Key Characteristics of Bonds: Maturity Date Saylor Academy

Bonds with longer terms to maturity tend to offer higher coupon rates than similar quality bonds, with shorter terms to maturity. First and foremost, the risk of the government or a corporation defaulting on the loan increases, the further into the future you project. Secondly, the inflation rate expectedly grows higher, over time. These factors must be incorporated into the rates of return fixed income investors receive. Yield-to-Maturity (YTM) is the rate of return you receive if you hold a bond to maturity and reinvest all the interest payments at the YTM rate. The maturity date also delineates the period of time in which investors will receive interest payments.

As the name suggests, these are bonds that pay no coupon or interest. Instead of getting an interest payment, you buy the bond at a discount from the face value of the bond, and you are paid the face amount when the bond matures. For example, you might pay $3,500 to purchase a 20-year zero-coupon bond with a face value of $10,000. The company issued new bonds with six terms of maturity in short-term, medium-term, and long-term versions. The long-term version was a 30-year bond that pays 0.95% more than the comparable Treasury bonds. A short-term bond pays relatively less interest but the investor gains flexibility.

Also, the further a bond is from its maturity date, the larger the difference between its purchase price and its redemption value, which is also referred to as its principal, par, or face value. As you can see, there is a big difference between maturity date and coupon date. It’s important to be aware of both dates when investing in bonds. By understanding the key differences between maturity date and coupon date, you can make more informed investment decisions. The coupon date is the date on which the bond issuer must make a interest payment to the bondholder.

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The maturity date is the date on which the principal amount of a note, draft, acceptance bond or other debt instrument becomes due. The maturity date also refers to the termination date (due date) on which an installment loan must be paid back in full. While some bonds are low-risk, and others come with higher risk, their price fluctuations are less dramatic than stock prices. Factors that affect bond price changes and bond risk include current interest rates, the credit rating of the bond issuer, and the age of the bond. The coupon would remain at 5%, which means that investors would receive the same $500 payment each year. But investors who purchased the bond after it had already risen in price might receive different yields to maturity (YTM).

For most bonds, the coupon date is every 6 months from the date of issue. However, some bonds have different coupon dates, such as once a year or once every 3 years. Because mortgages can be refinanced, bonds that are backed by agencies like GNMA are especially susceptible to changes in interest rates. The families holding these mortgages may refinance (and pay off the original loans) either faster or slower than average depending on which is more advantageous.

Either way, the bond issuer sends the money to pay back the borrowed money at maturity to the registered bond owner. The federal government prohibited the use of bearer bonds in 1982, but there are still a few around, and some foreign courtiers allow borrowers to issue bearer bonds. To redeem a bearer bond when it matures, you must contact the issuer’s bond agent. Follow the bond agent’s instructions to send in bearer bonds for payment.

Mutual fund

Bonds also may help partially offset the risk that comes with equity investing and often are recommended as part of a diversified portfolio. They can be used to accomplish a variety of investment objectives. Bonds hold opportunity – but, like all investments, they also carry risk. Bond maturity is the time when the bond issuer must repay the original bond value to the bond holder. The maturity date is set when the bond is issued and the bond holder can sell before this time if they want to. Some agencies of the U.S. government can issue bonds as well—including housing-related agencies like the Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA or Ginnie Mae).

Par value is the amount of money a holder will get back once a bond matures; a bond can be sold at par, at a premium, or at a discount. The coupon rate is the amount of interest that the bondholder will receive per payment, expressed as a percentage of the par value. Maturity date refers to the final payment date of a loan or other financial instrument. A callable bond allows the issuer to redeem the bond before the maturity date; this is likely to happen when interest rates go down. A sinking fund is a method by which an organization sets aside money to retire debts. Other important features of bonds include the yield, market price, and putability of a bond.

