US Treasury Bill

A US Treasury bill is a short-term bond sold by the US government to finance its operations. A US Treasury bill has a maturity of less than one year. The US Treasury bill is sold through a competitive bidding process, and is sold at a discount. The appreciation of the bill as it matures provides the investment return, in lieu of periodic interest payments. Income from a US Treasury bill is exempt from ones state and local taxes. The US Treasury bill is backed by the full faith and credit of the US government. It is considered the safest of all US government securities; in fact, for comparisons of risk, the US Treasury bill is often considered to be risk-free.