Treasury Bills vs. Money Market Funds: What’s the Difference? (2024)

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Treasury Accounts.
Investing services in treasury accounts offering 6 month US Treasury Bills on the Public platform are through Jiko Securities, Inc. (“JSI”), a registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA & SIPC. See JSI’s FINRA BrokerCheck and Form CRS for further information.
JSI uses funds from your Treasury Account to purchase T-bills in increments of $100 “par value” (the T-bill’s value at maturity). T-bills are purchased at a discount to the par value and the T-bill’s yield represents the difference in price between the “par value” and the “discount price.” Aggregate funds in your Treasury Account in excess of the T-bill purchases will remain in your Treasury Account as cash. The value of T-bills fluctuate and investors may receive more or less than their original investments if sold prior to maturity. T-bills are subject to price change and availability - yield is subject to change. Past performance is not indicative of future performance. Investments in T-bills involve a variety of risks, including credit risk, interest rate risk, and liquidity risk. As a general rule, the price of a T-bills moves inversely to changes in interest rates. Although T-bills are considered safer than many other financial instruments, you could lose all or a part of your investment. See Jiko U.S. Treasuries Risk Disclosures for further details.

Investments in T-bills: Not FDIC Insured; No Bank Guarantee; May Lose Value.

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Treasury Bills vs. Money Market Funds: What’s the Difference? (2024)

FAQs

Treasury Bills vs. Money Market Funds: What’s the Difference? ›

Money-market funds might pay a little less, but they are the rare mutual fund designed so that their share price almost never changes. And T-bills' value can fluctuate unless you hold them to maturity. Treasury securities are essentially interest-bearing IOUs issued by the U.S. government to raise funds.

What is the difference between money market funds and Treasury bills? ›

Treasury Bills don't pay interest; you purchase them at a discount to par. They mature at the higher price. Money market funds are great but don't offer the same FDIC protections. You'll want to ensure you purchase these from a reputable company.

What is the disadvantage of investing in Treasury bills? ›

The following are the disadvantages of T-bills: The returns on T-bills are generally lower than other investments, such as stocks or bonds. This means that investors looking for high returns may not find T-bills attractive.

Which is safer, a CD or a treasury bill? ›

Treasury bills can be a good choice for those looking for a low-risk, fixed-rate investment that doesn't require setting money aside for as long as a CD might call for. However, you still run the risk of losing out on higher rates and returns if the market is on the upswing while your money is locked in.

How long should I keep money in a money market fund? ›

If you're saving for something you'll need the money for in less than three to five years, saving in a money market fund may make sense for you. Money market funds are ideal for short-term saving because they invest in highly liquid securities with the objective of capital preservation and income.

What are the risks of money market funds? ›

There are two main types of liquidity risks faced by money market funds: funding liquidity risk (if the fund's liquidity is insufficient to meet redemptions) and market liquidity risk (if market volatility forces funds to sell securities below the mark-to-market price in order to meet large redemptions or maintain ...

Why people don t invest in Treasury bill? ›

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.

Are 3 month T-bills a good investment? ›

The shorter terms to maturity differentiate them from other Treasury-issued securities. 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.

What happens when a T-bill matures? ›

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 Treasury bills lose value? ›

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.

What is better than a Treasury bill? ›

Treasury bonds—also called T-bonds—are long-term debt obligations that mature in terms of 20 or 30 years. They're essentially the opposite of T-bills as they're the longest-term and typically the highest-yielding among T-bills, T-bonds, and Treasury notes.

Do you pay taxes on Treasury 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. Investors can opt to have up to 50% of their Treasury bills' interest earnings automatically withheld.

What is the downside of a money market account? ›

Many accounts have monthly fees

Another drawback to remember is that while they have high yields, money market accounts can also come with cumbersome fees. Many banks and credit unions will impose monthly fees just for the upkeep of your account.

Are money market funds safe in a crash? ›

The Bottom Line. Both money market accounts and money market funds are relatively safe, low-risk investments, but MMAs are insured up to $250,000 per depositor by the FDIC and money market funds aren't.

What happens if you invest $1,000 a month for 20 years? ›

Investing $1,000 a month for 20 years would leave you with around $687,306. The specific amount you end up with depends on your returns -- the S&P 500 has averaged 10% returns over the last 50 years. The more you invest (and the earlier), the more you can take advantage of compound growth.

What is a better investment than treasury bills? ›

Compared with Treasury notes and bills, Treasury bonds usually pay the highest interest rates because investors want more money to put aside for the longer term. For the same reason, their prices, when issued, go up and down more than the others.

Are cash equivalents a treasury bills and money market funds? ›

Examples of items commonly considered to be cash equivalents are Treasury bills, commercial paper, money market funds, and federal funds sold (for an entity with banking operations). The definition presumes that all cash equivalents have two attributes: they must be (1) short-term and (2) highly liquid.

Is Treasury a money market fund? ›

Government and Treasury Money Market Funds primarily invest in short-term U.S. government debt securities. Treasury money market funds typically limit their holdings to only U.S. Treasury obligations or repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. Treasury securities.

What is the best money market account right now? ›

Best Money Market Account Rates
  • Redneck Bank – 4.90% APY.
  • First Foundation Bank – 4.90% APY.
  • Sallie Mae Bank – 4.65% APY.
  • Prime Alliance Bank – 4.50% APY.
  • Presidential Bank – 4.37% APY.
  • EverBank – 4.30% APY.
  • BankUnited – 4.25% APY.
  • U.S. Bank – 4.25% APY.

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