Trust funds and types of investments
The Old-Age and Survivors Insurance
Trust Fund and the Disability Insurance
Trust Fund comprise the Social Security trust funds. Both funds are
managed by the Department of the Treasury through their Bureau of the Fiscal Service.
Since the beginning of the Social Security program, all
securities held by the trust funds have been issued by the Federal
Government. There are two general types of such securities:
- Special issues—available only to the trust funds
- Public issues—marketable Treasury bonds available to the public.
Special issue types and properties
There are two types of special issues:
short-term certificates of indebtedness and long-term bonds.
- The certificates of indebtedness are issued on a daily basis for the investment of receipts not required to meet current expenditures, and they mature on the next June 30 following the date of issue.
- Special-issue bonds are normally acquired only when special issues of either type mature on June 30. The bonds generally have maturities ranging from one to fifteen years.1
Type of special issue Investment
frequencyMaturity Certificates of indebtedness Daily Next June 30 Bonds June 30 Generally 1 to 15 years1
Special issue redemption rules
When special issues need to be redeemed prior to maturity, the securities
are redeemed in order of
- Earliest maturity date;
- Lowest interest rate for securities with the same maturity date.