What is the difference between a T-bill and a T bond?
Key takeaways. Treasury bills have short-term maturities and pay interest at maturity. Treasury notes have mid-range maturities and pay interest every 6 months. Treasury bonds have long maturities and pay interest every 6 months.
T-bonds typically mature in 20 or 30 years and offer the highest coupons or interest, which are paid twice yearly. T-notes mature from two to 10 years, with semiannual interest payments but usually lower yields than T-bonds. T-bills have the shortest periods before maturity, from four weeks to a year.
The main difference between Treasury notes, Treasure bonds, and Treasury bills is length. Treasury notes have maturities of 2 to 10 years, Treasure bonds have maturities of 20-30 years, and Treasure bills have maturities between 4 and 52 weeks.
Investing in Treasury bonds has its advantages, such as low risk, stable income, and tax benefits, but it also comes with disadvantages, such as low returns, inflation risk, and interest rate risk.
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.
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.
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.
The main distinction between corporate bonds and Treasury bonds lies in their yields; corporate bonds typically have higher yields due to default risk, while Treasury bonds offer lower yields but are guaranteed upon maturity.
Treasury bills are short-term securities, which means they come with shorter maturity dates than bonds and notes. Certain types of T-bills have a maturity period of just a few days, but they're typically issued in terms of four, eight, 13, 26 or 52 weeks.
Treasury Bills are short-term obligations, unlike most other debt securities, are issued at a discount from par. Rather than making regular cash interest payments, the return on a T-Bill is the difference between the price the investor pays and the par value received when the bill matures.
Can Treasury bonds lose value?
Treasury bonds are considered safer than corporate bonds—you're practically guaranteed not to lose money—but there are other potential risks to be aware of. These stable investments aren't known for their high returns. Gains can be further diminished by inflation and changing interest rates.
- Report interest each year and pay taxes on it annually.
- Defer reporting interest until you redeem the bonds or give up ownership of the bond and it's reissued or the bond is no longer earning interest because it's matured.
T-bills are considered risk-free because you can be certain you'll get your money back. But risk and return are directly proportional, and T-bills offer very low returns on investment.
When the bill matures, you are paid its face value. You can hold a bill until it matures or sell it before it matures.
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.
A Treasury bill, or T-bill, is a short-term debt obligation backed by the U.S. Treasury Department. It's one of the safest places you can save your cash, as it's backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. T-bills are auctioned off at a discount and then redeemed at maturity for the full amount.
When short term T bills mature, the interest income is mistakenly shown as capital gains in tax reports. The interest is taxable on Fed, tax exempt on most states. T bills are short term zero coupon purchased at a discount and paid at face vale at maturity.
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.
Interest income, which is typically paid on a semiannual basis. Whether this income is taxable will depend on the issuer. Interest from corporate bonds is generally taxable at both the federal and state levels. Interest from Treasuries is generally taxable at the federal level, but not at the state level.
Both Treasury bonds and Treasury bills are low-risk debt securities issued by the federal government. T-bonds are designed for long-term investing, while T-bills have much shorter maturity periods. Both can help diversify your investment portfolio while shielding you from state and local taxes.
Why is bond not a good investment?
Default Risk
If the bond issuer defaults, the investor can lose part or all of the original investment and any interest that was owed. Credit rating services including Moody's, Standard & Poor's, and Fitch give credit ratings to bond issues.
Securities purchased through TreasuryDirect cannot be sold in the secondary market before they mature. This lack of liquidity could be a disadvantage for investors who may need to access their investment capital before the securities' maturity.
| Face Value | Purchase Amount | 30-Year Value (Purchased May 1990) |
|---|---|---|
| $50 Bond | $100 | $207.36 |
| $100 Bond | $200 | $414.72 |
| $500 Bond | $400 | $1,036.80 |
| $1,000 Bond | $800 | $2,073.60 |
Holding bonds vs. trading bonds
However, you can also buy and sell bonds on the secondary market. After bonds are initially issued, their worth will fluctuate like a stock's would. If you're holding the bond to maturity, the fluctuations won't matter—your interest payments and face value won't change.
T-bills are considered nearly free of default risk because they are fully backed by the U.S. government. The market risk premium is the difference between the expected return on a portfolio minus the risk-free rate.
