Problem: Write an article based on this summary: Find out the value of the bond. Go to any bank that accepts and cashes savings bonds. Convert paper bonds to electronic securities. Pay your taxes.

Answer: Visit the savings bond value calculator of the US Treasury Department at www.treasury.gov/BC/SBCPrice.  Enter all of the requested information about your bond, and it will tell you how much the bond is worth today.  You can enter multiple bonds and create an inventory of bonds.  Enter today’s date in the “Value as of” field.  To find the value of the bond in past or future months, enter the desired date in this field instead of today’s date. In the “Series” field, select the type of bond you have.  Paper bonds are either E Bonds, EE Bonds, I Bonds or Savings Notes.  This information can be found in the top right corner of the bond. Select the denomination in the “Denomination” field.  This can be found in the top left corner of the bond. Enter the bond’s serial number.  It is located in the bottom right corner of the bond. Enter the issue date.  This is located in the top right corner, under the Series. Click “Calculate” to learn the value of the bond as of today. To build an inventory of bonds, continue adding information for multiple bonds in the same fashion.  The calculator will keep track of all your bonds, displaying the last one entered at the top of the list.  Use your browser’s built in saving function to save your inventory.  Click “view/print/save list.”  When the list appears, click “file/save as,” name your inventory and save it as an HTML file.  Use the inventory to update your bond values quickly and easily. Contact the financial institution ahead of time to verify that they cash paper savings bonds.  Also, find out if they have a limit on how much you can cash at one time.  Finally, find out what identification they require you to produce.  If you are already a customer, the bank may waive the identification requirements if you have been a customer for at least six months. If you go to a bank where you are not a customer, the bank may refuse to cash the bond if you do not have the proper identification, usually a driver’s license.  Also, they may limit the monetary amount you can cash to $1,000. You can open a TreasuryDirect account with the US Treasury Department and convert your paper bonds into electronic securities with the SMART Exchange program.  This gives you greater flexibility in managing your savings bonds.  You can redeem your savings bond any time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  The funds get deposited into a savings or checking account that you link to your TreasuryDirect account.  Complete instructions on how to redeem an electronic bond are provided in the next section.  Open a Treasury Direct Account at www.treasurydirect.gov/RS/UN-AccountCreate.do. Once your account is open, log in and go to the Manage My Linked Accounts Menu.  Select "Manage Direct," then select "Establish a Conversion Linked Account" and then click “Create Account.” Enter the account information for the savings or checking account you want to link to your TreasuryDirect account. To enter the information about your paper bonds, go to the Manage My Conversions menu.  Click on "Manage Direct," then select "How to Convert My Paper Bonds.”  Follow the directions to enter the information about your paper bond. The income from your savings bond is subject to federal income tax.  Ask for a form 1099-INT from the bank.  This form is a statement of all of the interest you earned from the bond.  You will need it when you file your federal income tax return.  Some banks will provide this immediately, and others will mail you the form at the end of the year. You will need to pay taxes on any interest income you earn from the bonds.


Problem: Write an article based on this summary: Connect the trailer to the tow vehicle. Line up the tow vehicle and trailer directly in front of the towed vehicle. Pull the towed vehicle up onto the trailer. Secure the tire straps and safety chains. Plan ahead for turns and stops.

Answer:
Back your tow vehicle up to the trailer hitch using your rear view mirrors and some friends to guide you. Once the ball of the hitch is below the tongue of the trailer, rotate the handle on the trailer's tongue to lower it down onto the ball.  Once the hitch it attached, cross the safety chains and hang their hooks on the spots for them on either side of the hitch. Connect the electrical plug from the trailer to its port or plug on the tow vehicle. If the towed vehicle is running, it's easier to pull it up behind the trailer, but if it's not, back the trailer up to the front of the vehicle you plan to tow so that it can drive or be pushed straight forward onto it. Ensure the trailer and both vehicles are on a flat, even surface. Extend the ramps down on the trailer and then either drive or push the towed vehicle up onto the trailer with someone in the driver's seat to steer and brake. Once the vehicle's rear wheels are on the trailer, tell the driver to stop the vehicle and engage the parking brake.  Make sure all four wheels are all the way onto the trailer and that the ramps can slide back in or be folded up without hitting the vehicle. The front tires should be close to the front of the trailer, but don't necessarily have to be touching the front lip. Slide ratchet straps over each wheel, then hook them on the trailer and open and close them until they are extremely tight. You should see the vehicle start to ride lower on the trailer as the straps compress the springs in the vehicle's suspension. Then attach the two safety chains to the recovery points on the vehicle's frame.  If you are having trouble locating the recovery points to attach the chain to, locate them in the owner's or service manual for the specific vehicle. All four wheels should be strapped down with two additional safety chains on the vehicle when you're done. It takes an average of twice as far to slow down or accelerate when towing a vehicle, so plan ahead when approaching stops, intersections, or turns. Never follow another vehicle closely when towing. Even if your vehicle is powerful enough to accelerate quickly when towing, it may still struggle to effectively brake.