| Investment Vehicle |
Income/ Tax Status |
Credit Quality |
Maturities/ Liquidity |
Denominations |
| Banker’s Acceptances |
Rates track money market instruments. Taxable. |
Investment-quality ratings from major rating agencies. |
Maximum maturity of 270 days. Liquidity subject to current market conditions. |
Multiples of $1,000 with minimum investment of $10,000. |
| Certificates of Deposit |
Zero-coupon or interest-bearing. Varying interest rates. Taxable. |
FDIC-insured up to $100,000 for domestic banks. |
Wide range of maturities. Moderate liquidity. |
General minimums:
Insured CDs $1,000.
Jumbo CDs $100,000.
Institutional CDs $1,000,000. |
| Commercial Paper |
Rates track money market instruments. Taxable. |
Investment-quality ratings from major rating agencies. |
Maximum maturity of 270 days. Liquidity subject to current market conditions. |
Multiples of $1,000 with minimum investment of $10,000. |
| Federal Agency Securities |
Yields track Treasury Bills but generally offer slightly higher returns. May be exempt from state and local taxes. |
Very high credit quality. |
Flexible maturities. Highly liquid. |
Various. |
| Money Market Deposit Accounts |
Short-term interest rates. Taxable. |
FDIC-insured up to $100,000 for domestic banks. |
On demand. Highly liquid. |
Various. |
| Repurchase Agreements |
Short-term interest rates. Taxable. |
Varies depending on collateral and counter party. |
Usually overnight. Term repurchase agreement available. |
Various. |
| Taxable Money Market Funds |
Short-term interest rates. Taxable. |
High credit quality. Excellent record for preservation of capital. |
No set maturity. Highly liquid. |
Generally unit denominations of $1. Institutional funds may have minimum investments of $25,000 or more. |
| Treasury Bills |
Generally lower yields than other debt instruments. Exempt from state and local taxes. |
Highest credit quality. Least credit risk. |
Maturities of 3 months, 6 months and 1 year. Highly liquid. |
Multiples of $1,000 with minimum investment of $10,000. |