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Start with the date you need the money: choose a Treasury bill whose actual maturity date is on or before that date, and leave time for weekends, bank processing, or transfers. If the date is uncertain, consider a shorter term or split the money across bills with different maturity dates rather than locking it all up at once.

How Treasury bill maturity affects your cash

Treasury bills are short-term U.S. government securities with standard terms of 4, 6, 8, 13, 17, 26, and 52 weeks. They are sold at a discount or at face value; at maturity, Treasury pays the face value. The difference between what you paid and the face value is the bill’s interest, paid at maturity. The rate is set at auction for that bill. See the TreasuryDirect overview of Treasury bills and its pricing and interest-rate explanation.

A bill that matures before a planned expense can return principal in time for it. One that matures afterward misses that cash deadline unless you sell it early. Shorter bills return funds sooner and give you another decision point; longer bills keep the money invested for longer. If you repeatedly reinvest short bills, the rate on each later bill will be set at its future auction and is not known in advance.

Choose a maturity by working backward from the cash date

  1. Write down the date and amount. Include the date you must be able to use the money, not just the date a bill is expected to mature.
  2. Separate cash you cannot risk tying up. Keep emergency funds and money needed soon outside bills that would mature too late or cannot be accessed through your chosen account route.
  3. Check actual auction and maturity dates. Choose a term whose maturity date falls on or before your cash date, with a practical buffer for weekends, bank processing, or transfers. Do not rely on the term label alone.
  4. For several expenses, consider several maturities. Dividing the amount among bills that mature on different dates can stagger cash availability. It does not guarantee a higher return.
  5. Confirm where proceeds will go. Check the account holding the bill, the maturity payment destination, reinvestment settings, and any intermediary requirements or charges before buying.

TreasuryDirect says regular 4-, 6-, 8-, 13-, 17-, and 26-week bills are auctioned weekly, while 52-week bills are auctioned every four weeks. Auction and maturity dates can vary, so consult the official Treasury bill information and current auction calendar when planning a specific payment. TreasuryDirect lists a $100 minimum purchase, in $100 increments.

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Match your choice to your need for access and rate certainty

What matters Shorter maturity Longer maturity
When funds mature Returns principal sooner, which can suit near-term or uncertain needs. Keeps funds invested longer; use only when the maturity date fits the cash plan.
Rate during the bill’s term The auction rate is fixed for that bill, but later reinvestments use future auction rates. The auction rate is fixed for the life of that bill.
Planning trade-off More frequent decisions and exposure to future rates if you reinvest. Fewer near-term reinvestment decisions, but the money is committed for longer.

Neither term is inherently the better choice for return: the relevant trade-off is the timing of your cash need and whether you are comfortable with future reinvestment rates. A future auction’s rate cannot be known when you buy an earlier bill.

Know what early sale can—and cannot—solve

Treasury says, “You can hold a bill until it matures or sell it before it matures.” An early sale is not the same as withdrawing cash from a bank account: Treasury marketable securities must be sold through a bank, broker, or dealer, and the sale proceeds may differ from the face value you would receive at maturity, depending on market price and transaction terms. Details are in TreasuryDirect’s rules for selling a Treasury marketable security and its overview of Treasury marketable securities.

For a bill held in TreasuryDirect, there is a 45-day hold before it can be transferred or sold. Because a 4-week bill matures before that hold ends, it cannot be sold or transferred before maturity while held there. If early access matters, confirm the account route and its terms before buying rather than assuming the bill can be liquidated on demand.

Check maturity payment and tax treatment

TreasuryDirect says that when a security matures without reinvestment selected, it automatically pays the maturity value to the holder’s Certificate of Indebtedness or designated bank account on the maturity date. Verify the destination and any reinvestment setting in your account; see TreasuryDirect’s redemption information.

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TreasuryDirect states that bill interest is subject to federal tax and exempt from state and local taxes. Individual tax circumstances can affect reporting, so treat this as general information rather than personalized tax advice. The Treasury bill page describes this tax treatment.

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How the discount works: Treasury’s example

Treasury’s published formula is: Price = Face value × (1 − (discount rate × time) / 360). Its illustration uses a $1,000, 26-week bill at a 0.145% discount rate: the purchase price is $999.27, and the bill pays $1,000 at maturity, a $0.73 difference. This is a pricing illustration, not a current rate quote. See TreasuryDirect’s pricing explanation.

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