TreasuryDirect.
In plain English
TreasuryDirect is the government's own platform for buying Treasury securities straight from the source, with no broker and no fees. Through it you can purchase I bonds and EE savings bonds, plus Treasury bills, notes, and bonds at auction, and hold them in an account with the Treasury. Because there is no middleman, it is the cheapest way to buy these, but the site is basic and the securities are less liquid than versions held at a brokerage. It is best known as the only place to buy electronic I bonds, an inflation-protected savings option.
01Why it matters
TreasuryDirect is the fee-free, direct way to buy government bonds and the only place to get electronic I bonds, so it is worth knowing for anyone building a safe savings ladder.
02The math, step by step
You open a TreasuryDirect account and buy 5,000 dollars of I bonds directly from the Treasury. There is no brokerage or fee, and the bonds earn an inflation-adjusted rate you can track in the same account.
03What this is NOT
TreasuryDirect is NOT a brokerage or bank. It is the Treasury's direct-sale website; the securities are not FDIC-insured deposits but obligations of the U.S. government, and the account has no debit card or bill pay.
04Receipts
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Plain-English answers from our glossary. Receipts included. Never advice.
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