Securities are any bill, note, bond, debenture, equity or similar instrument that is commonly referred to as a security, excluding certificates of deposit. (In cases where it is not clear if a specific instrument is a security, contact the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.)
Securities may be negotiable (tradable in secondary markets) or non-negotiable (not tradable in secondary markets).
Securities are classified as short-term (original maturity of one year or less) or long-term (original maturity of more than one year). Short-term securities, include money market instruments such as Treasury bills, short-term agency securities, commercial and finance paper, bankers’ acceptances, and short-term notes
Long-term securities include securities with no stated maturity, including equity securities such as common stock, preferred stock, certificate of interests, partnership interests, and mutual fund shares.