What is a CD? - Fidelity

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Mutual Funds and Mutual Fund Investing - Fidelity Investments

Clicking a link will open a new window. Many investors interested in fixed-income investing usually think of bonds and bond funds. However, certificates of deposit, or CDs, can play a number of different important roles in any portfolio. Because CDs pay a fixed rate of interest over a predefined term, they can be a good way to lock in a certain rate of return, particularly if you believe that interest rates may soon fall. Because CDs return their principal and are FDIC-insured (up to the applicable limits), they also represent one of the safer places to keep your money while you're considering your investment options. Shorter-term CDs can also be a smart way to protect a portion of your money you may need in the near future, such as money you’ve put aside as an emergency fund.

What is a brokered CD

When it comes to certificates of deposit, people tend to think of the CDs sold at their local bank. However, Fidelity offers investors a different type of CD, called a brokered CD. These offer many of the same features of a traditional CD—such as fixed rates of return and FDIC insurance—while providing some distinct advantages. Brokered CDs are issued by banks for the customers of brokerage firms. The CDs are usually issued in large denominations and the brokerage firm divides them into smaller denominations for resale to its customers. Because the deposits are obligations of the issuing bank, and not the brokerage firm, FDIC insurance applies. Brokered CDs can be traded on the secondary market and thus are generally more liquid than bank CDs. Although a brokered CD will return an investor's principal at maturity, its value if sold prior to maturity will fluctuate based on size, time remaining before maturity, and the current interest rate environment. A brokered CD is also portable and can be transferred from one brokerage firm to another, allowing the owner to consolidate assets at one firm. Another advantage of brokered CDs is the ability to expand your FDIC coverage beyond the typical $250,000 per account owner. While banks themselves do not have the ability to exceed FDIC-insurance limits, Fidelity offers many CDs from hundreds of different banks, each of which provides for FDIC protection up to current FDIC limits. By combining a number of CDs issued by different banks in your Fidelity account, you’re able to expand your protection. While the ability to sell a brokered CD on the secondary market has its advantages, it also has its risks. The secondary market may be limited, resulting in a low bid for the brokered CD you are selling. The market value of a CD in the secondary market may be influenced by a number of factors including interest rates, provisions such as call or step features, and the credit rating of the issuer. Like all fixed income securities, CD prices are particularly susceptible to fluctuations in interest rates. If interest rates rise, the market price of outstanding CDs will generally decline, creating a potential loss should you decide to sell them in the secondary market. CDs sold prior to maturity are also subject to a concession. There are other advantages and risks to brokered CDs. For more, see .

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Get a weekly email of our pros' current thinking about financial markets, investing strategies, and personal finance. Please enter a valid first name. e.g. John, D'Monte First name is required. First name can not exceed 30 characters. Please enter a valid first name. e.g. John, D'Monte Please enter a valid last name. e.g. Doe. Last name is required. Last name can not exceed 60 characters. Please enter a valid last name. e.g. Doe. Enter a valid email address. e.g. [email protected]. Email is required. Email address must be 5 characters at minimum. Email address can not exceed 100 characters. Please enter a valid email address. e.g. [email protected]. Thank you for subscribing. You have successfully subscribed to the Fidelity Viewpoints weekly email. You should begin receiving the email in 7–10 business days. We were unable to process your request. Please to go to Viewpoints signup page. For the purposes of FDIC insurance coverage limits, all depository assets of the account holder at the institution issuing the CD will generally be counted toward the aggregate limit (usually $250,000) for each applicable category of account. FDIC insurance does not cover market losses. All the new-issue brokered CDs Fidelity offers are FDIC insured. In some cases, CDs may be purchased on the secondary market at a price that reflects a premium to their principal value. This premium is ineligible for FDIC insurance. For details on FDIC insurance limits, visit . Any fixed income security sold or redeemed prior to maturity may be subject to a substantial gain or loss. Your ability to sell a CD on the secondary market is subject to market conditions. If your CD has a step rate, the interest rate may be higher or lower than prevailing market rates. The initial rate on a step-rate CD is not the yield to maturity. If your CD has a call provision, which many step-rate CDs do, the decision to call the CD is at the issuer's sole discretion. Also, if the issuer calls the CD, you may obtain a less favorable interest rate upon reinvestment of your funds. Fidelity makes no judgment as to the creditworthiness of the issuing institution. If you want to buy or sell a CD on the secondary market, Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC ("FBS") will charge you a markup or markdown. This markup/markdown will be applied to your order, and you will be provided the opportunity to review it prior to submission for execution. CDs are made available through our affiliate National Financial Services LLC ("NFS") and from various third-party providers, including participants on the Tradeweb Markets, TMC Bonds, and Knight Capital Group platforms, with FBS normally acting as riskless principal or agent. These offering brokers, including NFS, may separately mark up or mark down the price of the security and may realize a trading profit or loss on the transaction. 583382.5.0

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