me that only the branch manager and one other bank officer have access to the stamp. He called another branch and confirmed that they had the person there to do the signature guarantee. I drove 10 minutes to the other branch and was in and out in 10 minutes with my form signed.
Dal M. says
How long are people waiting for Treasury Direct to receive and approve form 5444? I mailed my form (US Bank was able to provide signature guarantee stamp) 2 weeks ago and I’m still not able to log into my account (I’m getting the “we haven’t received your form yet” response). Thanks all.
Mary says
I mailed my form on 4/25, certified return receipt requested, from Oregon. It arrived in Minneapolis on 5/2 (thanks, Mr. DeJoy….). I waited two weeks then called on 5/14 (temporarily taking customer service calls on Saturday mornings, given high call volume). I was told that my form had been uploaded on 5/13, so thankfully it’s “in the system.” I asked how much additional time I should expect the approval process to take and was told two weeks, so all totaled, if I’m lucky, this will be a five week ordeal. Oddly, my husband set up his account online immediately after I did and was immediately approved. We had moved a couple months earlier, so had a new address and new (temporary) drivers licenses but nothing else had changed. We have a 20+ year banking relationship with The Stagecoach, where I was formerly employed as an SVP, but when I asked for a signature guarantee I was curtly turned away. I tried a branch of the big bank in Minneapolis, where I also previously worked, and was also told no. I then went to a nearby Fidelity branch where I have a tiny account (Vanguard is primary – big mistake if you value or need customer service) and was pleased to get to “yes.” We will probably move our investment accounts to Fidelity given our good experience.
Max Pong says
I suggest people DO NOT invest any money in treasury direct. My local Wells Fargo and Chase Bank refused to signature guarantee my treasury direct form. If you have a bank problem in the future, you will need a signature guarantee to get your money out of treasury direct. It is very difficult to get a signature guarantee, so it could take months to get your money back.
Harry Sit says
That’s cutting off your nose to spite your face. It isn’t difficult to get a signature guarantee if you use the right bank. See comments #4, 11, and 17.
Dal says
I had a hard time initially getting the signature guarantee at Chase Bank, but we ended up going across the street to US Bank and asking them. The branch manager was unaware of the process but called their head office and got the information on how to do it and gave us the stamp on the 5444 form in 20 minutes. I went back 2 weeks later to get a TD “change of bank account” form also stamped and signed and US Bank said they have had so many people coming in for the 5444 form. They now have a printed out copy of the process that any teller can now do it in 10 minutes or less. I’d highly recommend US Bank if you have one in your town.
MDN says
T H A N K Y O U for this ! I have been trying to get this process done since January and keep hitting walls. The rates are better now, and sounds like a lot of people are going to be jumping on this opportunity. All the responses and the information found here are very valuable!
MDN says
I wanted to give an UPDATE: We bought 2 I-bonds. It took a couple months. We both relocated in 2020. Same State, different City. I have been with the same bank for over two-decades and past City over 20 years. Husband just joined my bank in 2020. Same address history. I needed the seal / signature. I started the process in March of this year.
I convinced him to also invest, and give it try. His went right through in June, and took less than a month. The wcismale check mark >:) Anyway, one is a gift from my partner. That went right through. It does take a couple weeks. I still haven’t tried to resolve getting the signature for when I need to withdraw it (the point is to not withdraw it, we are investing in a future house re-roof!). We were able to workaround and do what we needed to do this year. He was able to transfer the gift bond to my account; which the I-Bond system found & transferred into without problems. Will update this discussion if I can provide more info. .:mdn:.
Dal says
Hi All,
I got an email response from the Treasury Dept. that they received my Form 5444. Here’s an excerpt of the letter: “Dear Customer, This is a system generated email to communicate we received your Savings Bonds/Treasury Marketable Securities materials.
Cases are worked in the order they are received in our office. Your request is important to us and will receive attention as soon as possible. Please allow up to 13 weeks for review and processing. If we require additional information, we will contact you. Thank you for your patience. If you have additional questions, please use the Contact Us link on TreasuryDirect.gov.”
NOTE the possible 13 week review period. To compensate for that possible delay, I did 2 $10k gifts to my wife: one to gift in 2022 and the other in 2023. This way we get the current interest rate credited to the account while she’s waiting to have her account activated. Good luck everyone.
C.P. Rizzo says
I am in Chico, CA. My Chase checking account, linked to Treasury Direct, was compromised by a fraudster who somehow got ahold of my outgoing check to the utility company (which was mailed in secure mailbox). So, I now have a new checking account at Chase. Chase would not provide a signature guarantee on the Form 5512 however. I had the feeling they weren’t that familiar with the form when I showed it to the banker, she said Chase just doesn’t do it. Period, no rationale offered. Based on the comments of this article I went to B of A. They told me that if I opened an account there after 6 months they could do the signature verification.
I had tried to call the Treasury Direct line last week at 5AM PDT to catch them open. I gave up after 1.5 hours on hold. I had emailed from within the Treasury Direct app 3 weeks ago and still no response.
