TreasuryDirect

This site has not been upgraded in over a decade. Once you go through the "secure" process of logging in, complete with "secret image" and a virtual keyboard (!), you're in. Well, if it recognizes your browser, otherwise you have to wait for an email and enter another secret code. Once logged in, navigation is a NIGHTMARE. You must click their buttons or you'll be logged off. Once you get to a list of your investments, it's a drawn-out process to find the information you need. It is impossible to sort the list by such sensible entries like date issued or maturity date. To find out about your prior holdings you have to negotiate your way through multiple pages to find the one you want. Heaven help you if you accidentally press a key on your keyboard! Once you get to these lists, you CANNOT DOWNLOAD your holdings or your transactions. I literally had to create pdfs of each of 37 pages, run them through OCR, then clean that up.

But back to the "security" for a moment. Virtual keyboards are passe. When you have to click each virtual key, you're not going to create a secure password. No option for 2FA or other measures that have been available for a decade.

Every time I log off the site, I'm presented with a request for a rating. "Poor" is the only appropriate option, but apparently I'm in the great minority (4%).

I needed to vent. I'm so frustrated and they're no longer taking feedback, which they never responded to anyway.

Trying to cash in my 30 year old Bonds. Treasury Direct giving me the run around. No, call back no nothing. You try to call them and you can't get thru. My money and I can't even get it

I set up an account with Treasury Direct for my elderly mother's living trust at the start of 2023. I am her son and I am the successor trustee on the account. I bought short-term (4 - 8 weeks) Treasury securities in the account. I paid for the Treasury securities with money from my mother's bank account. When the securities matured I transferred the money back into her bank account. In May Treasury Direct said there was a problem and the funds were frozen. When I called they said they really couldn't speak to me. I sent them a copy of my mother's living trust document and her bank account. I suspect the names on the account don't match precisely. I still haven't heard from Treasury Direct and the funds are still frozen even though it's been over 60 days. In the real world delays like this don't exist. When you send the necessary documents to a company they make the necessary changes in a timely manner to correct the problem. The government has frozen hundreds of thousands of dollars in my mother's account and it takes them months to review documents and make simple corrections. It should be illegal for government agencies to demonstrate this degree of careless indifference.

Kyle B.

20 plus weeks to convert paper bonds to electronic. 7 plus weeks to cash a paper bond. The US Government has your money and will not give it back in a timely manner. This is really poor.

Clumsy to use. The site would not allow me to select the security question to answer. There is no facility to reset passwords. The wait to speak to someone is 2+ hours.

This is the worst site ever.

It dumps out users who try to create a new account!

How many times must one start ALL OVER to create an account?

How many stars are there in the universe?

So you know when the interest yield for ibonds was 9%? Well, I sent in an extra 10k by accident. It's been over 9 months and they STILL have not refunded it back to my account. WTF.

I held a number of $1K paper EE bonds for the full 30 yrs to maturity, then sent them in for redemption by certified mail late last month. An automated reply said it would take 4-6 weeks to process them! I then messaged them to inquire why a simple redemption with direct deposit should take so long, that I'm a retiree and they're holding a large amount of my money, and that I'm now losing earning potential. I also asked if they pay interest during THEIR delay period. I receive another automated message that it could take up to 5 days for them to even respond! They finally did send me an email that I'll only get the redemption value, and basically that I'll get it when I get it. This is government dysfunction at the maximum, and is even worse than the IRS (who paid interest for their refund delays last year). The US Treasury should be ASHAMED at how they handle people's hard earned money. If you're late paying the US Gov they penalize you and also charge you interest, but when they owe you money it's a completely different story - you get screwed. Perhaps it's part of a strategy by the US Treasury that by holding your money, interest free, it helps them with the huge national debt they've accumulated.

I sent in my EE savings bond to be redeemed, it took a week or two for them to receive it and confirm the amount, but after they did I received the fund in my account two days later!

This must be the worst gov dept of them all! I had MUCH BETTER luck with the IRS. That's what you get when you have government running the show, totally despicable IMO!

I attempted to use Treasury Direct to purchase iBonds. I was swiftly locked out of my account after answering my security questions (They're case sensitive). Sadly, all the bad reviews are true. You may have a chance of using the website without a hitch, but they'll snag you eventually.

