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Treasury Direct

We are not in the business of giving investment advice [THIS IS NOT INVESTMENT ADVICE!!!] but I've been impressed by Tresury Direct. Treasury Direct is a self-contained US Treasury web site through which individuals can buy Treasury bills, notes, bonds and TIPS (inflation protected securities). You can invest in 2 week Treasuries or 30 year Treasuries, and everything in between. Short term rates are currently hovering around 4.5%, which is a nice competitive return.

Signing up for Treasury Direct is entirely automated. The Treasury will take your money directly out of your bank account, and return it after the bond or note matures. You will need your bank's routing number to sign up. The easiste place to get this number is off your checks but you should be able to get it from your bank with a minimum of hassle or from this website. When you sign up, the Treasury will access your account with a $0 transaction to make sure that all the information is correct. You can use linked accounts to buy Treasury securities for minor children and you can buy Savings Bonds as gifts. You buy in regularly scheduled Treasury auctions, so you don't know exactly what rate you're getting until your order is completed. There are no fees for using Treasury Direct and the minimum amount you can invest is $1000. The web site is easy to navigate and to use, although it is a little short on explanation, so do your research before hand.