Straight Up Facts

Taxes and Certificates of Deposit: What You Need to Know 

When do we not think about taxes? Whether we’re making investments, contemplating a major purchase, estate planning, or closing out the calendar year, taxes are always top of mind. In recent years, Certificates of Deposit (CDs) have regained popularity due to their low risk and relatively high returns. Even as interest rates trend downward, many …

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Three Strategies to Help Optimize Your CDs (Certificates of Deposit)  

Landing on the right Certificates of Deposit (CD) that will help you earn more while you save, takes research, shopping around for rates, and making sure you have terms that align with what you want to financially achieve by a certain time.   Don’t get us wrong, CDs are an easy low-risk way to reach your …

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Don’t Wait to Lock in or Contribute More to an IRA CD Before April

As some of you may be nearing retirement, you’re thinking about maximizing your retirement funds in the home stretch. IRAs (individual retirement accounts) are a great strategy for your retirement savings and with the current state of CD interest rates (4.50% and above) placing your IRA funds in a CD (Certificate of Deposit) allows you to earn …

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HYSA

CDs vs. High-Yield Savings: What’s the Difference If They Both Offer Competitive Rates

Certificates of deposit (CDs) and high-yield savings accounts are generally a great place to store excess cash while earning more with higher-than-average interest rates. But what truly differentiates the two is how the interest rate is set and the accessibility of your cash. What is a CD? A CD is a low-risk account that offers …

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FDIC vs. NCUA: What’s the Difference and Is One Potentially Better Than the Other? 

Government-backed deposit insurance protects money in deposit accounts in the unlikely event that a bank or credit union fails. Banks are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), while credit unions are insured by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA).   What is the FDIC?  In response to many Americans who lost their life savings …

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Bonds vs. Certificates of Deposit (CDs): What’s the Difference 

Certificates of deposit (CDs) and bonds are known to be low risk as they typically are designed to return your principal, generally pay higher interest rates than traditional savings accounts, and offer fair returns. You’re able to tuck away excess cash, watch it grow at a set term and interest rate, and be confident that …

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cd interest rates

2023: Year of the CD (Certificates of Deposit) Comeback

The Federal Reserve has been hiking federal funds rates since 2022 – a total of 11 rate hikes, a solution the central bank hopes can slow down the economy enough to moderate price growth. In 2023, more financial institutions were offering CDs and competition continued to grow which has been good for savers. In 2023, …

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Climbing Rates

CD Rates Are Climbing – Here’s How It Affects You

Whether you’ve been keeping an eye out on the current interest rates or not, we all know that the greater the interest rate, the greater the potential we have to earn more. Fortunately for us, Certificates of Deposit rates are rising, but the important question is why is that happening and what does that mean …

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Why Do Credit Unions Usually Have Higher Rates?

For those who’ve been keeping up with the current rise in interest rates and shopping around to take advantage of the best CD (Certificate of Deposit) rates, you may have noticed some of the highest rates – 5.50% APY and above – are often from credit unions.    Why do credit unions pay higher CD rates? …

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