Many people are looking for low risk investments for their hard earned cash. Treasury bonds have always been considered a secure investment particularly during times of turbulence in the financial markets. Investing in Treasury bonds has now been made simple using the United States Treasury’s on-line site Treasury Direct.
Treasury Direct is the preferred method of the US Treasury for selling retail securities. As they eventually want to consolidate all retail sales using this method they have developed a very easy to use site that they hope will encourage people to purchase this way.
Before you can buy bonds through Treasury Direct you must first open an account. To do this you will need to have a United States address, your social security number, a checking or savings account to link to your Treasury Direct account and access to Internet Explorer or another web browser that supports 128-bit encryption.
Once you have provided the required information you must make a declaration as to the validity of the information provided and your tax status. This is done by reading the prepared statements and checking a box to agree.
To complete your account application you choose a password and provide security questions. Your account number will be emailed to you and an access card will be mailed to your address within two weeks. Once you have received your access card you can log on to your account to buy Treasury bonds and other Treasury securities.
You can purchase bonds through the Buy Direct screen. Choose the type of bonds you want from the product type drop down list, enter the amount you want to invest and select the account you want to use to pay for the bonds. You can even schedule automatic repeat purchases if you wish.
Once you have completed the details you are asked to review your entry. Press submit and the purchase is complete.
You can also use Purchase Express to buy bonds through Treasury Direct. This option appears on the home page of your account. If you’re in a hurry it is the fastest way to buy bonds. Simply select the product type, enter the amount and click the buy now button and you’re done.
The bonds are recorded in your Treasury Direct account usually within one week of auction date. Savings bonds are usually issued within one business day of the purchase.
Treasury Direct does not provide investment advice or analysis. It is a tool to purchase, hold and redeem Treasury securities. If you are not sure what type of bond you want you should consult your financial adviser before purchasing via this method. If however you know exactly what you want to add to your investment portfolio, Treasury Direct removes the need to buy through a bank or broker.
If you are in the market for Treasury bonds or securities Treasury Direct is an easy to use site that can get you started quickly.