About Short-Term CD Accounts
How to Choose a Short-Term CD
Selecting the right under-1-year CD can be valuable for meeting your financial goals.
Raisin's digital savings platform offers some of the most competitive short-term CDs available on the market, all from trusted, federally insured banks and credit unions. Let's delve into the key factors you should consider when making your selection.
Interest rate and APY: The first factor you'll want to look at is the Annual Percentage Yield (APY). This number includes the base interest rate and also accounts for how frequently the interest is compounded, giving you a more comprehensive view of what your potential earnings will be.
Security: Before you deposit your money, it's crucial to check if the financial institution is insured by the FDIC or the NCUA. This provides an extra layer of security to your investment, making CDs one of the safest financial vehicles available. All CDs on the Raisin platform are from federally insured financial institutions.
Minimum deposit: The amount required to open a CD can vary from one institution to another. The key is to find an option that fits well with your current financial situation. With Raisin, you'll find CDs that have a $1 minimum deposit to open.
Fees and penalties: Be aware that fixed-term CDs often come with penalties if you withdraw your money before the term ends. Always read the fine print to understand any additional fees or penalties that may apply in such cases.
Compound interest schedule: Lastly, pay attention to how frequently the interest compounds - daily, monthly, or annually. The frequency can impact your overall returns, especially on short-term CDs.
How Does a CD Account Work?
Understanding the mechanics of a CD account is crucial for making the most out of your investment. Let's delve into the specifics to see how a CD works, how it differs from other types of deposit accounts, and what safety measures are in place to protect your investment.
Fixed Term And Interest Rate
The key feature that sets a CD apart from other savings options is its fixed term and interest rate. When you open a CD, you agree to deposit a sum of money for a predetermined period, which can range from as short as one month to as long as several years. During this term, the interest rate on your deposit is locked in, ensuring a predictable and guaranteed return.
CDs tend to offer among the highest available interest rates of all banking deposit products, making them particularly appealing in an environment where interest rates are volatile. The longer the CD's term, the higher the interest rate usually is. For example, there can be as much as an 8x difference in average rates between a 1-month CD and a 12-month CD.
Maturity
The end of a CD's term is known as its maturity date. At this point, you have a few options. You can withdraw the money you initially deposited along with the interest earned, or you can roll over the CD into a new one with a new term. Some financial institutions may automatically roll over the CD for you if you don’t choose by the maturity date, so it's crucial to be aware of this date and your institution's policies.
Types of CDs
There are various types of CDs to consider based on your financial needs and goals:
Fixed-term CDs: These are the most standard type of CDs, where you agree not to touch the money for a fixed period in exchange for a guaranteed interest rate.
No-penalty CDs: These CDs offer more flexibility by allowing you to withdraw your funds before the term ends without incurring a penalty. However, they often come with a slightly lower interest rate.
Safety Measures
CD accounts are a very safe, low-risk instrument for earning passive income. Perhaps the greatest advantage of CDs is the security they offer. Most CDs from banks are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), while those from credit unions are insured by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA). This means that even if the financial institution fails, your deposit is insured up to $250,000 per depositor, per account, per insured institution. This provides a level of security that is hard to match with riskier investments like stocks or ETFs.
Accessibility
How easily you can access your money is another critical factor in choosing a savings account. Here are the accessibility features for both types of accounts:
CD accounts: Fixed-term CDs usually come with penalties for early withdrawal, discouraging you from accessing your funds before the agreed term ends. However, no-penalty CDs offer more flexibility and don't charge for early withdrawal.
High-yield savings accounts: May have limits on the number of transactions you can make, but generally allow more flexible access to your funds without early withdrawal penalties.
Benefits of Certificates of Deposit (CDs)
Certificates of deposit, also known as CDs, are a type of deposit account offered by banks and credit unions. CDs allow you to earn interest on your money like other deposit accounts, such as a savings account, but there are some key aspects that make CDs unique. Notably, CDs tend to offer among the highest available interest rates of all banking deposit products.
Unlike savings accounts or money market accounts, you can deposit a set amount of money into your CD account and commit to leaving your money there for a fixed period of time. Terms may last as little as three months, or as long as five years (60 months) or even longer. In return, you'll earn a fixed amount of interest based on a predetermined interest rate. The rate of a CD typically does not change during the term, which is why you may see the product called a fixed-term CD. Another type of CD is a no-penalty CD, which gives the owner more flexibility to withdraw funds before the CD's maturity date.
