It’s a sad state in our current low-interest-rate environment when a 1% CD is a pretty competitive one, but when it comes to 6-month CDs, that’s currently true. And that’s what Star One Credit Union is offering: a 6-month certificate yielding 1.00% APY. This CD has a minimum deposit of $2500 and $100 for IRA certificates. Unfortunately, Star One’s longer CDs don’t have much (or any) higher of rates: their 1-year CD is also yielding 1.00% APY, and their 2-year CD is barely better at 1.06% APY, neither of which is as competitive as the 6-month certificate.
Star One Credit Union is open to anyone who lives, works, or attends school in Santa Clara County, as well as members of many employer groups. Star One CU has five branches, all in California: two in San Jose, and one each in Cupertino, Palo Alto, and Sunnyvale.
May 9th, 2011 | Posted in 6 months or shorter, Bay Area, CDs, IRA CDs, Santa Clara County, Star One CU | Comments Off
Paradise Valley Federal Credit Union has a number of very competitive CDs across the spectrum of terms:
- 3-month CD: 1.01% APY
- 6-month CD: 1.16% APY
- 1-year CD: 1.26% APY
- 18-month CD: 1.51% APY
- 2-year CD: 1.76% APY
- 30-month CD: 2.02% APY
- 3-year CD: 2.26% APY
- 4-year CS: 2.52% APY
- 5-year CD: 2.77% APY
These rates all have a relatively high minimum of $50,000, but they’re also available with $10,000 minimum if you’re willing to take a drop in APY. For the longer-term CDs, though, that drop can be as high as 0.75%. (The 3-month CD is the one certificate that has the same APY with a $10k minimum as $50k.) Paradise Valley FCU also has a competitive IRA savings account, which is yielding 1.01% APY for balances over $25,000 and 1.26% for balances over $50,000.
Paradise Valley FCU has one location: 2700 E. 4th Street in National City. Unfortunately, many of the pages of their website are under construction, including any reference to their field of membership, but there is an unofficial list about halfway down this page.
April 28th, 2011 | Posted in 13-to-24 months, 25-to-36 months, 37 months or longer, 6 months or shorter, 7-to-12 months, CDs, IRA Savings Accounts, Paradise Valley FCU, San Diego | Comments Off
Premier Community Credit Union has an interesting long-term CD available: a 5-year CD that’s returning 3.00% APY. What makes it interesting is that the 5-year CD is available in a number of different flavors:
- a normal CD with a $1000 minimum;
- an IRA CD or kids CD withn a $500 minimum;
- an add-on CD with a $100 minimum and $10,000 maximum; and
- a bump-up CD with a $1000 minimum (2.50% APY).
Premier Community CU also has other terms available in these various forms, the most competitive of which is probably a 3-year CD that’s yielding 2.00% APY (1.70% for the bump-up).
Premier Community CU is open to anyone living or working in San Joaquin County. Premier Community CU has four locations, all in California: two branches in Stockton and one each in Lodi and Manteca.
April 11th, 2011 | Posted in 25-to-36 months, 37 months or longer, add-on CDs, bump-up CDs, CDs, IRA CDs, kids CDs, northern California, Premier Community CU | Comments Off
Pacific Alliance Bank has a competitive rate on a middle-term CD: a 2-year CD that’s returning 1.68% APY. The CD has a $5000 minimum deposit. Supposedly, this CD is a limited-time offer.
Pacific Alliance Bank has one location: 8400 E. Valley Blvd. in Rosemead.
April 8th, 2011 | Posted in 13-to-24 months, CDs, Los Angeles, Pacific Alliance Bank | Comments Off
It’s hard to find even marginally competitive 1- to-2-year CDs in our current rate environment, but these three CDs from Pacific Mercantile Bank aren’t too bad: their 12-month CD is returning 1.26% APY, their 18-month CDs have a rate of 1.41% APY, and their 2-year CD is yielding 1.48% APY. The CDs have a pretty high minimum of $10,000. Pacific Mercantile Bank also offers longer term CDs, but they all have the same 1.48% rate as the 2-year CD.
Pacific Mercantile Bank has seven locations, all in California: Beverly Hills, Costa Mesa, La Habra, La Jolla, Newport Beach, Orlando, San Juan Capistrano.
April 4th, 2011 | Posted in 13-to-24 months, 7-to-12 months, CDs, Los Angeles, Orange County, Pacific Mercantile Bank, San Bernardino County, San Diego | Comments Off
California Community Bank has a few relatively competitive middle-term and longer-term certificates available:
- 24-35 months: 1.56% APY
- 36-47 months: 1.81% APY
- 48-59 months: 2.03% APY
- 60 months: 2.43% APY
These CDs have a minimum deposit of $2500.
