What's better than T bills?
Treasury bonds tend to pay higher interest than the shorter T-bills and notes to compensate investors for the interest rate risks they take with their purchase.
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.
T-bills have a key advantage over CDs: They're exempt from state income taxes. The same is true with Treasury notes and Treasury bonds. If you live in a state with income taxes, and rates are similar for CDs and T-bills, then it makes sense to go with a T-bill.
Treasury notes are medium-term, ranging from two to 10 years, and are otherwise the same, with semiannual interest payments and the face value when they mature. Treasury bills mature within a year, do not pay interest, and are sold at a discount to the face value that you get at maturity.
T-Bill Redemptions and Interest Earned
T-bills are issued at a discount from the par value (also known as the face value) of the bill, meaning the purchase price is less than the face value of the bill. So, for example, a $1,000 bill might cost the investor $950.
Why Buffett Loves Treasury Bills. In 2022, Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway held a whopping $126 billion in U.S. Treasury bills. Buffett reportedly prefers T-bills to other options because he never wants to worry about whether or not Berkshire's pile of cash is safely invested.
"Long-term Treasury bonds may have no default risk, but they have liquidity risk and interest rate risk — when selling the bond prior to maturity, the sales price is sometimes uncertain, especially in times of financial market stress," it said.
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.
1 Year Treasury Rate is at 4.87%, compared to 4.86% the previous market day and 4.89% last year.
When the bill matures, you are paid its face value. You can hold a bill until it matures or sell it before it matures.
Are CDs safer than Treasuries?
Security: Both CDs and Treasuries are very high-quality investments. CDs are bank deposits that pay a stated amount of interest for a specified period of time and promise to return your money on a specific date. They are federally insured and issued by banks and savings-and-loans institutions.
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.
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.
3 Month Treasury Bill Rate is at 5.23%, compared to 5.25% the previous market day and 4.67% 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.
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.
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.
Buffett is one of the world's most generous philanthropists.
He pledged in 2006 to donate about 85% of his nearly 475,000 Berkshire Class A shares to five foundations: the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation (named for his late wife), and three foundations run by his three children.
New issues are sold at auction, and to participate, you must sign up with your broker or at TreasuryDirect.gov. Auctions happen every four weeks for 52-week T-bills and weekly for shorter-term T-bills. (See below for more info on buying T-bills in the secondary market.)
Investors who hold T-bills can rest assured that they will not lose their investment. T-Bills are considered a zero-risk investment thanks also to Treasury market liquidity.
Shutdowns have occurred more than 20 times since 1976. Unlike a default, a shutdown does not affect the government's ability to pay its obligations, and, as noted, many critical services continue.
Can I sell my T-bills?
Unlike Savings Bonds, Treasury Bills, Notes, Bonds, TIPS, and FRNs are transferable, so you can buy or sell them in the secondary market.
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.
The most important thing to remember about purchasing marketable bills, notes, bonds, Floating Rate Notes, or TIPS is that the limits are set for each auction, not by year. The limit for noncompetitive purchases is $10 million for each security type and term, for each auction.
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.
Yes, Treasury bills are taxed at the federal level using your marginal rate. However, income earned from Treasury bills is not subject to state tax or local income taxes.