When the CD term is up — when the product has reached maturity — you’ll be able to withdraw your original balance plus any interest earned, or opt to rollover all or part of those proceeds into a new CD with a new term. A key benefit of opening a CD is you’ll know exactly how much of a return you’ll receive when your money is ready to withdraw at the maturity date you selected.
CD Accounts vs. High-Yield Savings Accounts
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Tips for Using Certificates of Deposit
There are a host of advantages to leveraging certificates of deposit (CDs) to boost your savings. You are likely to earn more interest with a CD compared to that of a competitive high-yield savings account. Plus, the interest rate you earn for the duration of the CD term won’t fluctuate over time. And you can pick a term to fit your needs. This feature allows you to structure CDs in sequences, such as the CD ladder, which provides periodic access to savings while tapping the highest available interest rates of the longest-term products.
Click the button to read more about how to maximize your savings with CDs.
What Is Raisin?
Raisin brings together high-yielding savings products offered by a network of U.S. financial institutions. It’s your destination to discover competitive savings products and start saving wisely. Select and fund multiple savings products from different institutions and manage them all from one account.
Safety
Funds deposited into any of the savings products available through Raisin are always held by a federally insured financial institution. A very easy and safe way to diversify your deposit portfolio. We use a host of cybersecurity measures to protect your funds and sensitive information.
Choice
Savings products from our network of financial institutions offer flexible terms and some of the most competitive interest rates. You can easily find the right product or mix of products for you.
Convenience
One account to hold all your deposit products. Simplified statements. Easy access to manage your funds – all through a streamlined digital platform.
How Raisin Protects Your Money and Personal Information
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
All participating banks are members of the FDIC. Deposits in participating banks are insured by the FDIC up to the limits of federal law. The standard insurance amount is $250,000 per depositor, per insured bank, for each deposit account ownership category.
Click to learn more about FDIC insuranceNational Credit Union Administration
All participating credit unions are insured by the NCUA through its Share Insurance Fund. Deposits in participating credit unions are insured by the NCUA up to the limits of federal law. The standard insurance amount is $250,000 per depositor, per insured credit union, for each deposit account ownership category.
Click to learn more about NCUA insuranceCybersecurity is a top priority at Raisin
We invest in a variety of technologies to protect our customer’s data, privacy and transactions. These include multi-factor authentication, encryption, and web application firewall advanced internet protection technologies. We are a SOC 2 certified organization, which means we have met the requirements outlined by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) to ensure that we have the controls in place to keep customers' data secure and private.
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FAQs
Raisin is a digital platform that gives savers unparalleled access to a variety of deposit products through the convenience of a single account, helping you unlock the growth potential of your cash savings.
Raisin customers use the platform to fund federally insured deposit products offered by numerous U.S. banks and credit unions with a wide range of maturities and APYs (annual percentage yield), allowing you to build a savings strategy to suit your earning and liquidity needs.
Raisin is not a bank. It provides the digital “storefront” where banks and credit unions can promote their deposit products.
Raisin is operated by Raisin LLC, a 100% subsidiary of Raisin GmbH, a trailblazer for open banking in the deposits and investments space. In the U.S., Raisin helps banks and credit unions improve their deposit funding by offering national reach for their retail deposit products, and provides savers with better access, more choice and higher convenience when evaluating savings products from FDIC insured banks and NCUA insured credit unions.
Your Raisin account gives you access to savings accounts and certificates of deposit offered by a variety of banks and credit unions with the security of federal deposit insurance. These products include:
High-yield Savings Account (HYSA). As its name indicates, this account type functions like a traditional savings account — with typically no restrictions on depositing and withdrawing funds — but earns interest (or dividends in the case of credit union savings products) at rates that are higher than the national average for standard savings accounts.
Money Market Deposit Account (MMDA). Also known as a money market account or MMA, this type of savings account offers a varying rate that allows you to earn interest (or dividends) on your funds with maximum flexibility for withdrawals. Like a HYSA, an MMDA offers features of a traditional savings account with typically higher returns.
No Penalty CD. Through the flexibility of a No Penalty CD, you can lock in a competitive rate for a fixed term with the option to make a full withdrawal without having to pay a penalty for the early termination. Terms and conditions may vary by product. Please see specific product terms for more details.
Fixed Term CD. With this longstanding savings vehicle, funds are held for a fixed term, and a competitive APY (annual percentage yield) provides safe, predictable earnings. In contrast to No Penalty CDs, typically you are charged a fee if you do not complete the full term of the Fixed Term CD.
Interest (or dividend in the case of credit union savings products) is compounded daily and posted to your account monthly.
