table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/2-0fd=Rurl=http://www.mercurynews.com/personalfinance/ci_11256090cid=1281889932ei=y11gSYqnNITOgAPf06yVAgusg=AFQjCNFoxYAjrMPljHHn6LOYduP2OjqAygTight on cash? Redeem those old bsavings bonds/b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fSan Jose Mercury News,nbsp; USAnbsp;-/font nobrDec 21, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1If your search turns up a bbond/b certificate, you can find out how much it is worth with the Treasury Department#39;s bsavings bond calculator/b at www. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://www.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/3i-0fd=Rurl=http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/money/personal-investing/what-to-do-about-bonds-5-07/overview/0507_bonds_ov.htm?resultPageIndex=1&resultIndex=1&searchTerm=%22municipal%20bonds%22cid=1281242190ei=y11gSYqnNITOgAPf06yVAgusg=AFQjCNF9BQwxxX-_gAIqZQkSsXef5rm2yAimg src=http://nt0.ggpht.com/news?imgefp=uLxxDO9ZELAJimgurl=www.consumerreports.org/cro/resources/images/money/personal-investing/what-to-do-about-bonds-5-07/overview/crma-bonds-art-7-06.jpg width=80 height=57 alt= border=1brfont size=-2Consumer reports/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/3-0fd=Rurl=http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/money/personal-investing/what-to-do-about-bonds-5-07/overview/0507_bonds_ov.htm?resultPageIndex=1&resultIndex=1&searchTerm=%22municipal%20bonds%22cid=1281242190ei=y11gSYqnNITOgAPf06yVAgusg=AFQjCNF9BQwxxX-_gAIqZQkSsXef5rm2yAWhat to do about bbonds/b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fConsumer reportsnbsp;-/font nobrDec 18, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Minimums there are more affordable: $1000 ($25 in the case of bsavings bonds/b). For the details, go to www.savingsbonds.gov. Forget ?laddering? unless you b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/1-0fd=Rurl=http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08349/934851-435.stmcid=1280286040ei=y11gSYqnNITOgAPf06yVAgusg=AFQjCNHuy3RVYnNSWy39CqHVBCVFqvVlIAbUS savings bonds/b seen as a safe bet/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fPittsburgh Post Gazette,nbsp;PAnbsp;-/font nobrDec 13, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1You#39;ll find a bsavings bond calculator/b that will tell you how much your bbonds/b -- those still paying interest and those that have matured -- are worth, b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table