You can hold the securities you buy in either:
- a TreasuryDirect account
- the Commercial Book-Entry System (with a bank, broker, or dealer)
(You may have older securities in our Legacy Treasury Direct system, but we are phasing out that program. You can no longer bid through or add new securities to Legacy Treasury Direct.)
TreasuryDirect
TreasuryDirect is a web application from the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
TreasuryDirect is free. There are no fees, no matter how much or how little you invest.
You may hold both savings bonds and Treasury marketable securities in TreasuryDirect.
Your securities in TreasuryDirect are electronic, so you don't have to worry about them getting lost, stolen, or damaged.
When your securities earn interest or when they mature (reach the end of their term), your payment is automatically deposited into the account you have specified.
In TreasuryDirect, you can view and manage your securities 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Your account is protected with a password you choose. (Your account will have an account number that is a letter followed by 9 numbers. Example: A-123-456-789)
You can set up an account as an individual or as a representative of an entity such as a corporation, an estate, a partnership, or a trust. More about entity accounts
Make sure your web browser meets the security requirements for TreasuryDirect
Guided Tour of Treasury Direct
Video about opening a TreasuryDirect account
Open a TreasuryDirect account
Demo of logging in to TreasuryDirect
Log in to your TreasuryDirect account
Commercial Book-Entry System
When you work with a bank, broker, or dealer, your securities move through the Commercial Book-Entry System (CBES).
As in TreasuryDirect, in CBES, both securities and payments move electronically. Your securities are electronic records safe from loss, theft, and damage.
When your securities earn interest or when they mature, your payment is automatically deposited into your account with your bank, broker, or dealer.
CBES handles all types of Treasury securities, including these three that you can’t hold in TreasuryDirect: Cash Management Bills, STRIPS, and Collateral.
If you want to bid competitively, and you do not have a TAAPS account, you must work through a bank, broker, or dealer; and you will get your securities through CBES. You can later transfer them into your TreasuryDirect account.
For more on competitive bidding, see Buying a Treasury marketable security.
Also see Transferring from one system to another.
For a deeper understanding of how CBES works, including a visual example as well as information on fees and relevant regulations, see Learn more about the Commercial Book-Entry System.
FAQs
You can hold the securities you buy in either: a TreasuryDirect account. the Commercial Book-Entry System (with a bank, broker, or dealer)
Where are securities held? ›
Securities may also be held in the direct registration system, which records shares of stock in book-entry form. In other words, a transfer agent maintains the shares on the company's behalf without the need for physical certificates.
Where are treasury bonds held? ›
You can hold your Treasury securities in one of two systems: TreasuryDirect or the Commercial Book-Entry System.
Where are T bills held? ›
At the Central Depository . At DBS, OCBC and UOB main branches. View branch and contact details.
What happens when a treasury bill matures on TreasuryDirect? ›
We sell Treasury Bills (Bills) for terms ranging from four weeks to 52 weeks. Bills are sold at a discount or at par (face value). When the bill matures, you are paid its face value. You can hold a bill until it matures or sell it before it matures.
Where to hold I bonds? ›
You can hold the securities you buy in either:
- a TreasuryDirect account.
- the Commercial Book-Entry System (with a bank, broker, or dealer)
Shares in a limited company or an unquoted public limited company will normally be held by way of a share certificate. The certificate will normally state the name of the company, the name of the shareholder, the number of shares held and the type/class of share along with the nominal/ face value of the shares.
How are Treasury bills held? ›
Bills are issued in electronic form. You can hold a bill until it matures or sell it before it matures. In a single auction, a bidder can buy up to $10 million in bills by non-competitive bidding or up to 35% of the initial offering amount by competitive bidding.
What happens to a T-bill when it matures? ›
Maturity of T-bills
Upon maturity of the T-bills, when will I receive the principal amount? On maturity, the principal amount will be credited to your respective account by the end of the day, typically after 6pm.
Where can I check my T-bills holdings? ›
You may check your SRS Account via DBS digibank to view your holdings by the issue date (end of day). (For SGS Bonds only) You will receive the coupon payment for your SGS bonds on the first day of the month, every 6 months from the bond's issue date, into your SRS Account.
How to get the most value from your savings bonds
| Face Value | Purchase Amount | 30-Year Value (Purchased May 1990) |
|---|
| $50 Bond | $100 | $207.36 |
| $100 Bond | $200 | $414.72 |
| $500 Bond | $400 | $1,036.80 |
| $1,000 Bond | $800 | $2,073.60 |
To calculate the price, take 180 days and multiply by 1.5 to get 270. Then, divide by 360 to get 0.75, and subtract 100 minus 0.75. The answer is 99.25. Because you're buying a $1,000 Treasury bill instead of one for $100, multiply 99.25 by 10 to get the final price of $992.50.
Can you lose money on Treasury bonds if held to maturity? ›
If you don't have to sell those bonds, and you can just hold them to maturity, you won't risk a loss of principal. You will get paid back as you normally would and you will receive your interest. Sell at as discount. The other option is that Treasuries can be sold at a discount.
Where do securities go on a balance sheet? ›
Marketable securities are typically included in the cash and cash equivalents line item, the first line item on the current assets section of the balance sheet. Moreover, marketable securities can come in the form of equity securities (e.g. ETFs, preferred shares) and debt investments (e.g. money market instruments).
What are securities held by banks? ›
Investment securities, representing obligations purchased for the bank's own account, may include United States government obligations; various Federal agency bonds; state, county, and municipal issues, special revenue bonds; industrial revenue bonds; and certain corporate debt securities.
Where are trading securities recorded? ›
On an income statement, trading securities are recorded at the time of sale. Any gains or losses realized as a result of the securities in question are to be attributed to operating income as a new line item titled “Gain (Loss) on Sale of Trading Securities.”
Why are securities held in street name? ›
By holding the securities in street name, the broker is ensuring that they will be delivered promptly when a transaction occurs. This system removes any uncertainty that would exist if the customer were responsible for providing the security every time a trade took place.
