TreasuryDirect, the Treasury Department’s site for electronic savings bonds, is ending the old username-and-password route to its accounts. Starting after October 28, 2026, the only way in is a verified ID.me account, a third-party identity service that many bond owners have never used.

The change matters most to people who bought electronic Series I or Series EE bonds years ago and log in only occasionally. Anyone who has not set up ID.me by the cutoff will find the front door closed, even though the bonds themselves stay put.

The question for a savings bond owner who has never touched ID.me is simple: what has to be done, and by when? The short version is to create and verify an ID.me account, link it to the TreasuryDirect account, and do it before the traditional login stops working.

Retirement deadlines, in your inbox: Miss an enrollment or claim deadline and the money can be gone. Join the Retirement Money Brief and we’ll send you our 2026 Government Check Reality Tracker as a welcome gift.

Get the Brief + the check tracker →

We may earn a commission from links on this page.

What TreasuryDirect says happens on October 28

TreasuryDirect’s FAQ, quoted by the Tipswatch savings-bond site, is direct: “After October 28, 2026, ID.me will be the only method to log in to your TreasuryDirect account.” A Treasury email to account holders adds that on that date ID.me “will replace your traditional TreasuryDirect login.”

The same FAQ spells out the consequence for anyone who skips the step: “If you do not have an ID.me Wallet after October 28, 2026, you will not be able to log in to TreasuryDirect.” For a bond owner, that means no way to view balances, redeem a bond or change account details online until verification is finished.

The details are laid out in Tipswatch’s September 9 report on Treasury’s updated guidance, which reproduces the agency’s email and FAQ language. TreasuryDirect’s own pages are closed to automated readers, so that report is the closest public copy of the wording.

Why bonds are safe but the login is not

Treasury’s FAQ draws a firm line between access and ownership. It says funds “will not be permanently frozen or seized after the deadline,” and that access can be restored later by completing ID.me setup and linking the account.

In practice, a bond owner who misses October 28 is locked out of the website, not out of the money. The bonds keep earning interest and keep their maturity dates. What disappears is the ability to act on them online, which can matter when a bond needs to be cashed for a bill or a tax deadline.

The old login stays usable until the cutoff. Once an account is linked to ID.me, Treasury says the traditional login and its personalized security image are retired, and typing the old credentials produces an error. The “Secure Sign In” button becomes the entry point.

What ID.me verification involves for a bond owner

Each person needs a separate ID.me Wallet tied to a unique email address. The FAQ says “each person must have their own unique ID.me Wallet tied to their own unique e-mail address,” so spouses cannot share one, even when they share a household or a bank account.

Anyone who already has an ID.me account may still be asked for more. Treasury’s FAQ warns that an existing Wallet “may not meet the security level requirements,” which can trigger additional identity checks. Tipswatch’s author notes the guidance does not list required documents or processing times, and readers in the comments describe photo ID capture, selfies and, in one case, a wait of more than 50 hours for a live verification. Those accounts are unverified, but they point to leaving time rather than waiting for the final day.

Trusts, estates and business accounts have an extra step. Treasury says the person in charge must verify personal identity through ID.me first, and entity details can then be updated through TreasuryDirect Customer Support. One Wallet can reach several accounts the same person manages.

What ID.me shares, and what it cannot see

Privacy is the objection raised most often, and the FAQ addresses part of it. According to Tipswatch’s summary, ID.me passes along a name, Social Security number, date of birth, mailing address, email and phone number to TreasuryDirect, but does not see balances or transaction history. Treasury also says the data “is never sold.”

Login.gov is not an alternative for now. The FAQ says TreasuryDirect chose ID.me because it “aligns with Treasury security requirements.” Bond owners who object to the process still have the phone line: TreasuryDirect lists customer support at 844-284-2676, and the FAQ says current-year 1099 forms can be requested there after they become available in January.

The savings math that keeps the bonds worth reaching

The lockout lands just as I bonds look better. Tipswatch reports that the I bond variable rate resets on November 1, 2026 to 4.08% from 3.34%, based on April to September inflation. The fixed-rate component, now 0.90%, is also due to change, though the new figure had not been announced when Tipswatch published.

That makes online access worth having for anyone who plans to buy more I bonds or compare them with Treasury bills and insured savings. A bond owner locked out on November 1 cannot buy or redeem anything until the ID.me link is complete.

Which safe savings option is next once the ID.me hurdle is cleared?

Verifying ID.me restores the login, but it does not answer where the cash should sit. Bond owners who spend the week on identity checks can still leave money in a near-zero bank account, or above the insurance limit at one bank, while a new I bond rate arrives on November 1.

Make Your Savings Pay You is a guide that lays out the safe options side by side: every dollar insured, even above $250,000 at one bank, Treasury bills from $100 that are free of state and local income tax, and I bonds whose rate adjusts with inflation every six months. It also includes a ladder to copy and a cash-map worksheet.

Compare I bonds, Treasury bills and insured savings in one safe-savings guide →

This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.