What Are Treasury Bills, Notes, and Bonds All About? - dummies (2024)

FAQs

What Are Treasury Bills, Notes, and Bonds All About? - dummies? ›

Key takeaways

We sell Treasury Notes for a term of 2, 3, 5, 7, or 10 years. Notes pay a fixed rate of interest every six months until they mature. You can hold a note until it matures or sell it before it matures.

Key Takeaways

Bonds typically mature in 20-30 years and offer investors the highest interest payments to maturity. T-notes mature between two and 10 years, with bi-annual interest payments, while T-bills have the shortest maturity terms—from four weeks to a year.

A Treasury Bill (T-Bill) is a short-term debt obligation backed by the U.S. Treasury Department with a one-year maturity or less. Treasury bills are usually sold in denominations of $1,000, while some can reach a maximum denomination of $5 million. T-bill rates depend on interest rate expectations.

To calculate the price, take 180 days and multiply by 1.5 to get 270. Then, divide by 360 to get 0.75, and subtract 100 minus 0.75. The answer is 99.25. Because you're buying a $1,000 Treasury bill instead of one for $100, multiply 99.25 by 10 to get the final price of $992.50.

Choosing between a CD and Treasuries depends on how long of a term you want. For terms of one to six months, as well as 10 years, rates are close enough that Treasuries are the better pick. For terms of one to five years, CDs are currently paying more, and it's a large enough difference to give them the edge.

But while they are lauded for their security and reliability, potential drawbacks such as interest rate risk, low returns and inflation risk must be carefully considered. If you're interested in investing in Treasury bonds or have other questions about your portfolio, consider speaking with a financial advisor.

When the bill matures, you are paid its face value. You can hold a bill until it matures or sell it before it matures.

While interest rates and inflation can affect Treasury bill rates, they're generally considered a lower-risk (but lower-reward) investment than other debt securities. Treasury bills are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. If held to maturity, T-bills are considered virtually risk-free.

Are Treasury bills tax free? ›

Key Takeaways

Interest from Treasury bills (T-bills) is subject to federal income taxes but not state or local taxes. The interest income received in a year is recorded on Form 1099-INT. Investors can opt to have up to 50% of their Treasury bills' interest earnings automatically withheld.

Basic Info. 3 Month Treasury Bill Rate is at 5.26%, compared to 5.26% the previous market day and 5.26% last year. This is higher than the long term average of 4.19%.

You can only buy T-bills in electronic form, either from a brokerage firm or directly from the government at TreasuryDirect.gov. (You can also buy Series I savings bonds through TreasuryDirect.gov). The most common maturity dates are four weeks, eight weeks, 13 weeks, 26 weeks and 52 weeks.

Bonds often offer higher interest rates than CDs, which may be appealing to those looking for a higher profit potential. Unlike CDs, where interest may accumulate and only be paid at maturity, bonds often provide ongoing interest payments, usually at monthly or quarterly intervals.

To calculate yield, subtract the bill's purchase price from its face value and then divide the result by the bill's purchase price. Finally, multiply your answer by 100 to convert it to a percentage.

How Treasury bills work. Treasury bills are assigned a par value (or face value), which is what the bill is worth if held to maturity. You buy bills at a discount — a price below par — and profit from the difference at the end of the term.

A Treasury note is a U.S. government debt security with a fixed interest rate and maturity between two and 10 years. Treasury notes are available either via competitive bids, in which an investor specifies the yield, or non-competitive bids, in which the investor accepts whatever yield is determined.

Treasury notes, backed by the U.S. government, offer a very low risk of default, making them a secure choice for risk-averse investors. CDs are also low-risk since the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

Taxation. Interest income from Treasury securities is subject to federal income tax but exempt from state and local taxes. Income from Treasury bills is paid at maturity and, thus, tax-reportable in the year in which it is received.