Salem Five BankOver the past few weeks, CD rates have changed quite a bit. Banks seem to be battling out for the top spots of most of the CD rate terms. This battle between banks isn’t much to write home about, but it’s a positive sign that CD rates might actually go up in 2011.

One of the most popular CD terms is the 24 month certificate of deposit which has not moved since Jan. 12, when Salem 5 Bank took over the spot from Melrose Credit Union. The Salem, Mass. based bank offers a rate of 1.75% APY on a minimum deposit of $10,000, kind of high for the average person.

These rates are much higher than what the large banks are offering and are much higher than the national average, which is currently sitting at 0.73% APY (24-month term). So if you want the best CD rates then you must look further than your local bank. Be sure you do your research to find the best CD rates, before signing anything at any bank.

Here are the next best 24-month rates:

If you find it hard to put $10,000 into a certificate of deposit then there are other great options. By putting extra money into a CD, you can usually get the best rates. Some banks offer lower minimums of $500, but you lose some of your interest. Usually the lost interest rates will not make much of a difference. 5 tenths of a percent will make very little difference. For example, if you put $5,000 into a 24 month CD at a rate of 1.60%, at the end of your term (24 months), you would have made $161.28 profit. Now if you placed the same amount of money into the same CD term, but lowered the rate to 1.55%, your profits would be about $156.20, a difference of $5.08 or 1 coffee! So if you cannot afford to meet the minimums of some of these CDs, then find the next best option, you probably aren’t missing out on much.

Be sure you get the best rates from your certificate of deposit by comparing CD rates from our up to date database.

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