Most American Express Personal Savings CDs offer competitive interest rates. The terms 18-months or longer offer rates that are competitive with other online CDs. These rates are much higher than typical bank rates. The interest rates for American Express CDs are not tiered. Any amount in the account earns the most competitive interest rate.

American Express offers a variety of ways to receive the interest earned off their CDs. You can request a check mailed monthly, each quarter, or once a year. You can transfer the money into another American Express account or a linked account. You can also leave the money in the CD account. American Express gives options to withdraw interest, but it will reduce your earnings. Contact customer service to initiate these options.

There is no set amount required to open American Express CDs. You can open each of the different CD terms with any amount. There is no monthly fee or no required amount to keep in the account to earn interest.

American Express Personal Savings offers a good variety of CD terms. The terms range from 6-months to 60-months. There are seven total CD terms to choose from.

The shortest American Express CD terms have lower interest rates. These term rates are not competitive with other online CDs of the same length. The six-month and 12-month terms do not offer as competitive interest rates as the other American Express CDs.

American Express does not allow partial withdrawals from the CD before maturity. If you need to withdraw money before the maturity date, you must withdraw the entire CD balance. As with all CDs, if you withdraw money before maturity, there is a fee assessed.

The early withdrawal fees for American Express CDs are high. If your CD is less than 12 months, the fee is 90 days of interest. For terms from 12 months to less than 48 months, the fee is 270 days of interest. CD terms from 48 months to less than 60 months, the fee is 365 days of interest. The fee for 60-month terms or longer is 540 days of interest. If you have not earned enough interest to cover the fee, the rest is taken from the CD principal.

American Express Personal Savings does not guarantee to get customers the highest interest rate. The interest rate you receive for the CD term is the rate on the day you fund your account. The interest rate is fixed. It is locked in for the life of the term.

Read the full American Express review.

USAA provides a good variety of CD terms. The terms range from three-months to seven-years. They offer fixed-rate CDs, jumbo and super jumbo CDs, and variable-rate CD terms. Each of these types of CDs offers different term lengths.

The standard fixed-rate CDs have low opening required amounts. Each of those CD terms requires $1,000 to open and earn interest. The standard CD terms range from 91-days to seven years. The variable-rate CDs only require $250 to open.

The USAA standard fixed-rate CDs offer competitive interest rates. The rates are competitive with other online CDs. They are much higher than the typical bank rates. These CD interest rates are not tiered. Any amount above the required opening amount earns competitive rates.

Everything for your USAA accounts can be done online. You can apply to become a member online. Once you are approved, you can open their CDs and other accounts online. They also offer a mobile app.

The jumbo and super jumbo CDs with USAA have high opening required amounts. The jumbo CDs require $95,000 to open. Super jumbo CDs require $175,000 to open. Standard CDs require $1,000 to open.

To transfer money electronically into your USAA CD, you must link another account. This linked account can be an external account or another account with USAA. Once the account is verified, you can transfer money electronically.

To open accounts with USAA, you must first become a member of the bank. Those who are eligible to join include active military and former military members. Eligible family members of those serving, cadets, and midshipmen are also able to join.

USAA CDs offer competitive rates, but not an interest rate guarantee. If the interest rates increase shortly after you open your CD, your USAA rates will not increase. Each of the CD terms offers competitive rates.

Read the full USAA review.