Treasury Bonds at Vanguard
Key takeaways:
• A Vanguard brokerage account allows investors to buy U.S. Treasury securities.
• Vanguard also supports trading in funds that invest in Treasury debt.
• Most Treasury trades at Vanguard do not carry commissions, though a few exceptions may apply.
Interested in investing in U.S. government Treasury debt? If so, Vanguard is a solid option to consider, particularly for cost-conscious investors.
Treasuries That Can Be Traded at Vanguard
Vanguard provides access to all standard Treasury maturities, including bills, notes, and bonds. STRIPS and TIPS are also available. In our testing, we saw Treasuries with terms ranging from one month out to thirty years.
Treasury Education
Vanguard’s site features a wide range of educational content on investing. Some sections focus on bonds, and a portion of those specifically address Treasuries. To locate these materials, click the Products & Services tab and choose bonds, or open the Resources & Education tab and explore the available links.
During our review, we came across the following articles:
• Choosing between funds & individual securities
• U.S. Treasury securities
• Are bonds a good investment right now?
Finding Treasuries
Once you’re comfortable with how fixed-income products and Treasuries work, the next step is making a purchase. To view available Treasuries on Vanguard’s platform, return to the Products & Services tab mentioned earlier and select bonds from the drop-down menu. On the following page, click the bond rates button to open a grid of clickable yield listings. Treasuries appear in the third row beneath brokered CDs.
Selecting a maturity range brings up a list of Treasuries with matching expiration dates. This page shows details such as coupon rate, yield, price, and exact maturity.
If you want to participate in Treasury auctions, use the Treasuries tab located above the yield matrix. From there, you can filter specifically for primary- or secondary-market Treasuries. The results include similar information to what’s shown in the standard bond lists.
How to Buy Treasury Bonds on Vanguard
Along with the information displayed in the search results, Vanguard includes buy and sell buttons for each listed bond. Selecting Buy opens the order ticket. The quantity box on Vanguard’s bond ticket is entered in thousands, so typing 5 would represent a $5,000 purchase. Review the order and submit it when ready.
Treasury Funds
In addition to buying individual Treasury bills, notes, and bonds, Vanguard allows trading in mutual funds and ETFs, including those that hold Treasury securities. These funds provide some diversification by holding multiple Treasuries, while certain funds also combine Treasuries with other asset types.
To locate Treasury-focused funds at Vanguard, go back to the Products & Services menu and select mutual funds. On the fund page, you can search across mutual funds and ETFs using filters such as asset class. Browse the list to identify funds that invest in Treasury securities.
Vanguard Treasury Fees and Minimums
Vanguard does not charge commissions for online trades of Treasuries on either the primary or secondary market. Phone-assisted trades with a live representative cost $25, though this fee is waived for clients holding more than $1 million in Vanguard funds. In some bond transactions, Vanguard may act as principal, which can result in a markup or markdown on the quoted price. Each bond purchase requires a $1,000 minimum investment.
Vanguard ETFs trade commission-free. Most mutual funds are also commission-free, although some non-Vanguard funds can carry trading fees ranging from $8 to $20, depending on account balances and yearly trade volume.
Vanguard ETFs can be purchased in dollar amounts starting at just $1. Mutual fund minimums vary by fund family and product.
Schwab as a Replacement
Charles Schwab is another brokerage that supports Treasury investing. Like Vanguard, Schwab offers advisory and self-directed accounts that can hold U.S. Treasury securities. To locate individual Treasuries at Schwab, log into the website (this feature isn’t available on the mobile app) and select the Trade tab, then choose bonds. You’ll see a similar yield matrix with clickable Treasury rates. Schwab’s order ticket requires entering the full dollar amount (for example, $5,000 instead of 5), and it supports both market and limit orders for Treasuries, whereas Vanguard limits orders to market only.
As with Vanguard, Schwab provides access to many mutual funds and ETFs that invest in Treasury debt. These can be found using the fund screeners located under the Research tab.
Free Charles Schwab Account
Final Verdict
Both Vanguard and Schwab offer strong platforms for trading Treasury bills, notes, and bonds. While their tools differ slightly, either broker provides a solid environment for Treasury investing.
Updated on 2/5/2026.
Chad Morris is a financial writer with more than 20 years experience
as both an English teacher and an avid trader. When he isn’t writing
expert content for Brokerage-Review.com, Chad can usually be found
managing his portfolio or building a new home computer.
|