Each Sallie Mae CD offers competitive interest rates. The rates are competitive with other online CD accounts. Sallie Mae rates are much higher than typical bank rates. The longer the CD term the higher the interest rates offered. Sallie Mae’s five-year CD offers very competitive interest rates.

Sallie Mae offers a good variety of CD terms. The terms range from 6-months to 60-months. There are 11 CD terms in total. Sallie Mae offers CD terms in more than just traditional terms. Those term lengths include an 11-month CD, a 13-month CD, a 15-month CD, and a 30-month CD. These options allow customers to find the best fit for their money.

The CD interest rates for Sallie Mae CDs are not tiered. You do not have to have a large account balance to earn the most competitive rates available. Any balance above the required opening amount earns competitive interest rates.

Most CDs have a fee if you withdraw the money before the CD reaches maturity. The penalty for Sallie Mae CDs is less compared to other banks CD fees. The penalty for withdrawing money from CD terms 12-months or less is 90 days of interest. The fee for CDs over 12-months is 180 days of interest.

There is a set amount required to open Sallie Mae CDs. Each of the CD terms requires $2,500 to open. Make deposits through an electronic transfer or an e-deposit on the mobile app. You can also mail a check.

To earn interest on the Sallie Mae CDs, you must keep an account balance of $2,500. If your balance drops below that amount, you will not earn any interest. Sallie Mae CDs offer competitive interest rates if you keep that set balance.

Sallie Mae CDs do not come with a guarantee to lock in the best rate. The interest rate at the time you open the CD is the interest rate you receive for the life of the term. The rate you lock in is fixed for the life of the CD term.

Sallie Mae CDs must be linked to an external account to make electronic transfers. Once you link an external account, you can transfer money electronically. Customers can withdraw earned interest from the CD. To withdraw the interest, transfer the money into the linked external account.

Read the full Sallie Mae 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.