Sources of Interest Rates

There are many different kinds of interest rates, including those for deposits and loans. The most common debt instruments referred to for risk-free rates are:

3-month Treasury Bills
1-year Treasury Bonds

Interest rates and yields for these Government securities and other debt instruments may be found on Table 1.35 in the monthly Federal Reserve Bulletin (issues for the current year are at the Periodical Department counter) as well as online on:

FRED II, the Federal Reserve Economic Data database of the Federal Reserve Bank of St Louis.
- Selected Interest Rates (current H.15 release)
- Selected Interest Rates (historical data)
- Monthly Interest Rate Data (historical time series) e.g. 3-month Treasury Bills (1934- )
Statistical Abstract of the U.S.
- Money Market Interest Rates and Mortgage Rates (go to page 17)
- Stock Prices and Yields (go to page 21)

For statistical data of all sorts, refer to the following print sources, both shelved at the Reference Desk:

Business Statistics of the United States, Bernan Press, annual.
Statistical Abstract of the United States U.S. Government Printing Office, annual.

Return to Questions for Financial Analysis

Ka-Neng Au (au@andromeda.rutgers.edu)
http://newarkwww.rutgers.edu/guides/business/fin-int.htm
Revised 16 May 2003