Paper U.S. savings bonds will make their final appearance in Christmas stockings this season.
A popular gift for children, the securities will no longer be available at banks and other financial institutions or through mail-in order after this year.
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Instead, starting in 2012, the Treasury Department will offer Series EE and I bonds only online through www.treasurydirect.gov.
The move to electronic versions is projected to save $70 million over five years in printing, storage and processing fees, the government said. Last year, 4.7 million people bought 9.4 million savings bonds over the counter.
The bond program originated during the Depression in 1935 as a way for the government to tamp down the federal debt.
Officials already have phased out sales of paper bonds through traditional employee payroll plans.
Current holders still will be able to redeem their bonds, and lost ones can be reissued.
Copyright 2012 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
