Thirty-Year Treasury

Thirty-Year Treasury

A debt security backed by the full faith and credit of the United States government with a maturity of 30 years. They may be purchased directly from the government or from a bank; they have coupon payments payable every six months. Thirty-year Treasury bonds may be bought competitively or non-competitively. In a non-competitive transaction, one takes the interest rate he/she is given on a T-bond. In competitive investing, one bids on a desired yield, but this does not mean it will be accepted. Treasury bonds are low-risk, low-return investments. The minimum purchase is $1,000, and the maximum is $5 million in non-competitive bidding or 35% of the offering in competitive bidding. They are known informally as T-bonds. See also: Treasury bill, Treasury note.