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Choose a nominal Treasury when you want fixed-dollar payments at a known maturity; consider TIPS when you want principal and interest linked to U.S. CPI-U. Neither is universally better: the decision depends on when you need the money, whether your future expense is nominal or inflation-sensitive, the yield for a comparable maturity, and how you will handle taxes. Both can lose market value if sold before maturity.
How nominal Treasury notes and bonds work
Treasury notes and bonds pay interest every six months at a coupon rate set when the security is issued. The principal is fixed in nominal dollars, so the promised payment does not rise with inflation. Treasury notes are offered at 2, 3, 5, 7, and 10 years; Treasury bonds are long-term securities offered at 20 or 30 years. See the Treasury overview of marketable securities for the current instrument categories.
A fixed coupon does not lock in the price you would receive if you sold early. A security’s market price moves as interest rates and yields change: when its yield to maturity is above its coupon, it generally trades below face value; when its yield is below its coupon, it generally trades above face value. Treasury explains the relationship in Understanding Pricing and Interest Rates.
How TIPS work—and what their inflation protection covers
Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS) are offered at 5-, 10-, and 30-year terms. Their coupon rate is fixed at auction, but the principal is adjusted using non-seasonally adjusted U.S. City Average All Items CPI-U, published monthly by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Inflation raises adjusted principal; deflation lowers it. The index follows Treasury’s defined CPI-U method, not an individual household’s exact spending pattern. The official terms are summarized in Treasury’s auction-rule summary for inflation-protected securities.
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TIPS pay interest every six months, calculated as the fixed coupon rate multiplied by the then-adjusted principal. The coupon rate stays fixed, but the dollar amount of the payment can rise or fall as principal changes. A positive coupon rate does not guarantee a positive real yield: TIPS can be issued with a negative real yield. Treasury describes these mechanics on its TIPS page.
At maturity, Treasury pays the greater of the inflation-adjusted principal or the original principal. That minimum redemption amount applies at maturity, not to an early sale. Before maturity, a TIPS’ market price can fall, including when real yields rise. Treasury securities can be sold before maturity through the secondary market; see the Treasury marketable-securities FAQs and Treasury’s TIPS publication.
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Compare the features that affect your decision
| Decision point | Nominal Treasury notes and bonds | TIPS |
|---|---|---|
| Principal | Fixed in nominal dollars. | Adjusted with CPI-U; it may rise or fall before maturity. |
| Coupon | Fixed rate applied to original principal; dollar payments are fixed. | Fixed rate applied to adjusted principal; dollar payments vary with the adjustment. |
| Inflation exposure | Purchasing power of the fixed payments can erode with inflation. | Principal and coupon dollars respond to CPI-U under Treasury’s index methodology. |
| Payment at maturity | Face amount. | Greater of adjusted principal or original principal. |
| Early sale | Market price may be above or below face value. | Market price may fluctuate; the maturity floor does not set an early-sale price. |
| Federal and state/local tax treatment | Interest is federally taxable; Treasury interest is exempt from state and local income taxes. | Interest and annual inflation adjustments are federally taxable; Treasury interest is exempt from state and local income taxes. |
| Useful comparison | Yield and fit with a nominal cash-flow need at a similar maturity. | Real yield and fit with a CPI-U-linked purchasing-power need at a similar maturity. |
How to choose between TIPS and Treasury bonds
Start with the expense you are matching
If you need a known amount of nominal dollars on a known date, a maturity-matched nominal Treasury can make the cash-flow target easier to plan around. If your concern is that inflation will reduce what those dollars can buy over the same horizon, TIPS provide CPI-U-linked principal adjustments. That protection follows the official index, so it may not match the price changes in your own spending.
Match maturities before comparing yields
Compare a nominal yield with a TIPS real yield for a similar maturity. A five-year TIPS and a 30-year nominal bond are not a clean comparison: their different maturities expose them to different interest-rate sensitivity and cash-flow timing. Also distinguish a coupon rate from a yield. The coupon determines scheduled interest payments; yield reflects the security’s price and payment stream.
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Consider whether you may need to sell early
If you could need the money before maturity, account for market-price risk with either security. A TIPS maturity floor does not protect an investor who sells earlier, and a nominal Treasury’s fixed principal does not guarantee a sale at face value. Treasury marketable securities may be bought at auction or in secondary markets through TreasuryDirect, banks, brokers, or dealers; auction terms and secondary-market prices can change.
Use the breakeven rate as a rough comparison, not a forecast
A common first-pass measure is the nominal Treasury yield minus the TIPS real yield for a similar maturity. The difference is often called breakeven inflation or market inflation compensation. If realized inflation over the relevant period is higher than that difference, TIPS may outperform the comparable nominal security before taxes and other differences; if inflation is lower, the nominal security may outperform. This is not a forecast or a guaranteed return threshold: market inflation compensation can also reflect liquidity and risk premia. There is no current breakeven figure here because yields change over time; use dated, comparable market yields for any live calculation.
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Understand TIPS taxes before choosing an account
TreasuryDirect says Treasury interest is subject to federal tax and exempt from state and local income taxes. For TIPS, annual inflation adjustments are also reported for federal tax purposes, even if the security has not matured and the adjustment has not been paid to you in cash. This timing can create what investors often call phantom income. Treasury explains reporting and withholding on its Tax Forms and Tax Withholding page.
Tax outcomes can depend on the tax year and the investor’s circumstances. Check current official tax guidance or consult a qualified tax professional rather than assuming how a particular account or holding will be treated.
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Do not confuse TIPS with Series I savings bonds
TIPS are marketable Treasury securities that can be traded before maturity. Series I savings bonds are non-marketable savings bonds with different purchase, redemption, payment, and tax rules. Treasury summarizes the distinction in its comparison of TIPS and Series I savings bonds.
A practical decision checklist
- Write down the date and type of expense you are trying to fund: a fixed nominal amount or purchasing power exposed to inflation.
- Compare securities with similar maturities, using nominal yield for nominal Treasuries and real yield for TIPS.
- Decide whether you can hold to maturity or might have to sell early at a market price that is below what you paid.
- For TIPS, consider whether annual federal tax reporting on inflation adjustments fits your tax situation.
- Check current Treasury offerings, auction terms, yields, and prices when you are ready to act; these are time-sensitive.
These are educational decision points, not individualized investment advice. Treasury credit risk is only one part of ownership: inflation exposure, interest-rate movements, reinvestment, liquidity, and early-sale timing can also affect outcomes.
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