Bump-up CDs are certificates of deposit that allow you to raise your annual percentage yield once within the term of the CD. While this has the potential to help you earn more interest than you would with a regular CD, knowing when to raise it could be tricky, and many banks offer a low APY with these CDs anyway.
If you’re looking for an easy and fairly risk-free way to invest your money, look into getting a certificate of deposit. Certificates of deposit (CDs) allow you to set money aside and leave it untouched for a certain amount of time in exchange for a high-interest rate.
There are a large variety of CDs you can choose from, and today we’ll be talking about a bump-up CD. Bump-up CDs are a great way to take advantage of rising interest rates and have the potential to help you earn more than you would with other CDs. This article will break down everything you need to know about these types of CDs and help you know if they’re right for you.
How do bump-up CDs work?
To understand a bump-up certificate, you first need a basic understanding of what an annual percentage yield (APY) is. An APY is the rate of return earned on an investment. A bump-up CD — also called a raise-your-rate CD or rate bump CD — allows you to “bump up” your APY before the maturity date.
Increasing the APY of a CD can be done without changing the term of the CD. You can open a bump-up CD through online banking, a traditional bank, a credit union, or another financial institution.
Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of how a raise-your-rate CD works:
- A person opens a bump-up certificate of deposit through a financial institution.
- The person deposits a certain amount of money into the CD.
- After the money is deposited, the institution assigns an APY.
- If interest rates rise, you can ask the institution to increase your APY.
- The APY rate would rise and stay that amount until the end of the maturity term.
Pros and cons of a bump-up CD
The ability to raise your APY as interest rates rise is a definite advantage to using a bump-up CD. But there are some more advantages to a bump-up CD, as well as some traits to be aware of before committing to one.
If you’re not sure when or if to raise your APY, talk it over with a financial advisor or one of the investment advisors below.
Bump-up CDs vs. other CDs
Bump-up CDs share a lot of the same traits as other CDs, but there are some key differences to be aware of. Here’s a breakdown of how a bump-up CD differs from other types of CDs.
Traditional CDs
Traditional CDs and bump-up CDs are very similar to each other. As far as security, flexibility, and term lengths, they’re generally the same. But the biggest difference is interest earnings. A traditional bank CD could offer a CD with a higher rate than a bump-up CD, but you’ll be stuck with that rate for the rest of the term.
A bump-up CD, however, allows you to raise your rates once and, in some cases, even twice. This is great in times of rising interest rates and could help you earn more than you would with a traditional CD. To get a better idea of the interest rates traditional CDs offer, take a look at the CD accounts below.
Step-up CDs
Although the names sound similar, a step-up CD and a bump-up CD are two different things. With a step-up CD, the bank automatically raises your APY at different times throughout the CD term. So while you have to ask for it to happen with a bump-up CD, it happens automatically with a step-up CD.
For example, a bank could set it up where a person’s APY is raised 0.5% every six months until the maturity date. Step-up CDs are less common than bump-up CDs but could be an alternative solution to a bump-up CD.
CD ladders
You may have heard the term CD laddering before. CD laddering is when you spread your funds throughout several CDs with different terms. So you could have four different CDs that all mature at different times, taking advantage of different interest rates.
A CD ladder is a great alternative to a bump-up CD. You may not earn as much as you would through a bump-up CD, but it does allow a lot of flexibility.
Is a bump-up CD right for me?
There are a few things to ask yourself before deciding whether a bump-up CD account is best for you. First: Are interest rates expected to rise soon? If so, a bump-up CD is worth considering. It could lead you to get a better rate than you would with a traditional bank CD. If it doesn’t look like interest rates will rise and your bank only offers bump-up CDs with a low initial APY, then you may want to consider other options.
The second question to ask is what your savings goals are. How long do you want to put your money away for, and how much are you hoping to get from the investment? Once you get these answered, a banker or finance professional could help you sort out if this is the right CD to invest in.
How to open a bump-up CD
You can open up a bump-up CD through a credit union, a bank, a nonbank financial institution, or a brokerage. Before committing to a certain bank, be sure to compare financial institutions. When looking at banks and credit unions, be sure to compare the following features:
- Structure of the bump-ups
- Starting APY
- Minimum deposit
- Early withdrawal penalty
- Frequency of bump-ups
- Amount of bump-ups allowed
Remember that once your bump-up CD account is open, the APY won’t rise automatically, so keep tabs on the current interest rate. This can help you take advantage of the best features of your bump-up CD.
Pro Tip
FAQs
Should I wait to invest in CDs?
Whether or not it’s a good time to invest in a certificate of deposit depends on what the current interest rates are. The higher the interest rate, the better the time is to invest in a CD.
Is a bump-up CD worth it?
If market conditions show that interest rates will increase during the term of your CD, then a bump-up CD will likely be worth it.
Who offers bump-up CDs?
Many banks — both online and in person — and credit unions offer bump-up CDs, including Discover Bank and Citibank.
Key Takeaways
- A bump-up CD is a certificate of deposit that allows you to raise your APY during the CD term.
- You can usually only raise your APY once during the term, but you may have the option to raise your APY more than once with longer-term CDs.
- A bump-up CD gives you the chance to earn more than you would with other CDs, such as a traditional bank CD.
- Many banks only offer bump-up CDs with a low initial APY, and it can be tricky to know when you should raise it.
View Article Sources
- Certificates of Deposit (CDs) — U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
- What is a certificate of deposit (CD)? — Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
- Publication 550 | Investment Income and Expenses — IRS
- What is a Certificate of Deposit (CD)? — SuperMoney
- How to Use a Real Estate Certificate of Deposit to Buy Property — SuperMoney
- CD Loan: What Is It and How Does It Work? — SuperMoney
- Money Market Account Vs. CD: Which is Better for Investing? — SuperMoney
- What Is Interest Income? — SuperMoney
- Which Investment Has the Least Liquidity? — SuperMoney
- Where Is a Savings Bond Serial Number? — SuperMoney
- Five Key Principles Of Smart Investing — SuperMoney
- How To Invest In The Stock Market: 8 Basic Concepts — SuperMoney
- Best Brokerage Apps — SuperMoney
- Beginner’s Guide to Investing — SuperMoney
- Barclays CD — SuperMoney
- CIT Bank Term CD — SuperMoney
- Bank of America Standard Term CD — SuperMoney
- Bank of America Featured CD — SuperMoney
- US Bank CD — SuperMoney
Camilla has a background in journalism and business communications. She specializes in writing complex information in understandable ways. She has written on a variety of topics including money, science, personal finance, politics, and more. Her work has been published in the HuffPost, KSL.com, Deseret News, and more.