A time deposit or term deposit (also known as a

certificate of deposit A certificate of deposit (CD) is a time deposit sold by banks, thrift institutions, and credit unions in the United States. CDs typically differ from savings accounts because the CD has a specific, fixed term before money can be withdrawn wit ...

in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, and as a guaranteed investment certificate in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

) is a deposit in a

financial institution A financial institution, sometimes called a banking institution, is a business entity that provides service as an intermediary for different types of financial monetary transactions. Broadly speaking, there are three major types of financial ins ...

with a specific

maturity date Maturity or immaturity may refer to: * Adulthood or age of majority * Maturity model ** Capability Maturity Model, in software engineering, a model representing the degree of formality and optimization of processes in an organization * Developme ...

or a period to maturity, commonly referred to as its "term". Time deposits differ from ''at call deposits'', such as

savings Wealth is the abundance of valuable financial assets or physical possessions which can be converted into a form that can be used for transactions. This includes the core meaning as held in the originating Old English word , which is from an ...

checking account A transaction account (also called a checking account, cheque account, chequing account, current account, demand deposit account, or share account at credit unions) is a deposit account or bank account held at a bank or other financial instituti ...

s, which can be withdrawn at any time, without any notice or penalty. Deposits that require notice of withdrawal to be given are effectively time deposits, though they do not have a fixed maturity date. Unlike a certificate of deposit and bonds, a time deposit is generally not negotiable; it is not transferable by the depositor, so that depositors need to deal with the financial institution when they need to prematurely cash out of the deposit. Time deposits enable the bank to invest the funds in higher-earning financial products. In some countries, including the United States, time deposits are not subject to the banks’

reserve requirement Reserve requirements are central bank regulations that set the minimum amount that a commercial bank must hold in liquid assets. This minimum amount, commonly referred to as the Bank reserves, commercial bank's reserve, is generally determined ...

s, on the basis that the funds cannot be withdrawn at short notice. In some countries, time deposits are guaranteed by the government or protected by

deposit insurance Deposit insurance, deposit protection or deposit guarantee is a measure implemented in many countries to protect bank depositors, in full or in part, from losses caused by a bank's inability to pay its debts when due. Deposit insurance or deposit ...

Interest

Time deposits normally earn

interest In finance and economics, interest is payment from a debtor or deposit-taking financial institution to a lender or depositor of an amount above repayment of the principal sum (that is, the amount borrowed), at a particular rate. It is distinct f ...

, which is normally fixed for the duration of the term and payable upon maturity, though some may be paid periodically during the term, especially with longer-term deposits. Generally, the longer the term and the larger the deposit amount the higher the interest rate that will be offered. The interest paid on a time deposit tends to be higher than on an at-call savings account, but tends to be lower than that of riskier products such as stocks or bonds. Some banks offer market-linked time deposit accounts which offer potentially higher returns while guaranteeing principal.

At maturity

At maturity, the principal can be either paid back to the depositor (usually by a deposit into a bank account designated by the depositor) or rolled over for another term. Interest may be paid into the same account as the principal or to another bank account or rolled over with the principal to the next term. The money deposited normally can be withdrawn before maturity, but a significant penalty will normally be payable.

References

{{Authority control Bank deposits Interest-bearing instruments Investment in the United States

Interest

At maturity

See also

References