Guide to bond credit quality & ratings

Investments in bonds are subject to interest rate, credit, and inflation risk. If interest rates rise, fewer people will refinance and you (or the fund you’re investing in) will have less money coming in that can be reinvested at the higher rate. If interest rates fall, refinancing will accelerate and you’ll be forced to reinvest the money at a lower rate. Usually refers to investment risk, which is a measure of how likely it is that you could lose money in an investment. However, there are other types of risk when it comes to investing. Usually refers to common stock, which is an investment that represents part ownership in a corporation.

• Say you invest $5,000 in a six-year bond paying a coupon rate of five percent per year, semi-annually.
• When you invest in bonds, you’re getting a steady stream of income in times when your stocks may perform poorly.
• The maturity date is set when the bond is issued and the bond holder can sell before this time if they want to.
• The federal government prohibited the use of bearer bonds in 1982, but there are still a few around, and some foreign courtiers allow borrowers to issue bearer bonds.
• First and foremost, the risk of the government or a corporation defaulting on the loan increases, the further into the future you project.

Some agency bonds are fully backed by the U.S. government, making them almost as safe as Treasuries. If the rating is low—”below investment grade”—the bond may have a high yield but it will also have a risk level more like a stock. On the other hand, if the bond’s rating is very high, you can be relatively certain you’ll receive the promised payments. A place where investors buy and sell to each other (rather than buying directly from a security’s issuer). Income you can receive by investing in bonds or cash investments. The maturity date is the date on which a debt must be paid in full.

What Is a Bond?

This classification system is widely used across the finance industry, and appeals to conservative investors who appreciate the clear time table, as to when their principal will be paid back. All investing is subject to risk, including the possible loss of the money you invest. Diversification does not ensure a profit or protect against a loss.

Bonds can be short, medium or long term, which refers to the length of maturity. For derivatives contracts such as futures or options, the term maturity date is sometimes used to refer to the contract’s expiration date. A measure of how quickly and easily an investment can be sold at a fair price and converted to cash.

Bonds often are referred to as being short-, medium- or long-term. Generally, a bond that matures in one to three years is referred to as a short-term bond. Medium or intermediate-term bonds generally are those that mature in four to 10 years, and long-term bonds are those with maturities greater than 10 years.

The actual yield you would receive if you purchased a bond after its issue date (the yield to maturity) is different from the coupon rate. You can add bonds to your investment portfolio to provide stability. When you invest in bonds, you’re getting a steady stream of income in times when your stocks may perform poorly. Bonds are a great way to protect your savings when you don’t want to put your assets at risk. The bond unit investment trusts operate much like a mutual fund in the sense that you are investing in a large group of bonds and not just one. They are ideal for investors who want to spread their risk, but don’t have enough money or time to rate and select different bonds to invest in.

ETFs are professionally managed and typically diversified, like mutual funds, but they can be bought and sold at any point during the trading day using straightforward or sophisticated strategies. Interest from these bonds is free from federal income tax, as well as state tax in the state in which it’s issued. Because of the favorable tax treatment, yields are generally lower than those of bonds that are federally taxable. Because bonds with longer maturities have a greater level of risk due to changes in interest rates, they generally offer higher yields so they’re more attractive to potential buyers. The relationship between maturity and yields is called the yield curve. You can get Treasury and savings bonds through a brokerage or directly from the U.S. government.

Unlike stocks, bonds issued by companies give you no ownership rights. United States savings bonds accrue interest for the life of the bond. Savings bonds mature 30 years after you purchase them and stop paying interest at that time.

As described Investor.gov, if an issuer calls its bonds, it pays the investors what is known as a call price, which is the face value of the bond, with any interest owed to-date. Sometimes the issue also pays a premium when it calls a bond, depending on the terms of the bond. In any case, once a bond is called, all other payments cease, regardless of the bond coupon payment schedule. When the maturity date arrives, the issuer is obligated to pay a bond’s owner the face value of the bond plus any accrued interest. With most bonds, interest is paid out periodically and the only interest paid at maturity is the amount earned since the last interest payment. These payments are called coupon payments and the interest rate is called the coupon rate.