SHARE CERTIFICATES
Lock a rate for 3 to 60 months
A share certificate trades access for certainty. You agree to leave the money alone for a set term, and we guarantee the rate for that entire term no matter what happens to the market.
The basics
What you are actually agreeing to
You deposit at least $500, choose a term, and the rate is fixed on the day you open it. Dividends compound and are credited monthly. When the term ends you have a ten-day window to take the money, add to it, or let it renew at whatever rate applies then.
Terms and rates
Every term we publish
The 12-month term pays the most right now. That is unusual, and it is worth knowing before you tie money up for five years.
Term
APY
Minimum
Early withdrawal penalty
3 months
3.25% APY
$500
90 days of dividends
6 months
3.75% APY
$500
90 days of dividends
12 months
4.25% APY
$500
90 days of dividends
18 months
4.10% APY
$500
180 days of dividends
24 months
3.95% APY
$500
180 days of dividends
36 months
3.85% APY
$500
180 days of dividends
48 months
3.80% APY
$500
180 days of dividends
60 months
3.75% APY
$500
180 days of dividends
Rates current as of July 2026 and subject to change. Rates are fixed once a certificate is opened. Membership eligibility required. This is a demonstration website; rates, products, and figures shown are illustrative only.
Early withdrawal
What it costs to break a certificate
The penalty is dividends, not principal
If you close a certificate before the maturity date, we subtract a set number of days of dividends from what you have earned. On terms of 12 months or less that is 90 days of dividends. On terms longer than 12 months it is 180 days.
A worked example
Say you put $10,000 into a 12-month certificate at 4.25% APY and close it after five months. You would have earned about $177 by then. The penalty of 90 days of dividends is roughly $106, so you walk away with about $10,071. You do not lose any of the original $10,000.
When the penalty exceeds what you have earned
If you close a certificate very early, the penalty can be larger than the dividends earned so far. In that case the difference does come out of your deposit. This is the one situation where a certificate can return you less than you put in, and it is why short terms exist.
Exceptions we do not charge for
We waive the penalty entirely on the death of the account owner, on a legal declaration of incompetence, and when a certificate held in an IRA is closed to satisfy a required minimum distribution. Call us before you close anything; sometimes there is a better option.
Laddering
How to get long-term rates without long-term regret
A ladder splits one deposit across several terms so part of your money matures every year. You keep access without giving up much yield.
Divide the deposit
Take the amount you want to commit and split it into four equal parts. A $20,000 ladder becomes four $5,000 certificates.
Stagger the terms
Open one at 12 months, one at 24, one at 36, and one at 48. You now hold four rates instead of betting everything on one.
Renew each rung at the long end
When the 12-month matures, roll it into a new 48-month. Do the same each year and every rung eventually earns the longest rate.
Take a rung off when you need it
Once the ladder is running, something matures every twelve months. If you need cash, wait for the next rung instead of paying a penalty.
Common questions
Why does the 12-month term pay more than the 60-month?
Because the market currently prices short money higher than long money. We publish what we can actually pay rather than smoothing the curve to look tidy. If that flips, the longer terms will move up.
Can I add money to a certificate mid-term?
No. Once a certificate is open the balance is fixed until maturity. If you want to add regularly, keep the money in High-Yield Savings at 4.15% APY and open a new certificate when you have a chunk worth committing.
What happens at maturity if I do nothing?
The certificate renews automatically for the same term at the rate in effect that day. You get an email 20 days beforehand and a ten-day grace period afterward to change your mind at no cost.
Can I have the dividends paid out instead of compounded?
Yes. Tell us at opening and we will transfer dividends to your checking or savings account each month. Members living on interest income usually choose this; everyone else leaves it to compound.
Are certificates insured?
Yes. They are federally insured by the National Credit Union Administration to at least $250,000 per member, the same as every other deposit account here.
Can I open one in an IRA?
Yes, traditional and Roth. IRA certificates use the same terms and rates shown above, with the usual contribution limits and tax rules applied by the IRS rather than by us.
Ready to lock in a rate?
Open a certificate online in minutes, or sit down with someone at one of our 42 branches and build a ladder together.