Should You Open a Savings Account or CD?
Read about the differences in savings accounts and CDs and how to set aside money for your future needs.
Por favor, tenga en cuenta que es posible que las comunicaciones futuras del banco, ya sean verbales o escritas, sean únicamente en inglés. Estas comunicaciones podrían incluir, entre otras, contratos de cuentas, estados de cuenta y divulgaciones, así como cambios en términos o cargos o cualquier tipo de servicio para su cuenta. Además, es posible que algunas secciones de este website permanezcan en inglés.
Please be advised that future verbal and written communications from the bank may be in English only. These communications may include, but are not limited to, account agreements, statements and disclosures, changes in terms or fees; or any servicing of your account. Additionally, some sections of this site may remain in English.
Por favor, tenga en cuenta que es posible que las comunicaciones futuras del banco, ya sean verbales o escritas, sean únicamente en inglés. Estas comunicaciones podrían incluir, entre otras, contratos de cuentas, estados de cuenta y divulgaciones, así como cambios en términos o cargos o cualquier tipo de servicio para su cuenta. Además, es posible que algunas secciones de este website permanezcan en inglés.
Please be advised that future verbal and written communications from the bank may be in English only. These communications may include, but are not limited to, account agreements, statements and disclosures, changes in terms or fees; or any servicing of your account. Additionally, some sections of this site may remain in English.
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Open a Citi® Certificate of Deposit to earn a guaranteed interest
rate on the money you save during the CD term.
Already a customer? To apply with a pre-filled application,
If your account hasn’t been converted to simplified banking, see product & pricing information for account packages.
Open, combine and link to meet minimum balance requirements.
Other Citi Eligible Deposit and Investment accounts count toward the balance requirement for Relationship Tiers.1
Immediate family members who live with you can combine balances to access Relationship Tier benefits sooner.1
No matter where you start, you’ll automatically move up and enjoy more benefits once your balance grows to the next Relationship Tier.1
The following benefits will vary, depending on which types of accounts you have.
To remain in your Relationship Tier, you need to make sure your Combined Average Monthly Balance doesn’t drop below your Relationship Tier’s minimum Balance Range for 3 consecutive calendar months.1
What can I expect from my CD?
Set your money aside in a CD and watch your funds grow with a guaranteed interest rate for the term of the CD.
Your CD is FDIC-insured up to FDIC limits.2
Save for now or the future with CD terms from 3 months to 5 years.
We have answers to your Certificate of Deposit questions.
A Certificate of Deposit, or CD account, is a time deposit account that allows you to save and earn a fixed interest rate by locking your money away for a specific length of time called the CD term. You get to choose how long you want to lock your money away, and Citi offers terms ranging from 3 months to 5 years.
In addition to the standard Fixed Rate CDs that apply a penalty for early withdrawal, Citi also offers No Penalty CDs. These CDs don’t have early withdrawal penalties beginning seven days after the No Penalty CD is funded. These CDs also pay guaranteed rates but offer more flexibility and access to your money by allowing you to withdraw your full balance without penalty, beginning seven days after the No Penalty CD is funded. Citi also offers Step Up CDs with a fixed interest rate that automatically increases every 10 months for the CD term. An early withdrawal penalty will apply for Step Up CDs. Therefore, it’s important to check which type of CD you have and the specific terms and conditions for that CD type.
A CD and savings account are similar since you can earn interest on the money you save through both. With a CD, the interest rate will not change after you open the CD account until the term of the CD has ended. CDs, like savings and money market accounts, are insured up to FDIC limits.2 Thus, the main difference between a CD and a savings or money market account is that with a savings or money market account you can access your money at any time without penalty, but the interest rate can change. However, with a CD, you can’t easily access your money during the CD term, and the interest rate won’t change during the CD term. If you need to access your money before the CD term ends, you will be required to pay a penalty for early withdrawal. CDs may also offer higher interest rates in comparison to a savings account.
To apply for a CD account online, you must be a U.S. citizen or a U.S. resident alien and at least 18 years old. You will need to provide:
1. Your date of birth and applicable identification documentation which may include a Social Security Number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, and
2. Personal information, including your name and a physical address in the U.S.
Once you provide this information, you can follow the steps to choose your funding option and submit your application for a CD account.
All Citi CDs are insured up to Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) limits.2
An important feature of a CD account is that when the CD term ends (called the CD Maturity Date), if you do not make changes, the CD will automatically renew for the same term at the interest rate available at that time. No Penalty CDs and Step Up CDs renew to the same term automatically but without the No Penalty or Step Up feature.
Once your CD renews, the funds will be locked once again for a new term until the next CD Maturity Date. If you don’t want your CD to automatically renew, you will have up to a 7-calendar day period (called the Grace Period) to close the CD without penalty. During the Grace Period, you also can make changes such as adding or withdrawing money from your CD, or changing to a different term. If you complete one of those actions, your Grace Period will end, your opening date will reset and a new CD Maturity Date will apply.
