If you’ve been checking your bank’s savings rate lately and feeling a little underwhelmed, you aren't alone. Honestly, it’s a weird time for cash. Everyone spent the last couple of years obsessed with the Fed’s next move, and now that we’re sitting in early 2026, the dust has finally started to settle. Sorta.
The big news for anyone trying to park a few thousand bucks safely is the 4 week treasury bill rates today. As of mid-January 2026, we’re seeing these ultra-short-term government yields holding steady around 3.60% to 3.66%. Specifically, the secondary market rate hit 3.66% on January 16, while the most recent auction high rate was 3.595%.
Why does this matter? Because for a lot of people, these tiny slices of government debt are basically behaving like a high-yield savings account on steroids. You get the safety of the U.S. government, a better rate than most "big name" banks, and your money isn't tied up for years.
The Reality of 4 Week Treasury Bill Rates Today
Let’s be real: nobody gets rich off a one-month T-bill. But in a world where the Federal Reserve has hit the "pause" button on their rate-cutting cycle, these bills have become a haven for the "cash is king" crowd.
Right now, the 4-week rate is actually beating out longer-term options. It’s a bit of a "kinda-sorta" inverted curve situation. For example, while the 4-week bill is pushing 3.66%, the 52-week bill is actually lower, sitting around 3.54%.
This is what market nerds call a "steepening" or a "kink" in the curve. Basically, the market thinks rates might drop a tiny bit more by this time next year, so they’re willing to pay you more to take your money for just 28 days than they are for a full year.
It’s a loophole. You’re getting paid a premium to stay flexible.
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Why the Rates are Stuck in the Mid-3s
We can thank the Federal Reserve for this plateau. In December 2025, the Fed cut the federal funds rate by 25 basis points, landing us in the 3.50% to 3.75% range.
J.P. Morgan’s chief U.S. economist, Michael Feroli, recently noted that the Fed is likely going to "hold" here for the rest of 2026. Why? Because the job market is actually holding up surprisingly well. Unemployment is hovering around 4.4%, and inflation—while lower than the nightmare days of 2022—is still being a bit stubborn.
So, if the Fed isn't moving, the 4 week treasury bill rates today aren't going to move much either. They’re effectively tethered to that 3.5% floor.
Buying Direct vs. The "Easy" Way
If you want to grab these rates, you have two main paths. You can go the "government-style" route or the "investor-style" route.
TreasuryDirect (The Old School Way)
You go to TreasuryDirect.gov. The website looks like it was designed in 1998. It’s clunky. It’s annoying. But it works.
- Minimum: $100.
- The Perk: No fees. None.
- The Catch: Moving money out can take a few days, and the interface is just... not great.
Brokerage Accounts (The Modern Way)
If you use Fidelity, Schwab, or Vanguard, you can buy "New Issues" at the same auction price.
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- The Perk: You can see all your money in one place.
- The Catch: Sometimes there’s a slightly higher barrier to entry for certain types of orders, but for most people, it’s just easier.
The "Ladder" Strategy: Making 4-Week Bills Work
One of the smartest things you can do right now is build a ladder.
Instead of dumping $10,000 into one bill and waiting 4 weeks, you split it. Put $2,500 in this week. $2,500 next week. And so on.
Within a month, you have a "rolling" setup where a portion of your cash becomes available every seven days. If the 4 week treasury bill rates today suddenly spike because of a weird inflation report, you can reinvest your maturing cash at the new, higher rate immediately. If you need the money for an emergency? You’re never more than a few days away from a payout.
What Most People Get Wrong About T-Bills
There’s a huge misconception that you lose money if you "sell" early.
Technically, T-bills are sold at a discount. You buy a $1,000 bill for, say, $997. When it matures, the government gives you $1,000. That $3 difference is your interest.
If you hold it for the full 4 weeks, you get the full amount. If you try to sell it on the secondary market after 2 weeks, you might get $998.50. You didn't "lose" money, but you might not get the full effective yield you expected if market rates moved against you. But honestly? For a 4-week bill, the price fluctuations are so tiny they’re almost invisible to the average person.
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The Tax Perk Nobody Talks About
This is the "secret sauce."
Interest from Treasury bills is exempt from state and local taxes.
If you live in a high-tax state like California or New York, a 3.66% T-bill is actually better than a 3.80% CD or a 4.00% high-yield savings account because the bank interest is taxed at the state level, while the Treasury interest isn't. You have to do the math for your specific tax bracket, but often, the "lower" Treasury rate actually puts more actual cash in your pocket at the end of the year.
Is This the Top for 2026?
Predictions are always dangerous, but the consensus from firms like Goldman Sachs and Barclays is that we might see one or two more tiny cuts late in the year, or nothing at all.
There's even a "tail risk"—a fancy way of saying a scary possibility—that if the new administration’s policies reignite inflation, rates could actually go up.
If you're sitting on cash, the 4 week treasury bill rates today offer a way to hedge both bets. You’re earning a solid return now, but you aren't locked in if the world changes next month.
Actionable Next Steps
If you want to move your cash out of a low-interest checking account and into these bills, here is how to handle it:
- Check your current yield: If your bank is paying you less than 3.00%, you are leaving money on the table.
- Open a TreasuryDirect account (if you want zero fees) or log into your brokerage's fixed-income tab.
- Look for the next auction date: 4-week bills are usually auctioned every Tuesday and issued on Thursday.
- Set up an "Auto-Roll": Both TreasuryDirect and most brokers allow you to automatically reinvest the money into a new 4-week bill when the old one expires. This keeps your money working without you having to log in every month.
- Keep an eye on the 17-week bill: Sometimes the 17-week (4-month) bill offers a slightly higher yield if the market gets nervous about mid-term inflation. It's worth a look if you don't need the cash for 120 days.
The goal isn't to time the market perfectly. It's just to make sure your "lazy" money is actually doing something useful while you figure out your next big move.