Certificate of Deposit Interest Rates
The most important aspect of a certificate of deposit (CD) is the interest rate. After all, it would not make any sense to invest your money into something that has no return associated with it. It is important to know as much as possible about how interest rates work before you purchase a CD.
The interest rate that you get when you purchase a CD generally depends on several factors such as the amount you invest, the length of time you invest for, and the issuing financial institution that you are dealing with. For example, if you invest the minimum amount allowed for a short period of time, your interest rate will probably be lower. However, if you invest a large amount of money into a long-term CD, there is a good chance that you will be offered a higher interest rate.
In most cases, you will get a fixed interest rate with a certificate of deposit although they are available with a variable rate. With a fixed interest rate you are locked in at the rate that was assigned at the time of purchase. However, some issuers do offer a no penalty feature, also known as a “bump up” feature. This feature allows you one chance to bump up to a higher rate before your maturity date without being assessed a penalty. Normally, the only way to accomplish this would be to withdraw your money early and reinvest it into a higher rate CD, in which case you would be charged an early withdrawal fee. (more…)
Popularity: 20% [?]