Before your CD matures, Citi will remind you of your upcoming CD maturity by sending you a CD Notice of Maturity approximately 30 days before your CD Maturity Date. You also can set up digital reminders of your upcoming CD Maturity Date.
You can renew and make changes to your CD online by logging into Citi.com or on the Citi Mobile® App. You also can call us or visit a branch.
You can choose to have your interest payment credited to the CD account or to a linked Citi transaction account, such as a checking, savings or money market account.
Your interest payment frequency depends on the CD type and term length. For CDs with terms of 1 year or less, you can select for interest to be credited either monthly or at maturity. For the No Penalty CD and CDs with terms greater than 1 year, interest is credited monthly.
You can withdraw interest from your CD without penalty, at any time during the term after it has been credited. If your CD automatically renews after the grace period, your interest is added to your principal balance and can’t be withdrawn without penalty until the next CD Maturity Date.
Interest on CDs is compounded daily. If you select to have interest credited to another account, this may reduce your APY since the APY assumes interest remains on deposit in the CD account until maturity.
Penalties will depend on the type of CD, the CD term, the amount of principal withdrawn, and the interest rate. To learn more about the specific penalties for each CD, please review the terms and conditions for Certificates of Deposit in the Consumer Deposit Account Agreement.
No. There are no fees for opening a CD account online with Citi.
No. You can’t partially withdraw your money from a No Penalty CD. However, you can withdraw your full account balance beginning seven days after your account has been opened and funded.
Additionally, once your account has been opened and funded, you won’t be able to add additional money during the term of the CD. You will have the opportunity to add money once your CD matures and has entered the grace period.
When the No Penalty CD automatically renews, it will renew for the same 12-month term but without the no penalty feature. If you would like to continue with a No Penalty CD with the no penalty feature, you can close your original No Penalty CD upon maturity and open a new one.
When the Step Up CD automatically renews, it will renew to another 30-month term without the step up feature. Thus, the rate will no longer increase every 10 months like it did previously. If you want to continue in a CD with the step up feature, you can close your original Step Up CD upon maturity and open a new one.
All CDs automatically renew at maturity for the same term at the rates in effect on the CD renewal date.
You can’t renew an existing CD into a new No Penalty or Step Up CD. A No Penalty CD or Step Up CD can only be created by opening a new CD. If you want to change your existing CD to a No Penalty or Step Up CD, you can close your existing CD at maturity and open a new No Penalty or Step Up CD.
Yes. At maturity, you can renew any type of CD (Fixed Rate CD, No Penalty CD and Step Up CD) into any Fixed Rate CD at the rates in effect on the CD renewal date.
Get one of our highest rates on savings accounts with no limit on how much you can earn.
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CD laddering is a smart, simple way to grow your savings. Learn more about how CD laddering can benefit you.
Deposit Account | Monthly Service Fee |
Access Checking | $5.00 |
Regular Checking | $15.00 |
Savings*** | $4.50 |
Deposit Account | Monthly Service Fee |
---|---|
Access Checking | $5.00 |
Regular Checking | $15.00 |
Savings*** | $4.50 |
Important Information
Citibank accounts come with everyday features & benefits. Customers who plan to keep a balance of $30,000+, can enjoy more benefits by opening an account in a Relationship Tier. Each tier has a minimum Balance Range. Make sure your Combined Average Monthly Balance doesn't drop below the range for 3 consecutive calendar months to keep your benefits.1
![]() Everyday Features & Benefits | ![]() Citi Relationship Tier Citi Priority | ![]() Citi Relationship Tier Citigold® | ![]() Citi Relationship Tier Citigold® Private Client |
---|---|---|---|
COMBINED AVERAGE MONTHLY BALANCE RANGE | |||
$0 to $29,999.991 | $30,000 to $199,999.99 | To get started: $200,000 to $999,999.99 To maintain tier: $180,000 to $999,999.99 | To get started: $1,000,000+ To maintain tier: $800,000+ |
MONTHLY SERVICE FEE | |||
Regular Checking: $15 Access Checking: $5 Savings: $4.50 | No fee | No fee | No fee |
Ways to avoid Monthly Service Fee for checking accounts | |||
No fee | No fee | No fee | |
Ways to avoid Monthly Service Fee for savings accounts | |||
No fee | No fee | No fee | |
BANKING | |||
Access cash at 65,000+ fee-free ATMs2 | |||
✓ true | ✓ true | ✓ true | ✓ true |
