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Laddering CDs

Updated: 9/27/2023
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11y ago

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Today I’d like to talk to you about the benefits of a technique called laddering CDs. That is the practice of putting your money into several Certificates of Deposit with different liquidity windows. It is a strategy, when well-planned, can allow you access to your cash when you need it but still allow you to earn higher interest rates than you could in a savings account or a money market fund.

Some of the benefits of following a laddered CD strategy are federal deposit insurance, frequent liquidity, higher average rates, and the ability to take advantage of higher future rates. Let’s look at each separately, shall we?

The first benefit of this strategy that I’d like to point out is the federal insurance afforded you via the FDIC program. This strategy can be, and often is, employed when investing in bonds. The difference is that bonds are not insured by the federal government. So by laddering CDs you buy yourself some peace of mind.

Another benefit is that you plan for frequent liquidity needs. If you think you might have cash needs next year of $10,000, the following year of $20,000, and the third year of $5,000; you can plan accordingly using this strategy. I’d recommend leaving yourself a good amount of cash in a demand deposit account so that you can take care of unplanned expenses without paying early withdrawal fees on your CDs.

Next, I’d like to point out that by laddering your portfolio of CDs you attain higher average rates than you would if you’d just put the entire amount in a CD that matures at your next point of cash needs. CDs usually pay higher rates the longer you’re willing to lock up your money. So by following this strategy a portion of your money is working harder for you than that portion you need sooner.

One final note on the benefits of laddering CDs is that the strategy allows you to take advantage of higher future rates. Rates may be low now, but in six months when that first CD comes due, you may be able to reinvest it at a higher rate and you won’t have to wait until the 5 year CD comes due. Each liquidity period allows you to revaluate the current interest rate environment and choose your moves accordingly.

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Getting The Highest CD Interest Rates With Laddering?

Certificates of deposit (CDs) are a very low-risk type of investment that can be used to garner higher interest returns than traditional savings accounts. One of the tenets of purchasing a CD, however, is that the money that is invested becomes unavailable until maturity. The CDs that offer the best rates are usually the ones that have the longest terms. The unpredictability of the markets can make some investors nervous when investing large sums of money in a fixed interest instrument that will not change for many years. One solution that some investors use is known as CD laddering. Laddering is a way that was developed to allow investment money in CDs to become available when needed while also retaining the highest interest rates possible. It can take several years to implement a CD ladder to full effect but the results are often worth the money over time. The first step in implementing a CD ladder is to divide the money that is going to be invested into three equal sums. One-third of the money is placed into a 3-year CD that has a high interest rate. One-third is placed into a 2-year CD and the final third is invested in a 1-year CD. The money that has been invested in a laddered CD structure will now come to maturity one-third at a time. This staggering of CDs means that one-third of the money will become available each year for renewal or reinvestment. When the first year passes the 1-year CD will mature. The money from that CD is then placed into a 3-year CD. When the 2-year CD matures it is also reinvested in a 3-year CD. At this point all of the money is invested in 3-year CDs. Each year one-third of the investment becomes available for use or renewal. There are many variations on CD laddering that have been employed. Some investors use 5-year CDs while others employ a technique known as barbell laddering where half of the money is put into very long-term CDs and the other half is kept in very short-term CDs. CD Laddering can help to ensure that the best interest rates are kept despite changes in the market.


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Investing in CDs?

You’ve probably seen advertisements for CDs at your bank or even in your email inbox if you do any online banking. What is a CD? A CD is a Certificate of Deposit. It’s essentially an account that is set up between you and your bank with an agreement that you will not touch the money until the CD matures. So by introducing the element of a maturity, CDs are similar to bonds. (It should be noted that some CDs will allow you to take money out prior to maturity but you will pay a stiff penalty for early withdrawal.) So why would anyone agree to tie their money up for a set period of time when they could simply put it in a savings account at the same bank? Well, the bank benefits by having an idea of how long that money will be parked in the account. For them the money and the timing of its withdrawal are more of a known quantity and this fact allows the bank to make more informed decisions with their reserves. Because they benefit from it, and because you’ve given up something – the unhindered liquidity that a demand deposit account would afford you – CDs pay out a higher interest rate than regular bank savings accounts. But these accounts will not pay out interest rates like certain bonds. And they most likely will be outstripped by equity investment growth rates in most years. So why invest in CDs? Well, they are a great place to stash an emergency fund. They are FDIC insured deposits. And while it’s true they’re less liquid than a demand deposit account, if you place portions of your emergency fund into high-yield CDs with staggered maturities, a technique known as laddering, you’ll always have some money becoming available every so often. If you do choose to use CDs, I’d recommend putting a portion of your emergency reserve into a regular demand deposit account so it’s more liquid. The rest can go into your CD ladder and when the individual CDs mature, if you don’t need the money, roll them into other CDs to keep the laddering going.


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