A bond, according to Webster's dictionary, is an interest-
bearing certificate issued by a government or business promising
to pay the holder a specified sum on a specified date. Bills,
notes, and bonds Treasury bills, notes and bonds and U.S.
savings bonds are excellent, risk-free ways to preserve your
principal, get pretty good returns and keep your investments
relatively liquid. The government sells Treasury securities --
bills, notes and savings bonds. In addition, U.S. Treasury bonds
are available on the open market. All of these are debt
instruments sold to raise money to operate the government and
pay off debt. Treasury securities are safe investments because
they're backed by the U.S. government. The minimum amount
required to buy a Treasury bill or note is $1,000. Savings bonds
can be purchased for as little Treasury bills (T-bills) are
short-term securities that mature in one year or less. You buy
them for less than par (face) value. When the bill matures, you
receive par value. For example, you migh