The income desk · 03
Compare annualized cash from an ETF distribution yield with 13-week Treasury bills. We source the bill benchmark from the U.S. Treasury daily rates (feed date 2026-10-30).
Use the distribution yield from a fund sponsor, not a promised return. We fill in the latest 13-week Treasury secondary-market investment yield when recent.
Both taxes default to 0 so you can compare gross payouts first. ETF distributions may include ordinary income, qualified dividends, capital gains or return of capital; a single tax percentage cannot represent every fund or account.
Same amount · annualized
Enter an ETF distribution yield and a Treasury yield to compare.
This compares annualized cash, not total return or risk. A 13-week bill is a short-term instrument; its rate may change when reinvested. Bills generally pay at maturity, while ETFs have their own distribution schedules. Treasury interest is federally taxable but generally exempt from state and local income tax.
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Or create a free TFS account for Bank Watch →No. The feed shows secondary-market investment yields. Your auction or broker purchase price may differ, and a 13-week rate does not lock in a year of reinvestment returns.
You enter an effective tax rate for the ETF distributions and a federal rate for bill interest. IRS Topic 403 explains that U.S. Treasury interest is generally exempt from state and local income tax.
Changes in ETF share value, fund expenses, timing of payments, and changes to future bill yields. Cash payout alone is not a measure of total return. Read the SEC’s distribution guide.
Try the income portfolio planner to test your bill coverage, or compare a bank CD with Treasury bills in the CD versus Treasury calculator.