United States Treasury Securities

Abstract

This chapter begins with a discussion of the purpose and goals of treasury securities. Treasury securities are a type of debt instrument providing limited credit risk. U.S. Treasury bills, notes, and bonds are issued by the Treasury Department and represent direct obligations of the U.S. government. Treasury securities are used to meet the needs of investors who wish to “loan” money to the federal government and in return receive a fixed or floating interest rate. The Treasury yield curve is a benchmark for fixed income securities across the spectrum of debt securities. The remainder of the chapter covers types of treasury securities, pricing, bond auctions and their effect on price, interest rates, and STRIPS (separate trading of registered interest and principal securities).