Bank CD Rates on the Rise?

Since the Federal Reserve started cutting its short-term interest-rate target last fall, yields across certificates of deposit, savings accounts and money-market accounts have plummeted. But recently, yields on long term CDs have been rising, in part because of a rise in longer-term Treasury yields this month and investors’ expectations for higher inflation.

Some banks are already responding. While average CD rates have been relatively flat in April, a handful of banks offering high-yield CDs — such as Capital One Financial Corp, Advanta Bank and E*Trade Financial Corp. — have recently bumped up yields on some of their CDs stretching out three to five years.

KeyDirect recently raised rates on its longer-term CDs by 0.25 percentage point to 4.75% and 5% for its 60- and 84-month CDs, respectively. GMAC Bank raised the rates last week on its four- and five-year CDs to 4.35% from 4% and 4.15%, respectively. Bank of America has also increased rates on a variety of CDs stretching out as many as 47 months.

Some banks are also raising some of their short-term CD rates. Earlier this month, for example, ING Direct raised the rates on its six-, nine- and 12-month CDs to 3.3%, from 2.75%, 2.5% and 2.5%, respectively. Meanwhile, IndyMac Bank is offering special one-year CDs online with a yield of 4.15%.

WTDirect

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