Non-Citi ATM Fees2 | |||
Regular Checking $2.50 fee per withdrawal waived with $250+ in Enhanced Direct Deposits1 Access Checking: $2.50 fee per withdrawal | No fees | No fees | No fees |
Unlimited reimbursement on ATM fees at Non-Citibank ATMs globally2 | |||
No reimbursement | No reimbursement | ✓ true | ✓ true |
Daily ATM/Debit Card cash withdrawal limits2 | |||
Up to $1,500 per Citibank Banking Card per Business Day | Up to $2,000 per account per Business Day | Up to $5,000 per account per Business Day | Up to $5,000 per account per Business Day |
Daily Debit Card PIN-based and signature purchase limits2 | |||
$5,000 per account per Business Day | $10,000 per account per Business Day | $25,000 per account per Business Day | $50,000 per account per Business Day |
Citi Accelerate Savings Annual Percentage Yield (APY)† | |||
% | % | % | % |
No Overdraft or Returned Item Fees2 | |||
✓ true | ✓ true | ✓ true | ✓ true |
Money Order Fee | |||
$5 | Waived | Waived | Waived |
Official Check Fee | |||
$10 | Waived | Waived | Waived |
Stop Payment Request Fee | |||
$30 | Waived | Waived | Waived |
Regular Checking: Checkbook Orders / Reorders | |||
Varies | Waived fees: standard checkbook orders | Waived fees: standard checkbook orders | Waived fees: standard checkbook or non-standard checkbook orders |
PREFERRED LENDING PRICING | |||
Mortgage discount with Relationship Pricing2 | |||
Tiered interest rate discount or closing cost discount based on Citi Eligible Balances | Tiered interest rate discount or closing cost discount based on Citi Eligible Balances | Tiered interest rate discount or closing cost discount based on Citi Eligible Balances | Tiered interest rate discount or closing cost discount based on Citi Eligible Balances |
Personal loans2 | |||
Standard rates. Citi deposit account must have been open for 12 or more months at time of loan application. | 0.25% rate discount to the APR. Citi deposit account must have been open for 12 or more months at time of loan application. | 0.25% rate discount to the APR. Citi deposit account must have been open for 12 or more months at time of loan application. | 0.25% rate discount to the APR. Citi deposit account must have been open for 12 or more months at time of loan application. |
PLANNING & INVESTINGINVESTMENTS: NOT FDIC INSURED • NO BANK GUARANTEE • MAY LOSE VALUE | |||
Investment resources to simplify your financial decisions | |||
― false | ✓ true | ✓ true | ✓ true |
Commission-free trading through Citi Self Invest from Citi Personal Wealth Management2 | |||
✓ true | ✓ true | ✓ true | ✓ true |
Global market analysis and research reports | |||
― false | ― false | ✓ true | ✓ true |
Access to Financial Advisors from Citi Personal Wealth Management2 | |||
― false | ✓ true | ✓ true | ✓ true |
World-class investment platform from Citi Personal Wealth Management | |||
✓ true | ✓ true | ✓ true | ✓ true |
Complimentary financial planning from Citi Personal Wealth Management2 | |||
― false | ― false | ✓ true | ✓ true |
TRAVEL & LIFESTYLE | |||
Citi Entertainment® | |||
✓ true | ✓ true | ✓ true | ✓ true |
Foreign exchange fee when using your Citi Debit Card abroad2 | |||
3.00% | Waived | Waived | Waived |
World Wallet® foreign currency exchange service and shipping fees2 | |||
Service Fees: $5 < $1,000 USD $0 > $1,000 USD Direct-to-Consumer Shipping Fees: Standard: $10 Priority: $15 Saturday: $20 Shipping to branch: Waived fee | Waived | Waived | Waived |
Toll-free access to Citiphone service when traveling2 | |||
― false | ✓ true | ✓ true | ✓ true |
Annual subscription rebates2 | |||
― false | ― false | Up to $200 | Up to $400 |
Citigold Culture Pass2 | |||
― false | ― false | ✓ true | ✓ true |
Complimentary Citi Bike membership | |||
― false | ― false | Complimentary 1-year membership2 | Complimentary 1-year membership2 |
Premium benefits through Mastercard Travel & Lifestyle Services2 | |||
― false | ― false | ― false | ✓ true |
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Citi is not responsible for the products, services or facilities provided and/or owned by other companies.
You are leaving a Citi Website and going to a third party site. That site may have a privacy policy different from Citi and may provide less security than this Citi site. Citi and its affiliates are not responsible for the products, services, and content on the third party website. Do you want to go to the third party site?
Citi is not responsible for the products, services or facilities provided and/or owned by other companies.
You are leaving a Citi Website and going to a third party site. That site may have a privacy policy different from Citi and may provide less security than this Citi site. Citi and its affiliates are not responsible for the products, services, and content on the third party website. Do you want to go to the third party site?
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