You cannot redeem an I bond during the first year after purchase. After one year, you can cash it out, but if you redeem it before five years, you forfeit the previous three months of interest. After five years, there is no early-redemption penalty, and an I bond can continue earning interest for up to 30 years.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies.
Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style