Browse Investing

Treasury Bills, Notes, Bonds, and Securities

Treasury bill, note, bond, securities, auction, off-the-run, bid-to-cover, and purchasing terms.

Treasury bills, notes, bonds, and securities are U.S. government debt instruments with different maturities, coupon structures, auction conventions, and market liquidity.

Use this branch when Treasury type, auction evidence, on-the-run status, or bill-versus-note-versus-bond structure affects the analysis.

Key Terms in This Branch

TermWhat it clarifies
Treasury BillShort-term U.S. Treasury security.
Treasury NoteIntermediate-term U.S. Treasury security.
Treasury BondLonger-term U.S. Treasury security.
Treasury SecuritiesBroad label for U.S. Treasury debt securities.
Purchasing Treasury BillsHow investors access Treasury bills.
Bid-to-Cover RatioAuction demand measure.
Off-the-Run TreasuriesOlder Treasury issues that are no longer the newest benchmark securities.

Common Mistakes

  • Treating bills, notes, and bonds as interchangeable.
  • Ignoring accrued interest and settlement for coupon securities.
  • Comparing on-the-run and off-the-run yields without liquidity context.
  • Assuming auction demand measures determine future returns.

In this section

Choose a subsection first. Deeper term pages live inside each subsection, which keeps large topic hubs readable.

Bid-to-Cover Ratio

The bid-to-cover ratio compares total bids received with securities offered in an auction, indicating demand for the issue.

Off-The-Run Treasuries

Off-the-run Treasuries are older U.S. Treasury issues that usually trade with less liquidity and different yields than current benchmark issues.

Purchasing Treasury Bills

Purchasing Treasury bills means buying short-term U.S. government debt through auction, brokerage, or secondary-market channels.

Treasury Bill

A Treasury bill is a short-term U.S. government security sold at a discount and used as a core money-market benchmark.

Treasury Bond

A Treasury bond is a long-term U.S. government security with fixed coupon payments and a maturity longer than 10 years.

Treasury Note

A Treasury note is a marketable U.S. government security with intermediate maturity, fixed coupons, and benchmark rate importance.

Treasury Securities

Treasury securities are U.S. government debt instruments, including Treasury bills, notes, and bonds, used to finance federal spending and manage public debt.

Revised on Sunday, June 21, 2026