Treasury Bill Calculator
Results:
Purchase Price:
Dollar Discount:
Effective Annual Yield (Bond Equivalent Yield):
Understanding Treasury Bills (T-Bills)
Treasury Bills, commonly known as T-Bills, are short-term debt obligations issued by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. They are considered one of the safest investments because they are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. T-Bills are sold at a discount from their face value and do not pay periodic interest payments (coupons). Instead, the investor's return comes from the difference between the purchase price and the face value received at maturity.
Key Characteristics of T-Bills:
- Maturity: T-Bills typically mature in a few days, weeks, or up to 52 weeks (one year). Common maturities are 4, 8, 13, 17, 26, and 52 weeks.
- Discount Basis: They are sold at a price lower than their face value. For example, a $10,000 T-Bill might be purchased for $9,800. At maturity, the investor receives the full $10,000.
- No Interest Payments: Unlike bonds, T-Bills do not pay interest. The profit is the difference between the purchase price and the face value.
- Safety: Due to government backing, T-Bills carry virtually no default risk.
- Liquidity: They are highly liquid and can be easily bought and sold in the secondary market.
How the Treasury Bill Calculator Works:
This calculator helps you determine the purchase price, the dollar discount, and the effective annual yield (also known as the Bond Equivalent Yield) for a Treasury Bill based on its face value, annualized discount rate, and days to maturity.
- Face Value: This is the amount you will receive when the T-Bill matures. It's the par value of the bill.
- Annualized Discount Rate: This is the yield at which the T-Bill is sold, expressed as an annualized percentage. T-Bill discount rates are typically calculated based on a 360-day year.
- Days to Maturity: This is the number of days remaining until the T-Bill reaches its maturity date.
Calculation Details:
The calculator uses the following formulas:
- Purchase Price: The price you pay for the T-Bill is calculated as:
Purchase Price = Face Value × (1 - (Annualized Discount Rate / 100) × (Days to Maturity / 360)) - Dollar Discount: This is the profit you make from the investment, calculated as:
Dollar Discount = Face Value - Purchase Price - Effective Annual Yield (Bond Equivalent Yield – BEY): This yield converts the discount yield into a rate that is comparable to other interest-bearing investments, typically using a 365-day year for consistency:
BEY = ((Face Value - Purchase Price) / Purchase Price) × (365 / Days to Maturity) × 100
Example:
Let's say you are considering a T-Bill with the following characteristics:
- Face Value: $10,000
- Annualized Discount Rate: 5.00%
- Days to Maturity: 91 days
Using the calculator:
- Purchase Price: $10,000 × (1 – (0.05 × (91 / 360))) = $10,000 × (1 – 0.01263888) = $9,873.61
- Dollar Discount: $10,000 – $9,873.61 = $126.39
- Effective Annual Yield (BEY): (($10,000 – $9,873.61) / $9,873.61) × (365 / 91) × 100 = (126.39 / 9873.61) × 4.010989 × 100 ≈ 5.13%
This means you would pay $9,873.61 for the T-Bill and receive $10,000 at maturity, earning a profit of $126.39, which translates to an effective annual yield of approximately 5.13%.