With all the turmoil in the financial markets, people are interested in finding no risk CDs more than ever before. After all, if you are one of the lucky ones and actually have money to invest, you might just want to sit on the sidelines safely and earn interest risk free until this crisis is over.
We have never before (other than the stock market crash of 1929) thought of our banking institutions as vulnerable. The FDIC guarantee of $100,000 (now $250,000 until the end of 2009) has always been there but none of us ever really expected to have to think about it. Now though, we are seeing that any kind of bank, big or small, can get into trouble. Citigroup and Bank of America are two financial institutions that very few people probably ever thought would need help from the government in the form of a stimulus bailout.
So, this finds everyone of us that wants to invest our money and still sleep at night, scrambling around looking at our different options for no risk investing. Bank CD's have always been one of the safest vehicles and as just mentioned, they are guaranteed up to $250,000 at least through 12/31/09. But are they really risk free?
Interest rates on CDs are so low right now that a case can be made that no CD is risk free. What I mean by that is that when you factor in inflation, you are losing money with even the safest investments. Now most people are looking for a certificate of deposit that cannot lose any of the principle and that is their intent when they search for "no risk" CD's. Right now, anything guaranteed by FDIC is the safest and, although the economy is in shambles, the government guarantee is the best thing we have going.
But nothing is really guaranteed in life and if things get really bad, who knows whether the government can come through? It is only our tax dollars they have and things can and have spiralled down quickly. Inflation though is one of the biggest problems we face and it is only multiplied by the way our goverment is printing money. The common person tends to ignore inflation and that is one of the reasons the government can get away with all the things they do.
So, although you might be able to find some no risk CDs and feel good about it, remember that you are losing money on inflation. As long as interest rates are at this rock bottom level, it is very likely that you are still effectively losing purchasing power no matter where you put your money and how safe you think it is.
INTEREST RATES ON CDS
CD’s or Certificate of Deposit is another way for bank customers to park their funds and save their hard earned money. It is another type of bank product offered to savings account holders that allows them to deposit a fixed amount of money with a designated interest rate over a period of time. At the end of the agreed upon time to hold the savings, the customer has the option to withdraw what they saved plus interest or allow it to be rolled over to another CD.
Both bankers and customers alike benefit a lot from this method because bankers are guaranteed to raise short term capital. At the same time, the customers have another way to save and let it earn interest while it stays with the bank.
Here are a couple of basic things you should know about your certificate of deposit:
1) A larger initial deposit has better chances of earning a larger interest rate.
2)The longer term or period it stays with the bank the higher interest rate you will receive.
3) Some small institutions may offer more than what a larger bank can give.
4) Business accounts earn considerably lesser than most personal accounts.
5) Banks and other financial institution that are not covered by the FDIC generally offer a high interest rate.
Although there is very little liquidity, a certificate of deposit is considered one of the more secure investments but it comes with a low interest rate. It has gotten a little tough these days to earn higher interest rates, especially since the Federal Reserve has driven the rates down. Commercial banks are charged a little lower than before by the government-controlled banks. And for as long as this continues, banks will also continue to reduce interest rates on your certificate of deposits.
However, the economy might just begin to do well and when that happens, interest rates on CDs will also shoot up. Since we are not sure when that will occur, we could choose the best yield on our CD’s with a term of no longer than 6 months to a year. That way, you can jump to a better offer once your CD matures.
Both bankers and customers alike benefit a lot from this method because bankers are guaranteed to raise short term capital. At the same time, the customers have another way to save and let it earn interest while it stays with the bank.
Here are a couple of basic things you should know about your certificate of deposit:
1) A larger initial deposit has better chances of earning a larger interest rate.
2)The longer term or period it stays with the bank the higher interest rate you will receive.
3) Some small institutions may offer more than what a larger bank can give.
4) Business accounts earn considerably lesser than most personal accounts.
5) Banks and other financial institution that are not covered by the FDIC generally offer a high interest rate.
Although there is very little liquidity, a certificate of deposit is considered one of the more secure investments but it comes with a low interest rate. It has gotten a little tough these days to earn higher interest rates, especially since the Federal Reserve has driven the rates down. Commercial banks are charged a little lower than before by the government-controlled banks. And for as long as this continues, banks will also continue to reduce interest rates on your certificate of deposits.
However, the economy might just begin to do well and when that happens, interest rates on CDs will also shoot up. Since we are not sure when that will occur, we could choose the best yield on our CD’s with a term of no longer than 6 months to a year. That way, you can jump to a better offer once your CD matures.
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