Treasury Bond

Treasury bonds (T-bonds) are government debt securities issued by the U.S. Federal government that have maturities greater than 20 years. T-bonds earn periodic interest until maturity, at which point the owner is also paid a par amount equal to the principal.

Treasury bonds are part of the larger category of U.S. sovereign debt known collectively as treasuries, which are typically regarded as virtually risk-free since they are backed by the U.S. government’s ability to tax its citizens. Treasury bonds (T-bonds) are fixed-rate U.S. government debt securities with a maturity range between 10 and 30 years. T-bonds pay semiannual interest payments until maturity, at which point the face value of the bond is paid to the owner.

Along with Treasury bills, Treasury notes, and Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS), Treasury bonds are one of four virtually risk-free government-issued securities.

Treasury bonds (T-bonds) are one of four types of debt issued by the U.S. Department of the Treasury to finance the U.S. government’s spending activities. The four types of debt are Treasury bills, Treasury notes, Treasury bonds, and Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS). These securities vary by maturity and coupon payments.

All of them are considered benchmarks to their comparable fixed-income categories because they are virtually risk-free. T-bonds are backed by the U.S. government, and the U.S. government can raise taxes and increase revenue to ensure full payments. These investments are also considered benchmarks in their respective fixed-income categories because they offer a base risk-free rate of investment with the categories’ lowest return. T-bonds have long durations, issued with maturities of between 20 and 30 years.

As is true for other government bonds, T-bonds make interest payments semiannually, and the income received is only taxed at the federal level. Treasury bonds are issued at monthly online auctions held directly by the U.S. Treasury. A bond’s price and its yield are determined during the auction. After that, T-bonds are traded actively in the secondary market and can be purchased through a bank or broker.

Individual investors often use T-bonds to keep a portion of their retirement savings risk-free, to provide a steady income in retirement, or to set aside savings for a child’s education or other major expenses. Investors must hold their T-bonds for a minimum of 45 days before they can be sold on the secondary market.

Find out what a hypothetical investment would be worth today.

Investopedia