A death put is an option in the agreement of an investment vehicle that allows a beneficiary to sell it back after the owner has died. Once the owner dies, and the investment is in the possession of the beneficiary, they can sell the bonds. Specifically, the bonds can be "put" back towards whomever issued it. When the bond is put back to the issuer, the beneficiary receives par value - the amount of the original principle made into the investment. Using this, the beneficiary can take advantage of any positive changes in interest that have taken place. However, the death put option may be limited by the issuer in regards to the total amount eligible to be "put." Also, in the case of most investments, the death put can only be fulfilled after a one-year period from whence it was initially purchased.