The term CD stands for Certificate of Deposit. A CD is simply a short- to medium-length investment. They are FDIC insured and are available for purchase at banks, credit unions, and savings and loans. CD’s are a good way for some consumers to get higher interest rates on their money, but there are some issues associated with them that consumers should know about before signing up for one.
In basic terms, CD’s operate like this: You will put a certain amount of money into the institution for a certain amount of time. The institution will use this money for various purposes. In exchange for investing your money with them, you are promised a predetermined interest rate on the money, as well as having your money protected by the FDIC. The FDIC is the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and it protects your money in case the bank or savings and loan fails.
Buying CD’s is a good, safe way to invest money but it does have some drawbacks. For one, once you buy the CD you are not allowed to withdraw that money without incurring a penalty fee. This is for withdrawals that take place before the CD matures. Another drawback can be the length of time that...