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A certificate of deposit (or CD) is a savings instrument offered by a bank or credit union that has a fixed date of maturity and a fixed interest rate. A credit union might use the term Share Certificate, Term Certificate or just Certificate to refer to the same product. Most CDs require a minimum deposit amount and may offer rates contingent on the size of the deposit. The interest you earn on your deposit depends on the interest rate, the term of the deposit and the compounding method. Deposits that compound with greater frequency will have a higher Annual Percentage Yield, or APY. Your APY is the effective annual rate of return once the effect of compounding interest is factored in. Most CDs restrict access to the funds until the CD reaches its maturity date.
Having savings is important, especially when the savings are part of an emergency fund or a hedge against a loss of income. However, when you also have debt, in the form of an outstanding credit card balance or loan, you might want to consider whether you are better off using the money you have in savings to pay down debt. Whether it makes sense or not is determined by the interest rate you are earning on your savings versus the interest rate you are being charged on your outstanding loan balance. The difference between earning interest and paying it should give you a good indication of where you can get the best return.
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