Should you move all of your money to a short-term CD? (2024)

FAQs

Should you move all of your money to a short-term CD? ›

Although short-term options are enticing, it's probably not wise to move all of your money to one of these, either. When you open a CD, you agree to keep your money locked in the account for the entire term. If you tap into your CD early, you'll likely pay an early withdrawal penalty.

Bottom Line. CDs can be a safe way to earn a little interest on your savings over a set period of time. But don't put more money in CDs than you can afford to lose access to for the length of the CD's term. Once your money is in a CD, you generally can't touch it without penalty until it matures.

Short-term CDs currently pay more, but longer-term maturities give you a guarantee of relatively high yields even if rates come down in the near term. Consider a plan, then, that takes advantage of various CD maturities, or pick one particular term that matches up with a specific spending need.

Cons of a CD. CDs aren't the right choice for everyone. CDs may offer little liquidity, meager returns, and no tax benefits.

The amount of money you should put in a certificate of deposit (CD) depends on numerous factors, ranging from how much you have to invest to how much the bank requires. You must typically make a minimum opening deposit, usually between $500 and $2,500, although some accounts don't have this requirement.

Are CDs safe if the market crashes? Putting your money in a CD doesn't involve putting your money in the stock market. Instead, it's in a financial institution, like a bank or credit union. So, in the event of a market crash, your CD account will not be impacted or lose value.

How CDs work. Unlike traditional or high-yield savings accounts, which have variable APYs, most CDs lock your money into a fixed interest rate the day you open the account. That's why if you suspect that interest rates will soon drop, it can be a good idea to put money in a CD to preserve the high APY you would earn.

The bottom line

The current interest rate environment is highly conducive to saving money following the Federal Reserve's decision to increase interest rates 11 times over the past two years. A short-term CD gives you the opportunity to lock in today's high interest rates as you save to achieve your short-term goals.

Paying an early withdrawal penalty could also make sense if your CD is earning considerably less than current interest rates. For example, if you have a long-term CD earning a 2% APY, and new CDs offer APYs in the 5% range, you should consider cashing out your long-term CD as it could mean earning 3% more on your cash.

CDs are generally safe investments. These accounts offer fixed, predictable returns that aren't affected by financial markets or the state of the economy once you lock in your rate. Moreover, CDs usually come with FDIC or NCUA insurance for up to $250,000 per depositor, per account.

Why is CD not a good financial investment? ›

If inflation is rising, it could outpace the rate of return you're earning on your CDs, especially in a low interest rate environment. This means even though your savings is growing, it won't stretch as far when it's time to spend it. Notably, this is also a risk when keeping money in savings and money market accounts.

The most common way people lose money through a CD account is by withdrawing their funds before the term ends. When you take money out of your CD account before the maturity date, you'll typically have to pay an early withdrawal penalty.

CD rates may not be high enough to keep pace with inflation when consumer prices rise. Investing money in the stock market could generate much higher returns than CDs. CDs offer less liquidity than savings accounts, money market accounts, or checking accounts.

Let's assume you have a total of $50,000 of investments and cash. In this scenario, you may want to put $2,500 -- 5% of your $50,000 -- into a CD. Keep in mind that you don't want to put all your cash into a CD.

The biggest disadvantage of investing in CDs is that, unlike a traditional savings account, CDs aren't flexible. Once you decide on the term of the CD, whether it's six months or 18 months, it can't be changed after the account is funded.

Traditionally, in your typical ladder, five-year CDs have a higher yield than one-year CDs. But these days, you're likely to see a CD with a term of around six months to 18 months will likely have the highest yield in your ladder.

While longer-term CDs may tie up your funds for years, a 6-month CD allows you to access your money relatively quickly. If you suddenly need your $5,000 for an emergency or a more lucrative investment opportunity arises, you won't have to wait years to access your funds without incurring hefty penalties.