I began investing in certificates of deposit when I was 13. Back then (yes, we had color TV and telephones) there were just two options when it came to picking a CD: the term and the amount of money you wanted to invest.
Today, things are a bit more complicated. The good news is that the many options available today can make these savings vehicles more attractive. We’ll take a look at the types of CDs available today. As we do, keep two things in mind:
1. Early Withdrawal Penalties: Most CDs levy a penalty if you take your money out before the end of the term. Couple this with the fact that the longer the term the higher the rates, and you find yourself weighing your desire for more interest with the likelihood you may need your money sooner than expected.
2. Fixed Interest Rates: Once you open a CD, you’re generally stuck with the interest rate for the entire term, even if prevailing rates are on the rise. Of course, this is a great feature when rates are falling.
I mention these two aspects of certificates of deposit because the variety of options now available often give investors a way to mitigate these risks.
So now let’s look at the types of CDs and how best to put them to use.
No Penalty CD: As the name suggest, some certificates of deposit will not levy a penalty if you take your money out earlier. At first glance this may seem just like a savings account, but there are two significant differences. First, unlike a savings account, if you want to take some of your money out of a no penalty CD, you have to take all of it out. It’s all or nothing. Of course, you could turn around and open another one, but this quickly becomes a real chore. Second, the interest rate is fixed for the term of the CD, unlike a savings account where rates can fluctuate daily.
A no penalty CD is ideal for an emergency fund or anything else where you may need your money on short notice. We maintain a list of the best no penalty CD rates that is updated regularly. For my money, the Ally Bank no-penalty CD is one of the best offers currently available.
Bump Up CD: Also called a raise your rate CD, this option seeks to take the sting out of rising rates. Rather than sticking you with a rate for the entire term, if rates rise you can choose to take advantage of the higher rate for the remainder of the term. But there’s a catch (there’s always a catch). You only can exercise this option once during the term of the CD. So choose wisely.
Brokered CD: In this situation, your broker pools your money with other investors and buys a large CD from a bank. Often, this allows you to work around penalty problems. If you want to cash out early, a broker can frequently sell your investment to another investor. This may still result in a small loss, depending on how interest rates have changed since you purchased the CD.
Foreign Currency CD: These are lots of fun. You invest in a certificate of deposit denominated in another currency. The CD can be specific to a single country, or it can be a basket of CDs from several countries. You get the potential for higher returns than what you can currently get in the U.S., and you also get some foreign currency exposure. Of course, with all this exposure comes risk. Don’t think of foreign currency CDs as safe, FDIC-insured accounts. They are not. But they can make a nice addition to a well diversified portfolio. Everbank offers these types of CDs as well as many others.
High Yield CD: Although this is not an official definition, for me a high yield CD is one that pays an interest rate in the top 5% of all FDIC-insured banks. Much of the time this limits your options to online banks. We maintain a list of the best CD rates currently available, which includes these higher paying options.
Finally, if you want the higher rates of long term CDs but the ability to access your funds, consider using a CD ladder. Instead of buying one CD, you buy multiple CDs each with different terms, so that they will mature at different determined intervals.
Let’s say you have $20,000 to invest. You like the rates of a three-year CD, but aren’t comfortable tying up all that money for that long. You could, for example, take out a CD for $4,000 every six months. In the initial investment period, you would always have liquid funds waiting to be invested in CDs. Three years after you took out your first CD, it would be maturing, and soon be ready to reinvest. This way, if disaster strikes, you’ll always have a sum of money at most six months away from being available. And, if you need to withdraw early, you won’t pay penalties on all of your investment.
Hi, thank you for this enlightening article! I have a question about USA Bank, Port Chester, NY. Does anyone have any idea about this bank please?:
I explored Customers Bank to open a CD and they showed a promo of 11 months at 1.50 and a 24 month at 1.75% both minimum of $500…they referred me to their “NY branch” (I’m from NY) under the name of USA Bank, in Port Chester, NY and their rates of: 1.75% for 11 months and 1.50% for 24 months, min. $500 (the reverse of the parent company!).
But I have the following suspicions:
1. If you noticed, USA Bank reversed the order of these 2 CD offers, but the manager assured me this is correct at his branch.
2. A Google search showed USA Bank had failed in 2009 or 2010, it was bought by New Century Bank, and it changed its name to Customers Bank. USA Bank is now re-established and covered by FDIC (I searched and they are in).
3. I also read they have a staff of only 2 people and I can see that since it’s only the manager who answers my several calls and emails.
4. I’d feel more secure if it had kept the same name as the parent company.
5. I wanted to invest $7,000.00 for the 11-month CD at 1.75% and I’m at the final stage but….I’m rather afraid.
Thanks ever so much for any suggestions or if someone opened an account with USA Bank and what they think. Rosedala
Very good information. I didn’t know there were that many choices for CD’s. I like the idea of the ladder CD. I always fear that as soon as I tie up money in a CD, I will need it.