TreasuryDirect.gov is one of the simplest tools that you can use to park small or large amounts of cash. You can make your money work for you. And yet, many people have overlooked this tool. If you’re not familiar with it or haven’t made the most of it, yet, then you might want to take a gander. There’s a good chance it’s a smart tool for you to use to diversify your investments and boost your savings.
What is TreasuryDirect.gov?
TreasuryDirect.gov is a website that allows you to quickly begin investing your money. You can use it to purchase:
- Treasury Bills
- Treasury Notes
- Floating Rate Notes
- Treasury Bonds
- Saving Bonds
- Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS)
The site cuts out the middle man so that you make the purchase directly from the government.
It’s Right For You If You Are A Beginner Investor
If you are new to investing, then this is a great place to start. Once you’ve put aside some emergency funds in a savings account and maxed out your retirement contributions, you need to take a next step. Treasury investments are an easy and smart next step. They are backed by the government, so they are quite secure. Here are some other reasons that beginner investors like them:
- You earn more money than you would with a regular savings account but the risk is not much higher.
- There are several options for investing so you get your feet wet with trying out different choices.
- There are no fees, and you might not even have to pay taxes on the interest you are. It’s financially smart.
- Plus you can start investing with just small amounts of money. You can get bonds with as little as $25.
If You May Need Access To Your Money Then It’s A Good Time to Invest
One of the reasons that people keep large sums of money in savings is because of the fear that they’ll need that cash. You may have a big expense planned, such as buying a house. Or perhaps you work in the gig economy and aren’t sure how long your income will stay steady. Either way, you don’t want to get your money all tied up for years in long-term investments. So you stick it in savings.
However you don’t earn much interest with a regular savings account. You get the security of being able to always access your funds but you lose out on growing your money. TreasuryDirect.gov investments offer you a little bit more of a financial gain. However, your money isn’t tied up for long periods of time. You can make investing choices through the site that allow you to easily get your money out without penalties.
TreasuryDirect.Gov is Good if You Have a Lot of Cash to Park
Perhaps you just got a big inheritance. Wherever it came from, you have a big sum of cash. You want to earn a decent return on it. However, you don’t want to get too hard at tax time. TreasuryDirect is a good answer. Oftentimes the investments don’t require you to pay taxes, particularly state taxes, so you get to keep what you earn. The more money you invest, the more money you’ll get back. So even though you can start these accounts with as little as $25, they’re a great choice for people with significantly more money to invest.
Read More:
- How Can I Invest with Minimal Money?
- How to Earn Extra Cash with Online Trading
- Beginner Guide to Investing
Kathryn Vercillo is a professional writer with more than a decade of experience writing about healthy living and personal finance. She lives in San Francisco, where she has learned to maximize frugal living tips in order to thrive as a freelancer in one of the nation’s most expensive cities. When she’s not writing, she’s exploring the city on foot with her rescue dog. Learn more about her at www.kathrynvercillo.com.
Kathryn also writes about saving money with coupons over at GroceryCouponGuide.com