• Commercial paper is a form of unsecured short-term debt.

  • It is commonly issued by companies to fund their payrolls, accounts payable, inventory, and other short-term liabilities.
  • Maturities of commercial paper vary from one to 270 days, with an average of about 30 days.
  • Exchange-traded securities are issued at a discount and are redeemable at face value.
  • Commercial paper has a minimum denomination of $100,000 and pays a fixed interest rate that fluctuates depending on the market.