Looks like it will be darn near impossible to buy any more I-Bonds. I am hoping that they start using ID.me which I did get in place last year to transfer my 401k to Rollover IRA by the time I’m ready to redeem the bonds I bought last year. As I recall it was not that painful to set up ID.me, someone who knew what they were doing managed the process and it was a one phone call setup.
Very discouraged trying to get more I-Bonds.
Wayne says
I do not believe that the following is correct. “Once you have the TreasuryDirect account set up and the bank account linked, buying more I Bonds or cashing out won’t require a signature guarantee again” (1) Setup a TreasuryDirect account. Bought a small amount of I-Bonds. Then later; had an amount of money moved into the TreasuryDirect account with the intention of purchasing more IBonds. Account is now locked and I am looking at 13 weeks turnaround time for the processing of FS Form 5444 to unlock my account.
(2) Are you sure about the cashing out part not requiring a signature guarantee? It appears to me that to cash out I-Bonds earlier than the 30 years requires form FS Form 5512. And FS Form 5512 requires a signature guarantee.
Harry Sit says
How did you have an amount of money moved into the TreasuryDirect account? Normally you just log in to your TreasuryDirect account and put in a buy order. TreasuryDirect will debit your linked bank account. You don’t need a separate step to move money into the TreasuryDirect account first. What happened right before your account is locked? Did you enter your password wrong or answer a security question wrong too many times?
Cashing out bonds already in your account doesn’t require FS Form 5512. It’s the opposite of buying. You log in to the TreasuryDirect account and redeem. TreasuryDirect will credit your linked bank account.
Wayne says
You can purchase “Purchase a Zero-Percent Certificate of Indebtedness (C of I)” and then use that amount to purchase actual bills/bonds. It’s a holding area for money, which I was planning on using in a few days.
There was no sign-on error.
This is my understanding. If your I-bond matures (30 years) your account will be credited. If however, you wish to redeem them early, you must use FS Form 5512 (2. REDEEM EE OR I SAVINGS BONDS AND/OR C OF I).
NOTE: FS Form 5512 states that “Notary certification is not acceptable”
Harry Sit says
It’s not necessary to purchase a Zero-Percent Certificate of Indebtedness (C of I). When you’re ready to buy I Bonds, just buy directly. The parts in FS Form 5512 on redeeming EE or I Savings Bonds are for paper bonds. You don’t need to use that form when you redeem savings bonds already in your online TreasuryDirect account.
Michael Koch says
I too am struggling to get a signature guarantee from a local bank. I have tried all the options listed in previous replies, but still no success. Banking officials just look at me with a distant haze in their eyes and tell me they cannot help me. I have to keep reminding myself that I am trying to get something simple done in the mighty US of A and not in some distant backward country.
Dal Malm says
HI Michael. Do you happen to have a US Bank in your area? they were the only ones that could help me. My local branch said that their “main office” created a “cheat sheet” for their branches to guide the tellers on what to do. I’ve done it 3 times now and had good success. good luck.
Michael says
Hi Dalm,
Thank-you for your comment. I do have a local branch of US Bank near me. They don’t seem to get great reviews but I will try them anyway. Thanks again for your suggestion.
Vince Mundo says
Great information on this site regarding Treasury Direct! I too have experienced similar problems with ID verification to open an account at Treasury Direct. Primarily using an online bank is definitely a hinderance and local banks as others have stated are reluctant to help. Hearing about all the various attempts and scenarios that have occurred to others has been very informative. Continuing to work on my issue. Most interested in anyone’s experience with the new Notary option?
mehmet says
My problem is a little different. I am in Turkey and 3 banks I went refused me. I heard from a treasury direct telephone that they accept notary stamp, does that include notaries in Turkey.
The problem was probably relating to my recent address change in USA.
Regards
Harry Sit says
Sorry I don’t know how it works outside the U.S. Maybe wait until you come back next time.
mehmet says
I read on the website of American embassy that approval from online notaries are acceptable in many cases. Would that be the case also for Treasury direct. Account authorization?
Thanks
Harry Sit says
Treasury accepts a notary stamp only when the notary signing the form works for a financial institution. There’s an online medallion signature guarantee service that works but it costs $149.
mehmet says
to Harry Sit: According to TreasuryDirect instructional video any notary public stamp is OK. Also on the print I took from TreasuryDirect Account Authorization on the second page only a bank Address Stamp is NOT an acceptable form of certification for this document. On the other hand in the account authorization instructional video, notary certification is not acceptable form of certification. So you make your own choice.
Mehmet
SLM says
Chase bank said they will no longer sign the Treasury Direct form under any circumstances. Regions doesn’t have signature guarantee and won’t do a notary because it doesn’t request a notary even though the new form doesn’t prohibit it. Wells Fargo said no and BOA said they only do it for customers. I feel like the Federal Government has embezzled $20K from our family and there is no resolution.
