6-Month Treasury Bill Rate Calculator
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Understanding the 6-Month Treasury Bill Rate Calculator
Treasury Bills, often referred to as T-Bills, are short-term debt instruments issued by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. They are sold at a discount to their face value and pay the face value on maturity. This means the investor's return is the difference between the face value and the purchase price (the discount). T-Bills are considered one of the safest investments because they are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government.
A 6-month Treasury Bill is a T-Bill with a maturity period of approximately six months. The rate of return on a T-Bill is typically quoted in two ways: the discount rate and the coupon-equivalent yield (CEY). Our calculator helps you determine both based on the price you paid, the face value, and the time remaining until maturity.
Key Components of the Calculator:
- Face Value of T-Bill ($): This is the amount the Treasury will pay you when the T-Bill matures. For standard T-Bills, this is often in multiples of $100, with $1,000 being a common denomination.
- Discount Price ($): This is the price you actually pay for the T-Bill. It will be less than the face value.
- Days to Maturity: This is the number of days remaining until the T-Bill reaches its maturity date and you receive the face value. For a 6-month T-Bill, this is typically around 182 days, but can vary slightly.
How the Calculations Work:
The calculator uses two primary formulas:
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Annual Discount Rate: This is the rate quoted directly by the Treasury. The formula is:
(Discount Amount / Face Value) * (360 / Days to Maturity) * 100
Here, the 360-day year is used for T-Bill calculations. The 'Discount Amount' is simply the Face Value minus the Discount Price. -
Coupon-Equivalent Yield (CEY): This rate is more comparable to yields on other types of interest-bearing securities like coupon bonds or savings accounts. It annualizes the return based on the actual purchase price rather than the face value. The formula is:
(Discount Rate * 360) / (360 – (Discount Rate * Days to Maturity))
Note that the 'Discount Rate' here refers to the decimal form of the annual discount rate calculated in the previous step.
Example Calculation:
Let's say you purchase a 6-month Treasury Bill with a Face Value of $1,000 for a Discount Price of $985. The T-Bill has 182 days to maturity.
- Discount Amount: $1,000 – $985 = $15
- Annual Discount Rate: ($15 / $1000) * (360 / 182) * 100 ≈ 2.9670%
- Coupon-Equivalent Yield (CEY): (0.029670 * 360) / (360 – (0.029670 * 182)) ≈ 0.030308 or 3.0308%
Using our calculator with these inputs will yield these results, allowing you to quickly assess the effective return on your T-Bill investment. Understanding these metrics is crucial for comparing short-term investment opportunities.