What Are Treasury Notes and How Can I Buy Them?

What are Treasury notes?

Treasury notes, also known as T-notes, are intermediate-term U.S. debt securities available in two-, three-, five-, seven- and 10-year maturities. An investment in a T-note is essentially a loan to the U.S. government that pays you back with interest over time.

Treasury notes are one of the four main types of Treasury securities. They differ from Treasury bonds and bills in their times to maturity and structure. Unlike Treasury inflation-protected securities, which adjust their interest rates and principal based on the consumer price index, Treasury notes offer a fixed interest rate paid every six months. They’re also state- and local-tax-free, meaning you only pay federal income taxes on any interest earned.

Here are some other Treasury note basics:

• The face value of the T-note is the price if held to maturity. 

• This differs from the market price investors will pay for a Treasury note, which is affected by factors such as inflation and interest rates in the current economic environment. 

• The yield to maturity is the total return if you hold the Treasury note to maturity.

• The interest rate for T-notes is the amount you receive semiannually for loaning the government money.

If you buy Treasury notes directly from the government, any interest earned is added to your TreasuryDirect account as it accrues. If, on the other hand, you’re investing through a fund, the fund typically reinvests profits automatically.

Treasury note rates

The current rate for 10-year Treasury notes is around 3.8%, though it has been volatile lately as recession fears mount. TreasuryDirect announces and auctions T-note rates monthly^[0]

» Ready to get started? Learn how to buy Treasury bonds.

Are Treasury notes a good investment?

Whether Treasury notes — or any investments — are the right fit depends on your investment goals, risk tolerance and timeline.

Treasury note benefits

Treasury securities of all types are generally considered lower-risk and lower-reward investments than stocks because the U.S. federal government backs (or insures) them. Additionally, 10-year Treasury notes are a “risk-free” standard against which other investments are compared.

The relative stability of T-notes offsets the volatility of stocks in a financial portfolio. Treasury notes also offer higher yields than Treasury bills while being exposed to less interest rate risk than a Treasury bond of longer duration.

» Learn more: Guide to Treasurys

Treasury notes and interest rate risk

Yet, all investments face risks of some kind. As low-risk as T-notes are, they can still be affected by inflation, interest rates and a changing economy.

Longer-term Treasury investments, such as Treasury bonds and notes, yield higher rates than shorter-term bonds, such as Treasury bills. That’s because the threat of an economic downturn and rising rates, which can affect the value of bonds, make longer-term Treasury notes riskier than shorter-term bonds. 

Interest rates and bond prices have an opposite relationship, meaning prices decrease when interest rates increase and vice versa. Therefore, the longer it takes for a T-note to mature, the more time inflation or other economic events can cause the Federal Reserve to change interest rates and for T-note prices to decline. This is known as interest rate risk.

» Learn more: What is the 10-Year Treasury yield and why does it matter?

How to buy Treasury notes

You can purchase Treasury notes through a bank, online brokerage or directly from the U.S. government at TreasuryDirect.gov. T-Notes can be purchased for a minimum investment of $100 or in increments of $100 up to $10 million. 

For easy diversification, you can also purchase a collection of Treasury notes through mutual funds and exchange-traded funds or ETFs.

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