Harry Sit says
The latest August 2022 revision of the Account Authorization form FS 5444 accepts a signature guarantee from a regular notary now. Getting it signed by a notary public is much easier than getting it from a bank or credit union. Make sure you download the latest FS Form 5444.
mehmet says
Thanks , that’s what I thought. So this means an online notary can authorize
form FS 5444 and that will be acceptable by TreasuryDirect.
rgds
mehmet
Vince Mundo says
I had tried to get one of the the proper “seals” on the FS 5444 form unsuccessfully in the past, as mentioned in the various posts on this thread. I just downloaded the most current FS 5444 form from the website and noticed a very subtle change in the wording on the form that is different from previous versions. On the top of the second page under Acceptable seals and stamps: THE SEAL OR STAMP OF A NOTARY has been added. This wording did not appear on this form before. So this should resolve the problem of getting an acceptable form submitted for most of us trying to remove a hold on a new account.
mehmet says
Thanks for the info, I already heard that from the treasury direct video. But thanks anyway.
Mehmet
Stephen says
Chase and Wells Fargo would not offer the medallion services. BECU (credit union) would if you are a customer for 6 months. Fortunately my Fidelity office was familiar with the Treasury Direct form and willing to offer med the medallion service.
Tony near Baltimore says
Months back, Wells Fargo couldn’t provide the medallion stamp to change my bank account using the form 5512.
With a list of acceptable alternates in hand on 2022 Oct 6, I went back. They reviewed the list and said they had one acceptable stamp: Endorsement of (name) Guaranteed. I got the form completed and mailed it off.
hdatontodo456 says
On Oct 6 2022, Wells Fargo used the stamp: Endorsement of __________________ Guaranteed. Wells Fargo N.A….
I mailed in the form.
On Oct 19, 2022, I got an email from TreasuryDirect about the change, and saw it had been updated. Thankfully, it did not take 13 weeks.
kikumom says
Are you with Wells Fargo Advisors? I just talked to an officer at a WF retail branch who used to do signature guarantees back in the day. He knew exactly which form I had in front of me (5512) but told me that no WF branch would do a signature guarantee, including an Endorsement Guaranteed like you have. Only someone at Wells Fargo Advisors would do it and only if I had an account there. He also said that most retail banks won’t do a signature guarantee unless you have an account with them, US Bank being the only possible exception. Since my other accounts are online, USB seems to be my only option. Another thing he said is that the government will probably allow notarization eventually, but not for another year or so. That TD processed your update so fast is very encouraging though. Maybe they’ve taken on more staff.
kikumom says
I just noticed this on the MyAccount page of the TreasuryDirect website.
“NEWS: You may be able to change your account’s bank information by phone. To find out, call us at 844-284-2676. Or, if you prefer, you still can use FS Form 5512.”
Does anyone know if this was just posted recently? Maybe they changed it due to all the frustration around getting a signature guarantee. Here’s hoping…it will be worth the wait on hold if it works.
kikumom says
Update: I called TreasuryDirect at 5 am PDT and waited on hold for 35 minutes (they announced it would be 1h45 so that was a nice surprise). The representative was able to change my bank information right away. I logged out of my account, logged back in and it was updated. I just purchased a bond and will wait for confirmation.
BTW, the message played while on hold did say that any notary can sign form 5544. There was some discussion about that earlier on.
Harry Sit says
Thank you for this update. I’ll add a note to the “change bank account” section in the main post.
L says
I needed to complete form 5444 to open my account. As others have said, I struggled to find a notary or other in-person provider to complete the form. I ended up using an online notary (Notarize.com) which was very convenient and quick, though with a fee ($25). I put the form in the mail on Oct 31 and received email confirmation that my account was opened/unlocked today, Nov 16. So, online notary is acceptable to Treasury Direct and process did not take very long.
H. I. Bulksdale says
WARNING. I am the executor of an estate who must submit Treasury Direct Forms 5511 and 5512 to transfer the savings bonds in the Treasury Direct account of the deceased into the Treasury Direct account of the person who is the joint or beneficiary owner of the bonds in the deceased’s account. I also need the 1099s for any bonds that have reached full maturity for the estate tax return, for which we will have to request an extension in any case because of the expected sixteen [!] week wait for a response to the forms after they are sent. I cannot do what I need without a signature guarantee. So far, every bank and credit union with which I have talked — and I and the new owner of the bonds have talked to all the institutions where we are customers — has not helped. Think long and hard about the burden that you may place on your heirs and executor before you buy U. S. savings bonds.
H. I. Bulksdale says
Note that according to Treasury Direct Forms 5511 and 5512, notary certification is not acceptable for those forms.
Ann says
I found this thread while researching something else (real-life estimate of how long TD would take to process a Form 5511 after I sent them the completed and signed form). Re the signature guarantee, I have had no problem getting them at Capital One, where there is more than one teller at my branch who is able to do it. Yesterday I failed to bring a recent statement proving that I owned the security I was transferring. I was prompted by the teller to go online to my account using my phone and show him the information. (I recommend bringing a paper printout.) My sister uses a different branch of the bank, and they sometimes have no one on site who is authorized, so she calls ahead. I don’t know if they would do it for a noncustomer, but it’s been a free service for me. I do recommend reviewing the form before you leave, as I found an easily correctable error which would have caused me considerable trouble if not caught.