When comparing the best national CD rates, the listing of the top bank rates in the nation are tabulated strictly by term.  This means that the best one year CD rates across the nation are categorized by the months until the CD matures within a strict time frame.  All one year CD rate are compared to other one year CD rates.  The measurement of time and maturity being very specific.  Seems simple enough.

However, for state and regional CD rates, selectcdrates.com compiles and compares odd term promotional CD rates as well.  Odd term CDs are those that do not follow standard maturity periods such as six month, one year, two year and so on.  As an example, if the best one year CD rate in Massachusetts is at 2.35% and the fictional Bank of Orurt ( Truro backwards, a beautiful little town on the Cape Cod peninsula in Massachusetts ) offers a 13 month CD at 2.42% it would certainly seem reasonable to include that CD rate in the sate bank one year CD rate tables even though the term to maturity is slightly over one year.  Dismissing the absolute time specific criteria to compare like term CDs with superior interest rates.

The one CD rate that got away falls in with the best national bank rates with a five year term.  At the present time, the best five year CD rate available nationally is at 3.80% and comes from Acacia Federal Savings Bank in Virginia.  Shelter Bank had the top spot until the last week of June when the bank reduced the rate to 3.45%.  Now, US Bank has increased their promotional rate on a 59 month term CD to 4.00%.  This CD rate is the highest CD rate available nationally for CD with a five year term or… close to that term but is excluded from national rate lists since the term to maturity is not strictly five years.  US Bank’s 59 month term CD is included in the state bank rate listing in which it has bank branch locations but is omitted from the national lists because of the odd term. 

US Bank’s 59 month term CD is, for all intents and purposes, the best five year CD rate available nationally at 4.00%.  US Bank is also the fifth largest bank in the United States measured by total assets ( the FDIC lists the bank as the sixth largest since their lists classifies Wachovia Bank and Wells Fargo Bank as separate institutions ).  The bank has approximately 2,847 bank branches in 27 states.  The 59 month term CD at 4.00% is an online offer that can be opened in all 50 states.

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