I-Bond Rates in Google Sheets
Formula
Track Series I bond rates from a cell. =VERVE("savingsbonds") returns the current composite, fixed and inflation rates — Sheets or Excel.
=VERVE("savingsbonds")=VERVE.CALL("savingsbonds")Inputs
Required inputs are positional, in the order below. Everything else is passed as a "name", value pair after them — the same shape as SUMIFS.
| Input | Type | Where it goes | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
periodPremium | string | "period", value | Specific issue period to lookup (YYYY-MM format, e.g., 2024-11). Omit for current rates. (e.g. 2024-11) |
Passing an option
=VERVE("savingsbonds", "period", "2024-11")What lands in your sheet
With no "field" pair the formula spills the whole response as two columns — field name on the left, value on the right — starting at the cell you typed in. Make sure the cells below and to the right are empty.
Pulling one value
Add a "field" pair to get a single cell back instead of a table. The field name is the dot-path from the table below.
=VERVE("savingsbonds", "field", "recommendation")=VERVE.CALL("savingsbonds", "field", "recommendation")Available fields
| Use as "field" | Type | Example cell value | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
iBonds | object | {…} | |
iBonds.currentRate | number | 5.27 | |
iBonds.fixedRate | number | 1.3 | Fixed rate component (set at purchase, never changes) |
iBonds.inflationRate | number | 1.97 | Inflation rate component (adjusts every 6 months) |
iBonds.purchaseLimit | number | 10000 | Annual electronic purchase limit per person in dollars |
eeBonds | object | {…} | |
eeBonds.currentRate | number | 2.7 | |
eeBonds.guaranteedDoubling | string | 20 years (guaranteed to double in value) | |
eeBonds.purchaseLimit | number | 10000 | Annual electronic purchase limit per person in dollars |
recommendation | string | I Bonds | |
recommendationReason | string | I Bonds currently offer 5.27% vs EE Bonds at 2.70% | |
nextRateChange | string | 2024-05-01 | Date of next scheduled I-Bond rate announcement |
lastUpdated | string | 2024-02-01T00:00:00.000Z | ISO 8601 timestamp of last data refresh |
When a cell doesn't fill
A failed lookup returns readable text starting with #ERR rather than a spreadsheet error, because Excel cannot show a custom message on a real error — you would get a bare #VALUE! with no reason. The trade-off is that IFERROR() won't catch it; test with LEFT(cell, 4) = "#ERR" instead.
| Cell reads | What happened |
|---|---|
#ERR Not connected | No API key saved. Open the side panel and connect your account. |
#ERR Replace <name> with a cell or value | The preview formula was copied as-is. Swap the placeholder for a cell reference. |
#ERR No "x" in savingsbonds | An option name that this source doesn't take. The message lists the ones it does. |
#ERR No data point "…" | The "field" path isn't in the response. Check the dot-path against the table above. |
#PREMIUM(field) | The field exists but your plan doesn't include it. |
#ERR Out of credits | The month's credits are spent. Usage resets on your billing date. |
Before the formula works
The add-in reads the API key you saved once in the side panel — the key never goes in the formula, so a shared sheet doesn't leak it and a collaborator without access simply sees the last calculated values.
- Install the add-in for Google Sheets or Excel.
- Open the side panel and sign in, or paste a key from your dashboard.
- Type the formula above into any cell.
Other ways to use I-Bond Rates in Google Sheets
Set up I-Bond Rates in Google Sheets on VerveSheets, or reach the same source a different way. Your VerveSheets account and credits work on all of them — one key, one balance.
Frequently asked questions
Does I-Bond Rates in Google Sheets work in both Google Sheets and Excel?
Yes — the same source, the same arguments. Sheets calls it =VERVE("savingsbonds", …) and Excel calls it =VERVE.CALL("savingsbonds", …); that function name is the only difference.
Do the cells recalculate on their own?
They recalculate when the sheet does — on edit, on open, or on a manual recalc. Each recalculation is a fresh call and spends credits, so for a large static column it's worth copying the results and pasting them as values.
How many credits does a filled column cost?
1 credit per row looked up, whether you drag the formula or pass a range. The range form is one HTTP call instead of many, but the credit count is the same.
Can I share the sheet without sharing my key?
Yes. The key is stored against your account, not in the file. Collaborators see the values already in the cells; formulas only recalculate for someone who has connected their own account.
Why is a cell showing #ERR instead of an error?
So you can read the reason. Excel can't display a custom message on a real spreadsheet error, so the add-in returns the explanation as text on both platforms instead.