For those seeking higher yields in building their savings, laddering share certificates offers the security of NCUA protection with greater returns.

Laddering share certificates involves purchasing different term-length certificates at one time, which will allow for regular-timed access to a portion of the overall savings while collecting higher yields. Ladders can be structured to suit your needs – short-term ladders may have 3-month, 6-month, 9-month, and 12-month certificates, allowing for funds access every 3 months, or a long-term ladder could have 1-year, 2-year, 3-year, and 4-year certificates for access every year. Our certificate ladder calculator at KirtlandCU.org/ladder can help determine whether laddering or short-term reinvestment is best for you.

Using a certificate ladder for building savings is best when you don’t need immediate access to your overall savings – like if you’re saving for a specific target, such as a new vehicle or a vacation. If you will need to use your savings, keep the amount you will need set aside in a more accessible format like a money management account.

Kirtland CU’s share certificates are available for terms as short as 3 months with APYs starting at 2.94%, but our longer-term certificates have increased their APYs in July by as much as 0.50%, so they can be a useful component of your diversified savings portfolio.