Saturday, May 17, 2008

Highest CD (certificate of deposit) rates

A negotiable certificate of deposit is guaranteed by a commercial bank and it is to be sold in derivative or secondary markets. Negotiable certificate of deposits cannot be cashed before maturity. Because of the high face value of the NCD, large institutions consider these deposits as a low risk and low interest security option.

Bernanke and the rest of the Federal Reserve have lowered the interest rates by 25 basis points to 2.00%. Market analysts have speculated that Bernanke will keep rates unchanged for the next few months. Those who are looking to open a certificate of deposit might have to face a tough situation. The rates are so low right now that it is unfavorable to lock these rates in the long terms. Instead, it will be a good idea to stash money in the liquid market and savings account which yield better returns than CDs.

As per the present market condition, whether you invest your money in CD or a money market, the current unfavorable economy makes it very difficult to beat inflation. Because of the low interest rates and the rising oil prices and food shortages, it will become tough to maintain the standard of living.

There are many advantages of CD accounts versus money market or high yield interest rates for investors. When you do a search on google on the term “certificate of deposit”, it will bring out many results, each of them claiming to offer the highest CD rates. How will one decide which one is a good offer and which one is fake? You will be able to compare the offers in a credit union or a government website. They will mostly show the legit and the highest CD rates.

Credit unions are non profit organizations which tend to offer better interest rates than commercial institutions and banks. They also offer more personalized services than most of the banks who happen to be their biggest counterparts.

CD accounts have to be FDIC and NCUA insured. Bank accounts in the US are insured by the federal government if the account is up to a maximum of $100,000. The banking industry is governed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

When you are opening a CD account, check the highest CD rates and pay special attention to the important details like date of maturity when the transaction agreement expires. There are many banks and financial institutions that will assess a penalty for early withdrawal of the funds. Make sure that you have understood the fine prints clearly and get all your queries clarified before investing the money.

No comments: