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Quick Read
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Money market funds aren’t the only low-risk option. Treasury bill ETFs offer similar safety with added flexibility and no minimum investment requirements.
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WEEK simplifies T-bill ladders with weekly income. It automates short-term Treasury investing and provides consistent, hands-off cash flow.
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Yield is modest but safe and aligned with rates. Around 3.4% after fees reflects current short-term yields, with added tax advantages at the state level.
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There’s been a lot of talk about how ETFs are slowly cannibalizing the mutual fund industry. In some cases, it’s happening through outright conversions. In others, it’s happening through ETF share classes becoming more common in 2026. But one area that has remained surprisingly resilient is money market mutual funds.
These funds invest in ultra short-term, high-quality fixed income securities. Depending on the type, that can include certificates of deposit, commercial paper, repurchase agreements, U.S. Treasuries, and even municipal securities.
Whether you’re looking at prime, government, or municipal money market funds, they all share one defining feature: a fixed $1 per share net asset value (NAV). In practice, outside of extreme events like the 2008 financial crisis, they’ve been able to maintain that. When they don’t, it’s known as “breaking the buck.”
That said, they’re not perfect. Many money market mutual funds still require minimum investments in the thousands of dollars, and expense ratios in the 0.30% to 0.40% range aren’t uncommon, especially among larger fund providers.
If you’re willing to move into an ETF, you can get a few advantages. Lower fees, intraday liquidity, and the ability to trade like a stock with tight bid-ask spreads. And in some cases, you can even get paid more frequently. In the case of the ETF we’re looking at today, that means weekly income.
Now, the net asset value isn’t fixed at $1. It typically trades around $100. But in practice, it behaves very similarly to a money market fund and sits among the lowest-risk bond ETFs available.
Get Paid Weekly With Treasury Bills
Normally, Treasury bills don’t pay interest in the traditional sense. If you buy one directly through TreasuryDirect, you purchase it at a discount, and at maturity, you receive the full face value. The difference is your return.
To create consistent income, many investors build a ladder. For example, you might buy bills maturing in one month, two months, and three months. As each one matures, you reinvest the proceeds or use the cash as needed.
If you want to stay more hands-off and still get regular income, an ETF can do that for you. The Roundhill Weekly T-Bill ETF (CBOEBZX: WEEK) offers exactly that. For a 0.19% expense ratio, it actively manages a portfolio of Treasury bills with maturities between zero and three months.
It also trades with tight bid-ask spreads, often around a penny, has solid trading volume, and a low cost of entry around $100 per share or less if your brokerage offers fractional shares. With $171 million in assets under management, WEEK is also not in danger of closing down.
The goal is to maintain a stable net asset value over time. While it’s not fixed at $1, the price tends to hover around $100. Leading up to each distribution, the price gradually increases as interest accrues, then drops after the payout, repeating the cycle weekly.
How Much Yield Can You Expect?
Money market funds typically quote income using a 7-day SEC yield. Treasury bill ETFs, on the other hand, use a 30-day SEC yield.
Right now, after accounting for its 0.19% expense ratio, WEEK offers about a 3.4% 30-day SEC yield. That lines up closely with current short-term interest rates. With the federal funds rate sitting around 3.5% to 3.75%, the yield reflects what you’d expect after fees.
As for distributions, WEEK pays weekly. Roundhill provides a distribution calendar. For example, a recent weekly cycle for April shows a initial declaration date, followed by an ex-distribution date the next day, and a payout the following day. To receive the distribution, you need to hold the ETF before the ex-date. Keep in mind, though, that payouts can vary slightly week to week. That 3.4% 30-day SEC yield is a forward estimate, not a guarantee.
Finally, one advantage of WEEK is its tax treatment. Because it holds U.S. Treasury bills, the income is generally exempt from state and local taxes. However, it is still subject to federal income tax. That makes it more tax-efficient than many other fixed income options, especially for investors in high-tax states.
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