Q&A: Transferring bonds after a spouse dies

Dear Liz: In 2001 I bought $50,000 worth of I Bonds. Half of them were in my name with my wife as beneficiary; the other half were in her name with me as beneficiary. She died two years ago but I do not want to cash her bonds in. How do I get them in my name without selling and repurchasing?

Answer: You can have the bonds reissued in your name alone because you were named as the beneficiary. The reissued bonds will be in electronic form, so if you haven’t already, you’ll need to create an account with TreasuryDirect, which is operated by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. If you have questions, you can reach the site’s call center at (844) 284-2676 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern time Monday through Friday.