What is a treasury bill t-bill?
Treasury bills — or T-bills — are short-term U.S. debt securities issued by the federal government that mature over a time period of four weeks to one year. Since the U.S. government backs T-bills, they're considered lower-risk investments. T-bills are sold in increments of $100 (up to $10 million).
Treasury bills, or bills, are typically issued at a discount from the par amount (also called face value). For example, if you buy a $1,000 bill at a price per $100 of $99.986111, then you would pay $999.86 ($1,000 x . 99986111 = $999.86111). * When the bill matures, you would be paid its face value, $1,000.
Thus, T-bills are considered a safe and conservative investment since the U.S. government backs them. T-bills are generally held until the maturity date. However, some holders may wish to cash out before maturity and realize the short-term interest gains by reselling the investment in the secondary market.
The biggest downside of investing in T-bills is that you're going to get a lower rate of return compared to other investments, such as certificates of deposit, money market funds, corporate bonds or stocks. If you're looking to make some serious gains in your portfolio, T-bills aren't going to cut it.
3 Month Treasury Bill Rate is at 5.21%, compared to 5.21% the previous market day and 4.57% last year. This is higher than the long term average of 4.19%. The 3 Month Treasury Bill Rate is the yield received for investing in a government issued treasury security that has a maturity of 3 months.
T-bill purchase example
If you set your purchase price to be $1,000 for this auction, you would have paid $982.98 on June 20.
Upon maturity of the T-bills, when will I receive the principal amount? On maturity, the principal amount will be credited to your respective account by the end of the day, typically after 6pm. For cash applications: The principal amount will be credited to your designated Direct Crediting Service bank account.
Currently, Treasuries maturing in less than a year yield about the same as a CD. Therefore, all things considered, it likely makes more sense to choose Treasuries over CDs, depending on your situation, because of the tax benefits and liquidity when considering very short-term maturities.
But Buffett and his team added $29 billion to their position in short-term U.S. Treasury bills last quarter, bringing their total investment to more than $126 billion.
In June, a Dallas Federal Reserve paper said buyers view short-duration T-bills as the true safe haven, pointing out that net inflows in long-dated Treasurys fell during the 2008 crash and COVID pandemic.
Why am I losing money on Treasury bills?
Inflation. This is the rate at which the price of goods and services in the economy rises and is perhaps the greatest risk to T-bill investors. Rising inflation erodes the value of interest payments. Inflation can exceed the investment return and eat into the principal's value.
When you buy T-bills through your bank, it may charge you additional fees and expenses such as sales commissions or transaction charges. These extra costs can add up over time and eat into your returns on your investment.
Lax notes that both CDs and Treasury bills are considered safe harbor investments. But it's also important to have some money set aside for emergencies in a fully liquid savings account.
They are sold at a discount to face value, and the difference between the discounted price and face value is your return on investment. For example, if you buy a 12-week T-bill with a face value of $10,000 for $9,800, the difference of $200 is your return for holding the security for 12 weeks.
| ETF | Expense Ratio | Yield to maturity |
|---|---|---|
| iShares iBonds Dec 2033 Term Treasury ETF (IBTO) | 0.07% | 4.1% |
| Global X 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF (CLIP) | 0.07% | 5.5% |
| iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (TLT) | 0.15% | 4.4% |
| iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond BuyWrite Strategy ETF (TLTW) | 0.35% | 4.4% |
Key Takeaways
Interest from Treasury bills (T-bills) is subject to federal income taxes but not state or local taxes.
Individuals, organizations, fiduciaries, and corporate investors may buy Treasury securities through a bank, broker, or dealer.
Unlike Savings Bonds, Treasury Bills, Notes, Bonds, TIPS, and FRNs are transferable, so you can buy or sell them in the secondary market.
6 Month Treasury Rate is at 5.19%, compared to 5.19% the previous market day and 4.79% last year. This is higher than the long term average of 2.82%. The 6 Month Treasury Bill Rate is the yield received for investing in a US government issued treasury security that has a maturity of 6 months.
When the bill matures, you are paid its face value. You can hold a bill until it matures or sell it before it matures.
How do I know if my T bill is successful?
For individual investors, if your application for the T-bills was successful, the T-bills holding will be reflected in your respective accounts after the issuance date. For cash application: You can check your CDP statement.
Bills can be scheduled for reinvestment for up to two years; other eligible Treasury marketable securities can be scheduled to reinvest one time. When your bill matures, the proceeds will be reinvested or used to purchase the next available security of the same type and term as the original purchase.
Steady Income: Treasury bills (T-bills) offer a fixed interest rate, providing short-term investors with a predictable income stream. Cons: Lower Returns: While treasuries are safe, their yields are generally lower than riskier assets like stocks or corporate bonds.
CDs offer a fixed rate for locking up your money for a fixed period of time, but you'll only earn the highest returns if you choose longer terms. Treasury bills are shorter term and depending on the term you choose, you could lock your money up for as little as a few days or as long as one year.
If you're looking for a short-term investment with low risk, Treasury bills are a great choice. However, if you're looking for a longer-term investment that yields semiannual income with a consistent interest rate, buying Treasury bonds is likely the better choice.
