Selling Treasury Bills — TreasuryDirect (2024)

You can hold Treasury bills until they mature or sell them before they mature.

To sell a bill you hold in TreasuryDirect or Legacy TreasuryDirect, first transfer the bill to a bank, broker, or dealer, then ask the bank, broker, or dealer to sell the bill for you.

How you transfer a bill to a bank, broker, or dealer depends on whether you hold the bill in TreasuryDirect or Legacy TreasuryDirect.

  • For a bill held in TreasuryDirect:
    • Go to "Manage Direct"
    • Choose "Transfer securities"
    • Identify the bill or bills you want to transfer
    • Choose "External Transfer"
    • Click the link for FS Form 5511,"TreasuryDirect Transfer Request"
    • Complete FS Form 5511 and mail it as directed on the form
  • For a bill held in Legacy TreasuryDirect, complete "Security Transfer Request" (FS Form 5179) and mail it as directed on the form.
Selling Treasury Bills — TreasuryDirect (2024)

FAQs

Can you sell Treasury bills on TreasuryDirect? ›

You cannot sell a Treasury marketable security directly from your TreasuryDirect account. To sell a Treasury marketable security that is in your TreasuryDirect account, you must transfer the security to a broker/dealer account.

Is there a penalty for selling T bills? ›

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.)

What does selling Treasury bills mean? ›

Bills are sold at a discount. The discount rate is determined at auction. Bills pay interest only at maturity. The interest is equal to the face value minus the purchase price. Bills are sold in increments of $100.

Do you get statements from TreasuryDirect? ›

The Account Statements will be available on the 1st business day of the month no later than 1pm Eastern Time.

How do I cash out my T-bill? ›

You can hold Treasury bills until they mature or sell them before they mature. To sell a bill you hold in TreasuryDirect or Legacy TreasuryDirect, first transfer the bill to a bank, broker, or dealer, then ask the bank, broker, or dealer to sell the bill for you.

How much will I make on a 3 month treasury bill? ›

3 Month Treasury Bill Rate is at 5.25%, compared to 5.26% the previous market day and 5.24% 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.

Is there a downside to T-bills? ›

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.

Can you lose on a Treasury bill? ›

The No. 1 advantage that T-bills offer relative to other investments is the fact that there's virtually zero risk that you'll lose your initial investment. The government backs these securities so there's much less need to worry that you could lose money in the deal compared to other investments.

What happens when a treasury bill matures on TreasuryDirect? ›

We sell Treasury Bills (Bills) for terms ranging from four weeks to 52 weeks. Bills are sold at a discount or at par (face value). When the bill matures, you are paid its face value. You can hold a bill until it matures or sell it before it matures.

How much does a $1000 T-bill cost? ›

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.

How do T-bills work for dummies? ›

They are issued at a discount to their face value and pay no interest until maturity, at which point the investor receives the full face value of the bill. For example you can currently buy a 3 month T-bill expiring June 10th this year for $98.85 and on June 10th the U.S Government pays you $100.

Why do people still invest in Treasury bills? ›

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 government. T-bills are auctioned off at a discount and then redeemed at maturity for the full amount.

Will TreasuryDirect send me a 1099? ›

Legacy Treasury Direct: Getting your IRS Form 1099

If you still have securities in Legacy Treasury Direct, we mail you a 1099 at the beginning of each year. If you need a duplicate 1099-INT form for the current tax year, call 844-284-2676 (free call) or, from outside the United States, +1-304-480-6464.

How long does it take to get money from TreasuryDirect? ›

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.

How do I cash out my TreasuryDirect account? ›

How do I cash my electronic bonds? Go to your TreasuryDirect account. Go to ManageDirect. Use the link for cashing securities.

Can Treasury bills be sold? ›

We sell Treasury Bills (Bills) for terms ranging from four weeks to 52 weeks. Bills are sold at a discount or at par (face value). When the bill matures, you are paid its face value. You can hold a bill until it matures or sell it before it matures.

Can you sell treasury bonds whenever you want? ›

You can hold a bond until it matures or sell it before it matures. EE Bonds, I Bonds, and HH Bonds are U.S. savings bonds. For information, see U.S. Savings Bonds.

How to redeem T-bills on TreasuryDirect? ›

To redeem your bill in TreasuryDirect you don't need to take action. If you do not provide instructions to deposit the security's principal into your C of I, we deposit the principal into your designated bank account. The deposit is made on the day your security matures.

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