Investopedia

Treasury bond yields (or rates) are tracked by investors for many reasons. The yields on the bonds are paid by the U.S. government as "interest" for borrowing money (via selling the bond). A Treasury bill is a certificate representing a loan to the federal government that matures in four, eight, 13, 26, or 52 weeks.﻿﻿ A Treasury note may mature in two to 10 years.﻿﻿ A Treasury bond matures in more than 10 years and its yield is closely watched as an indicator of broader investor confidence.