They gave me a number to call that's open 8 am - 5 pm eastern time to unlock my account. I called at 3pm, and they did not answer the phone. The next day, I called at 11pm eastern and the wait time was 1:30 hours, then 1:45 hours, then 2 hours. Somehow, the wait time increases...

I had a feeling the automated voice was lying and no one was answering the phone. The next day, I called at 7:59am eastern time, it said it's not normal business hours and the call ended. I then called at 8:00am eastern time, immediately it said the wait time was 2 hours. It continued to say the wait time was 2 hours for the next 2 hours! For me, this confirmed that no one answers the phone and the system is setup to lie.

After this experience, I've decided I will NOT buy or cash any bonds through the Treasury Direct website. I'm going only to purchase iBonds through my tax return and cash them at BOA. They definitely cannot be trusted, it's sad and disappointing because it would of been really convenient.

Good luck and keep your money safe.
Safe from Treasury Direct.

I was locked out on called the number, was on hold for an hour! Cannot reset on-line. Worst service ever!

Total waste of time with this site, no help and complicated site, would not recommend to anyone. If a mistake happens again no help.

Insane wait. Impossible to reach if locked out. No matter what time you call you get a 2 hr wait time Anyone get thru and if so how?

I sent email and got an email response. Unfortunately the two links they sent are both dead! Back to the phone and the 4 hour wait.

I find it nearly impossible to access my account. Site cannot even be reached. Very frustrating and aggravating.

That level of incompetence says it all. Beyond wonky and utterly user unfriendly. But as a government entity, why should we expect anything better?

I communicate with them mostly by email. It is simple to create an online account and review your investment whenever you like.

TLDR: DO NOT GIVE THEM YOUR MONEY. THEY WILL KEEP IT FROM YOU FOR 6+ MONTHS.

I started investing in early 2023 with Treasury Direct. Everything seemed to work out well for 2 months. Then all of a sudden, I couldn't log in (around late March). I tried calling, but the wait times were exhausting so I had to fine the right time where I could dedicate waiting on a phone call for over an hour.

Once I got through I learned that my account had been locked and the auto-investing feature was shut off (meaning that the money was not being reinvested). They explained that this was for "security reasons". They sent me an email with instructions to prepare a notarized letter to mail back to them.

I finally had the time to go get the letter notarized and sent back (in May). I waited a few more days and then called again. They told me again that I would have to wait on the order of 2-4 months MINIMUM (they stressed that word MINIMUM) for my letter to be processed and that they would let me know via email when my money is available.

If you have access to your money in treasury direct, grab it and run before you don't have access anymore.

I can't believe I invested with these CLOWNS! You CANNOT talk to ANYONE you must listen to recordings AD NAUSEAUM! "customer service" is a JOKE with these I D I O T S!

If I could give Treasurydirect.gov MINUS stars, I would! After my husband died, I needed to cash his bonds in and have them direct deposited in my checking account. So, when I couldn't get to his "temporary password" because his e-mail account was closed due to inactivity, I e-mailed TD and explained the situation. They responded by putting a hard lock on his account and telling me I needed to fill out forms, and send letters of appointment. So, these "letters of appointment" had to be done by my attorney, of course forcing me to put out even MORE money. So I send the letters of appointment, death certificate, and even the judges letter granting me title to my late husbands savings bond account. And I send all of this certified mail, so I can get the receipt that the package was delivered and signed for. SO (trying to make a long story short) a MONTH later I get the signed receipt back - find out that the address they gave me to send the package to was WRONG. They told me to send it to a West Va. Address, and it actually ended up going to a Minneapolis address. So two weeks later (a total of 6 weeks since info was mailed) I once again e-mailed to ask about the status. They send me an e-mail back telling me the current processing time was 10 WEEKS! I e-mailed them back, telling them this was unacceptable, that I am a widow and need access to this money. They e-mail me back, simply apologizing but offering no solution. THREE MORE weeks pass, and I e-mail them again. FINALLY, I received the money in my account the middle of October - almost 2 and a half months after I mailed the info.

Worst customer service I have ever experienced. I will NEVER buy savings bonds again. You should be able to get to your money when you need it. Treating customers (especially widows) like this does not instill confidence in the way our money is taken care of.

3 hrs +40 mins and counting. For account getting locked. Nobody is picking up the call
God help me