Treasury bonds have historically been one of the go-to investment options for retirees. But are they a good long-term investment? Can they help you reach your financial goals? It might be time to start thinking about those things, so you make an informed decision about how to invest your money.
What is a Treasury Bond?
A Treasury bond is simply a debt instrument issued by the U.S. government. The word "bond" itself just means an "IOU" (a promise to pay) for money, goods, materials, or other forms of wealth that do not require physical ownership in order to be delivered.
A standard U.S. Treasury bond has features such as:
Maturity: Bonds have differing maturities -- ranging from 3 months to 30 years -- and some are even longer depending on the rated level of the current bond and how risky you want your investment to be. That’s why it’s important to do your research and find out how a bond’s maturity will impact your retirement.
Coupon rate: This is the interest rate that the U.S. government pays you when you hold a Treasury bond. The interest rates are set by what the market can bear, so if the economy is doing poorly, then you’ll likely receive a lower interest rate on your bond.
Risk of default: Because these are federal bonds issued by schools, hospitals, and other government agencies, they have a very low risk of default.
1. How do I know if I’m investing in one?
To determine if you’re invested in a Treasury bond, look at the bond’s maturity date. If it ends in -0 then it’s a zero-coupon bond, which means that you aren’t getting any interest payments over the entire period of the bond. If it ends with even numbers such as 3, 7, or 10, then that means that you are receiving interest payments every three months or a month and a half. And if it ends in 0, then it is a multiple of 3 -- such as 3, 6, or 12.
2. What are the benefits of Treasury Bonds?
Since they’re considered a safer investment, they have a low-interest rate. That’s why many people view Treasury bonds as the right place to park their money until they need it (to avoid any potential risk of inflation or downturns in the market). And since the U.S. government has historically never been unable to pay back its debts, buying a Treasury bond won’t lead to any loss on your funds, unlike investing in something like corporate bonds.
3. How can someone obtain them safely and securely? And more!
Try to get more conservative bond investments such as TIPS (Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities). These are U.S government bonds that have a floating interest rate that doesn't decline over time. If interest rates spike up in the future, you won't lose any purchasing power; however, it does cost more to purchase these securities than treasury bonds do.
4. How much should I invest in Treasury Bonds to get the full benefits?
The amount of money that should be invested in Treasury Bonds depends on the interest rate and duration of the bond you are purchasing and whether or not you expect to live longer than the maturity date. The following chart illustrates how much money you need to invest in order to achieve full benefits.
5. What are the risks involved with buying Treasury Bonds?
Treasury Bonds have no marketability. You will not be able to sell them at any time but they will provide you with a fixed rate of income and any capital gains that result from their appreciation in value when they mature (assuming you sell before maturity). However, in order to receive the full benefits of owning these bonds, it is advisable to hold on to them for a lengthy period of time.
Risk should always be considered when investing in fixed-income securities because they are very risky investments with high potential rewards. The main risk to consider is inflation, however, there are other specific risks such as inflationary expectations and rising interest rates that are worth mentioning as well:
- Inflation Risk: The rate of inflation is always changing and you need to monitor this. Inflation is considered a significant risk because it creates unpredictable rates of return in your fixed-income investments.
- Interest Rate Risk: The government can change its policy on interest rates at any time, which can cause uncertainty and affect the value of the bond you have invested in. In addition, rising interest rates are considered a catalyst for an economic recession, which makes Treasury Bonds not as safe as conventional bonds (see below).
- Credit Risk: An investor’s credit rating is used to determine their creditworthiness when buying these bonds. You will never know where the rate of return you receive will come from in the future. Therefore, it is important to have a high credit rating when purchasing fixed-income securities.
6. What do I need to consider when choosing which fixed-income security to purchase?
When investing in any type of fixed-income security, you need to decide what you want from your investment and whether or not you are willing to pay for a higher risk for better returns. Take the following examples:
- Moderate Risk/Moderate Return: In this case, you would choose a bond with a short-term maturity date (2 years) and an interest rate of 5%.
- Low Risk/Low Return: In this case, you would buy a bond with a long-term maturity date (10 years) and an interest rate of 1%.
- High Risk/High Return: In this case, you would choose a bond with a short-term maturity date (2 years) and an interest rate of 9%.
- Extremely High Risk/High Return: In this case, you would buy a bond with a long-term maturity date (15 years) and an interest rate of 3%.