The short answer is yes! Raisin exclusively partners with FDIC-insured banks and NCUA-insured credit unions.
For Raisin customers who hold savings products offered by one of our partner banks, funds are insured by the FDIC up to the maximum amount in accordance with and as permitted by law at each bank holding their funds. The standard deposit insurance coverage limit is $250,000 per depositor, per FDIC-insured bank, per account ownership category. Ownership categories as defined by the FDIC include single bank accounts (owned by one person/depositor) and joint bank accounts (owned by two or more persons/depositors). Revocable trust accounts and some types of retirement accounts (e.g., IRAs) are among the other ownership categories covered by FDIC insurance. All deposits you have at a bank — whether made through Raisin or otherwise — count toward the deposit insurance limit. If funds held at a bank in a certain ownership category exceed the coverage limit, then the amount in excess of the limit will not be insured.
For Raisin customers who hold a savings product offered by one of our partner credit unions, funds are insured by the NCUA through its Share Insurance Fund. According to the NCUA, each credit union member has at least $250,000 in total coverage. The Share Insurance Fund insures individual accounts up to $250,000. Additionally, a member’s interest in all joint accounts combined is insured up to $250,000.
At Raisin, cybersecurity is our priority. Raisin is a SOC 2 certified platform, meaning it has been validated by outside auditors across five (5) key information security principles. We also use a variety of measures to protect our customers' data, privacy and transactions, including:
• User authentication. The Raisin platform uses multi-factor authentication combined with leading authentication technology to validate our customers’ identities.
• Data encryption. Your personal information is encrypted in-transit and at rest using advanced cryptographic security algorithms.
• Site protection. Web application firewall advanced internet protection technologies are implemented to protect Raisin.com from malicious actors, botnets and denial of service attacks (DDOS).
• Monitoring. An always-on information security monitoring platform detects and alerts us to information security events.
• Assessments. Our platform undergoes vigorous security assessments and testing throughout the lifecycle of application development, from architecture planning to production phases.
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A. Check out our savings marketplace and choose a product in which you would like to deposit money.
B. Create your username and password.
C. Complete an application and, after successful identity verification, link a bank account from which to fund your first savings product.
D. Start earning interest as soon as your money is received by the bank or credit union offering the savings product you selected.
Any questions or concerns? Email us at support.us@raisin.com.
All deposits and withdrawals are completed within one to three (1-3) business days. After the initial deposit a withdrawals limitation for the first few business days may exist.
Business days are Monday through Friday excluding U.S. bank holidays.
For products offered by banks, all necessary registration is handled when you become a Raisin customer. One of the many benefits of our platform is that you can open a single account and earn competitive interest rates from banks in the Raisin network. When you select and fund a savings product offered by a credit union, there is an additional step of becoming a member. Raisin makes that process quick, easy and free. You still have one Raisin login and can view all your savings products in one convenient dashboard.
The current APY for your savings products can always be viewed on the Account Overview page when you are logged in to Raisin. This information also appears on monthly statements.
You cannot currently link your Raisin account to a third-party app, but we may offer this feature in the future. For now, you will not be able to link your selected savings product to a third-party app even if the bank or credit union offering that product does so outside of the Raisin platform.
Email: support.us@raisin.com
|Call: 844-994-EARN (3276) (Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. ET)
The Raisin name and logo are trademarks of Raisin GmbH. All other trademarks, logos, marks, and brand names are the property of their respective owners — used with permission.
© 2024 Raisin GmbH. All rights reserved.
*APY means Annual Percentage Yield. APY is accurate as of {todayDate}. Interest rate and APY may change after initial deposit depending on the terms of the specific product selected. Minimum opening deposit is $1.00.
Raisin is not an FDIC-insured bank or an NCUA-insured credit union, and does not hold any customer funds. Funds deposited through Raisin are exclusively held at federally insured financial institutions. FDIC or NCUA deposit insurance coverage covers the failure of partner banks and credit unions on the Raisin platform.
Customer funds are held in various custodial deposit accounts. Each customer authorizes the Custodial Bank to hold the customer’s funds in such accounts, in a custodial capacity, in order to effectuate the customer’s deposits to and withdrawals from the various bank and credit union products that the customer requests through Raisin.com. The Custodial Bank does not establish the terms of the bank or credit union products and provides no advice to customers about bank or credit union products offered through Raisin.com. Central Bank of Kansas City (CBKC), Member FDIC, d.b.a. Central Payments is the Service Bank. CBKC, Lewis & Clark Bank and Starion Bank, each Member FDIC, are the Custodial Banks.