US Treasury Securities Statistics (2024)

FAQs

Who holds the most US Treasury securities? ›

The Federal Reserve, which purchases and sells Treasury securities as a means to influence federal interest rates and the nation's money supply, is the largest holder of such debt.

These are Treasury Bills, Treasury Bonds, and Treasury Notes. All of these Treasury securities can be purchased directly from the U.S. government on the website, TreasuryDirect.gov, or through a bank or broker.

3 Month Treasury Bill Rate is at 5.24%, compared to 5.25% the previous market day and 5.09% last year. This is higher than the long term average of 4.19%.

Basic Info. 1 Year Treasury Rate is at 5.09%, compared to 5.11% the previous market day and 5.24% last year. This is higher than the long term average of 2.96%. The 1 Year Treasury Rate is the yield received for investing in a US government issued treasury security that has a maturity of 1 year.

China sold a record amount of Treasury and US agency bonds in the first quarter, highlighting the Asian nation's move to diversify away from American assets as trade tensions persist.

The three largest holders of Treasuries -- Japan, China and the UK -- led the purchase U.S. government debt.

Treasury notes, backed by the U.S. government, offer a very low risk of default, making them a secure choice for risk-averse investors. CDs are also low-risk since the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. insures them up to $250,000.

You can sell a T-Bill before its maturity date without penalty, although you will be charged a commission. (With CDs, you pay a sizeable penalty for early withdrawals.)

If you're saving for a goal less than a year away: If you're saving money for a goal with a short-time horizon, T-bills can make more sense than CDs. They provide a higher APY than savings accounts, and they're more liquid than CDs.

Do you pay taxes on T-bills? ›

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.

Basic Info

6 Month Treasury Bill Rate is at 5.17%, compared to 5.18% the previous market day and 4.86% last year.

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.

You can only buy T-bills in electronic form, either from a brokerage firm or directly from the government at TreasuryDirect.gov. (You can also buy Series I savings bonds through TreasuryDirect.gov). The most common maturity dates are four weeks, eight weeks, 13 weeks, 26 weeks and 52 weeks.

Individuals, organizations, fiduciaries, and corporate investors may buy Treasury securities through a bank, broker, or dealer. With a bank, broker, or dealer, you may bid for Treasury marketable securities non-competitively or competitively, but not both, for the same auction.

Of the total held by foreign countries, Japan and Mainland China held the greatest portions, with China holding 797.7 billion U.S. dollars in U.S. securities. Other foreign holders included oil exporting countries and Caribbean banking centers.

One of Japan's largest institutional investors Norinchukin Bank has announced plans to sell approximately 63 billion U.S. dollars in overseas bonds, primarily U.S. and European government bonds, to mitigate the risks associated with holding low-yield bonds amidst high interest rates in the United States and Europe.

The Fed is the largest single holder of U.S. government securities.