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FAQs

What are the disadvantages of TreasuryDirect? ›

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.

About TreasuryDirect.gov

TreasuryDirect.gov is the one and only place to buy and redeem U.S. savings bonds and other securities directly from the U.S. Treasury! Your investments are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States government.

Can I buy I bonds every calendar year? Yes, you can purchase up to $10,000 in electronic I bonds each calendar year. You can also buy an additional $5,000 in paper I bonds using your federal tax return.

TreasuryDirect is free. There are no fees, no matter how much or how little you invest.

For many people, TreasuryDirect is a good option; however, retirement savers and investors who already have brokerage accounts are often better off buying bonds on the secondary market or with exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

Treasury securities are considered a safe and secure investment option because the full faith and credit of the U.S. government guarantees that interest and principal payments will be paid on time.

If you're looking for a safe place to park your cash, you may want to consider T-bills or other government securities. Since your return will be lower than the return of riskier fixed-income and equity investments, using TreasuryDirect is smart, since it cuts out the middleman — and eliminates any commissions and fees.

You just bought a security from the U.S. Treasury. Securities are generally issued to your account within two business days of the purchase date for savings bonds or within one week of the auction date for Bills, Notes, Bonds, FRNs, and TIPS.

For I bonds issued between May 1, 2024 and Oct. 31, 2024, the fixed interest rate is 1.3%. A second interest component is based on inflation rates, and it resets every six months. It most recently reset in May and is currently 2.96%, down from 3.94% last November.

Are I bonds better than treasury bills? ›

But for the longer-term, I Bond still make sense. They protect against unexpected future inflation and unexpected future Federal Reserve manipulation. If we see ultra-low interest rates again, even 0.0% fixed-rate I Bonds are going to offer a return matching inflation and well above T-bills.

Interest earned on I bonds is exempt from state and local tax but subject to federal tax. The interest is taxed in the year the bond is redeemed or reaches maturity, whichever comes first.

3 Month Treasury Bill Rate is at 5.25%, compared to 5.25% the previous market day and 5.16% 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.

Series EE savings bonds are a low-risk way to save money. They earn interest regularly for 30 years (or until you cash them if you do that before 30 years). For EE bonds you buy now, we guarantee that the bond will double in value in 20 years, even if we have to add money at 20 years to make that happen.

U.S. Savings Bonds mature after 20 or 30 years, depending on the type of bond: Series EE bonds mature after 20 years. They are sold at half their face value and are worth their full value at maturity. Series I bonds are sold at face value and mature after 30 years.

Cons of Investing in Treasury Bonds

Interest rate risk: As interest rates ascend, the value of existing bonds with lower interest rates tends to diminish, potentially leading to capital losses if the bonds are sold prior to maturity.

Cons of Buying I Bonds

Potential disadvantages include: Maximum investment each year is $10,000. Yield is taxed as ordinary income. Must open a TreasuryDirect account to buy and sell.

T-bills pay a fixed rate of interest, which can provide a stable income. However, if interest rates rise, existing T-bills fall out of favor since their return is less than the market. T-bills have interest rate risk, which means there is a risk that existing bondholders might lose out on higher rates in the future.