Articles

The four most powerful words in the universe of bonds are “full faith and credit.” These words apply to government Treasury bills, notes, and bonds whose timely interest and principal payments are backed by an unconditional guarantee from the United States Government. Since Treasury securities are backed by the full faith and credit of the government, they are referred to as “risk free” securities. The government cannot default on its obligations, as it has the power to levy taxes or print more money to repay its debt. For this reason, the interest rate on the 10-Year Treasury note can act as the benchmark rate for other fixed income securities which carry some level of default risk.