The opening required amount for PenFed CDs is low. Each standard and IRA CD terms only require $1,000 to open. The education CDs only require $500 to open. You can open the CDs online or in a branch location.

There are a good variety of CDs available through PenFed. They offer nine standard CD terms from six months to seven years. Their IRA CDs and educational savings certificates terms range from one to seven years.

Each CD term with PenFed offers competitive interest rates. The rates are competitive with other online CDs. The standard, IRA, and education CDs interest rates are competitive. They are higher than the typical bank interest rates.

There is more than one way to choose how to receive interest payments earned from your PenFed CDs. You can have the money added to the CD or another account. You can choose to have the money sent to you in a check. You can receive the interest earned monthly or when the CD matures.

To open a CD with PenFed, you must first become a member of the credit union. If you have or are currently serving in the military, you can become a member. Living in certain areas or being a member of set organizations qualifies you. If you work for the U.S. government or other organizations, you are eligible as well. If you do not meet any of these requirements, you can pay a $5 fee. Once you are a member, you can apply for accounts.

PenFed offers standard CDs, IRA CDs, and educational CDs. Members can only open standard CDs online. To open the other types of CDs, you must visit a branch location or contact customer service. All the standard CD terms are available to open online.

The standard PenFed CDs do not offer an interest rate guarantee. If you open a CD and the interest rates increase shortly after, your interest rates will not increase. The PenFed standard CDs offer competitive interest rates.

The early withdrawal fees for PenFed CDs are high. If you withdraw money early from a six-month CD, you will lose all your interest. For CD terms longer than six-month the fee is all interest earned if withdrawn in the first year. After the first year, the fee is 30 percent of what would have been earned if the CD had reached maturity.

Read the full PenFed Credit Union review.

Home Savings Bank offers a good variety of CD terms. They offer online only terms for those who do not live by a branch location and in-branch terms for those who do. There are a total of seven different CD terms for each type. The terms range from six-months to 60-months.

The CDs with Home Savings Bank offer competitive interest rates. The rates are much higher than typical bank rates. They are competitive with other online CD rates. Even the short-term CDs offer rates competitive with other short-term online CDs.

Home Savings Bank CDs will automatically renew after the CD reaches maturity. If you wish to keep your money in your Home Savings Bank CD, you do not have to contact customer service. The CD will automatically renew to the same CD term length. The rate will be determined on the day the CD renews.

The early withdrawal fees are low compared to other online CD accounts. For terms from six-months to 15-months, the fee is three months of interest on the withdrawn amount. For terms longer than 15-months, the fee is six-months of interest on the withdrawn amount.

The opening required amounts for Home Savings Bank CDs are high. Each CD term requires $5,000 to open. You can open any of the CD terms online with this set required amount. You must keep $5,000 in the CD to earn interest.

You cannot close your Home Savings Bank CD during the grace period. You must specify you want to close the account before the CD reaches maturity. You can set up to close your CD 30 days prior to the CD maturity date up to the day before maturity. Upon maturity, the money transfers into the initial account the money transferred from. Set up CD closure through online banking.

Home Savings Bank has specific online accounts. All activity for those accounts must be through online banking. Those activities include opening and closing CDs and all inquiries about the accounts. There is a $10 fee per transaction if any of this activity is done in a branch location.

Home Savings Bank does not offer an interest rate guarantee. The interest rate on the day you open the account is the rate you receive for the CD term. If the rates increase shortly after you open the CD, your interest rate will not increase.

Read the full Home Savings Bank review.