A time deposit or term deposit (also known as a certificate of deposit in the United States, and as a guaranteed investment certificate in Canada) is a Deposit account in a financial institution with a specific maturity date or a period to maturity, commonly referred to as its "term". Time deposits differ from at call deposits, such as Savings account or , which can be withdrawn at any time, without any notice or penalty.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United States, time deposits are not subject to the banks’ reserve requirements, on the basis that the funds cannot be withdrawn at short notice.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.
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 CD which offer potentially higher returns while guaranteeing principal.
The money deposited normally can be withdrawn before maturity, but a significant penalty will normally be payable.
|
|