California Community Bank has four branches: Encinitas, Escondido, Vista, and San Diego.
March 21st, 2011 | Posted in 13-to-24 months, 25-to-36 months, 37 months or longer, California Community Bank, CDs, San Diego | Comments Off
Alliant Credit Union has a number of competitive CDs across numerous terms:
- 12-17 months: 1.30% APY
- 18-23 months: 1.55% APY
- 24-35 months: 1.70% APY
- 36-47 months: 1.90% APY
- 48-60 months: 2.30% APY
These CDs all have a minimum deposit of $25,000, but the CDs are also available below that with a 0.10% drop in APY. All certificates are also available as IRA CDs and Coverdell ESA CDs (for college savings).
Alliant Credit Union is open to members of over 100 qualifying organizations; many of them are airline-related, but many are not. Alliant CU has a number of branches around the country, including five in California: two at SFO airport in San Francisco, one near LAX in El Segundo, one in Oakland, and one in San Mateo.
March 15th, 2011 | Posted in 13-to-24 months, 25-to-36 months, 37 months or longer, 7-to-12 months, Alliant Credit Union, Bay Area, CDs, IRA CDs, Los Angeles | Comments Off
CalFirst Bank has a few short-term CDs that may be worth looking at:
- 6-month CD: 1.00% APY
- 12-month CD: 1.23% APY
- 24-month CD: 1.48% APY
These CDs have a minimum deposit of $5000 unless they are opened as IRA CDs, in which case the minimum needed drops to $2000. CalFirst also has competitive money market and savings accounts—both are currently yielding 1.08% APY. The money market has a $5000 minimum to open, and the savings account requires a $1000 opening deposit.
Strangely, CalFirst Bank doesn’t seem to list their address on their website, but it appears to be located at 18201 Von Karman Avenue, Suite 420 in Irvine.
March 11th, 2011 | Posted in 13-to-24 months, 6 months or shorter, 7-to-12 months, CalFirst Bank, IRA CDs, Orange County | Comments Off
San Diego County Credit Union has two special promotional certificates available now: a 1.00% APY 9-month CD, and a 2.75% APY 57-month CD. Both these are called a “limited time offer,” and both have a $2000 minimum to open. If you’re putting even more money in the certificates, however, the rates go even higher: 1.06% APY/2.80% APY at $10,000 minimum, and 1.10% APY/2.85% APY at $90,000 minimum. There’s also a 25-month CD that is yielding between 1.45% and 1.55%, depending on the initial deposit. All these certificates are also available as IRA CDs.
San Diego County Credit Union is open to anyone who works in San Diego County, Orange County, and Riverside County. San Diego County CU has 28 branches throughout those three counties, including nine branches in San Diego; two branches each in Chula Vista, Escondido, and Temecula; and one branch each in Carlsbad, El Cajon, Encinitas, La Jolla, La Mesa, Laguna Niguel, Murrieta, Oceanside, Poway, San Marcos, Santee, Solana Beach, and Vista.
March 8th, 2011 | Posted in 25-to-36 months, 37 months or longer, 7-to-12 months, CDs, IRA CDs, Orange County, Riverside County, San Diego | Comments Off
OneWest Bank doesn’t have any one particularly spectacular CD available right now, but a number of their CDs, both short- and long-term, are competitive in today’s low-rate market. A few examples:
- 6-month CD: 1.05% APY
- 1-year CD: 1.25% APY
- 2-year CD: 1.55% APY
- 3-year CD: 1.95% APY
- 4-year CD: 2.25% APY
- 5-year CD: 2.50% APY
The minimum deposit for all these CDs is $1000. All the CDs can either be opened in a branch (Southern California residents only) or online, which seems to be available to anyone. All the CDs are also available as IRA CDs. OneWest also has two savings accounts that are worth considering: Their Premium Money Market (available in branches or online) is yielding between 0.90% APY and 1.10% APY, depending on the balance, and their Green Savings Account (available only online) is yielding 1.10% for all balances.
OneWest has 82 branches in Southern California, most of them in the Los Angeles and San Diego areas.
February 28th, 2011 | Posted in 13-to-24 months, 25-to-36 months, 37 months or longer, 6 months or shorter, 7-to-12 months, CDs, IRA CDs, Money Markets and Savings Accounts, OneWest Bank, Orange County | Comments Off
