What is the 10-year Treasury index?

An index is a portfolio of securities created solely to measure change in a particular area of the market, according to Investopedia . A 10-year Treasury index measures the changes that occur in the market for 10-year debt investments from the U.S. government.

A 10-year Treasury note is debt from the U.S. government that pays an investor interest every six months and the total value at the end of 10 years, says Investopedia. Indexes are made with their own individual methods, such as the Standard & Poor's/BGCantor current 10-year U.S. Treasury index, which bases its data off the most recently issued 10-year U.S. Treasury note, according to S&P Dow Jones Indices.