Maximizing Your Savings: A Comprehensive Guide to Fifth Third Bank's Promotional CD Rates

When you’ve got some extra cash you don’t expect to use any time soon, you don’t have to stick it in a savings account with a low interest rate. Instead, you can put it to use by investing it in a certificate of deposit (CD). These accounts earn a higher interest rate but require you to leave the money in the account for a predetermined length of time.

If you want to use a CD to save, learn about Fifth Third Bank and what you can expect from 5/3 promotional CD rates, which are up to a competitive 4.32% in 2024.

Key Features of Fifth Third Bank CDs

Fifth Third Bank offers several CD options to give you a low-risk but higher-rate savings option. Some of the features of these accounts include:

• Interest rates on long-term CDs that outperform the rates on traditional savings accounts
• Fixed rates for the entire CD term that won’t drop even if the Federal Reserve lowers rates
• No fee savings account
• Low-risk investment backed by FDIC

Fifth Third Bank offers the following types of Certificates of Deposit with different terms — the length of time you need to leave your money in the account:

• Promotional CD
  • Minimum $5,000 deposit
  • Term: Flexible
  • Early withdrawal penalty: 1%–3%
• Short-term Standard CD
  • Minimum $5,000 deposit
  • Term: 7–89 days
  • Early withdrawal penalty: 1%–3%
• Long-term Standard CD
  • Minimum $500 deposit
  • Term: 3–84 months
  • Early withdrawal penalty: 1%–3%

Earnings Potential: How It’s Determined

To understand the earnings potential or annual percentage yield of a given CD, you’ll need to consider the following factors:

• Initial deposit
• Interest rate
• Term length
• Compounding schedule

The more money you deposit, the bigger your potential for earnings. That is because the interest rate will give you earnings at X% of the deposit. The higher the interest rate, the larger the earnings on the deposit.

The longer the term of the CD, the greater time you have to earn. Depending on the compounding schedule (the frequency at which interest earnings are added back to the initial deposit to create a new sum to earn interest on), longer-term CDs can outperform shorter ones.

Comparison: Fifth Third Bank CDs vs. Other Institutions

Before opening an account to take advantage of 5/3 promotional CD rates, compare how the Fifth Third CDs stack up to offerings from popular US banks:

Alternative Savings Options: Momentum® Savings

If stashing money in a CD doesn't fit your current financial plans, you might like the alternative Momentum® Savings from Fifth Third Bank. Though these earn a lower standard interest rate, they automate savings, so you don't have to think about putting money away for a rainy day.

Momentum Savings accounts work by pulling small amounts of money from your Fifth Third checking account. You don't have to move money manually, and you can put limits on how much automatically transfers. Fifth Third will never transfer more than $80 per week.

A Momentum Savings account offers more flexibility than a CD. The automation could even help you save enough to have extra put aside in a CD later.

Strategies for Maximizing Your Savings

CDs are just one way to increase your savings. Other types of accounts where you can invest extra money and see a better return on it include:

• Bonds: Low-risk investments in government or corporate organizations that offer a guaranteed return at a fixed maturity date. These are often used by governments or companies looking to raise money.
• High-yield savings account: Savings account that offers interest rates higher than the national average. These are excellent places to save an emergency fund so that it will be accessible to you quickly while also earning more interest than a typical savings account would.
• Roth IRA: A savings account for retirement where you can deposit post-tax money to pad your retirement portfolio, particularly if you have exceeded the limits of another type of retirement account, such as a 401(k). Growth and withdrawals are not taxed.
• 401(k): A savings account for retirement to which you contribute pre-tax dollars, generally directly from your payroll at a job. Your employer may match contributions to a 401(k), which can help you invest more money quickly. If you are self-employed, you can open a solo 401(k) to get some of the benefits of this retirement savings account. When you withdraw funds at retirement, you will then pay taxes. You will face withdrawal penalties if you access this money early.
• 529 Plan: A state-sponsored investment plan to cover the cost of college.
• UTMA/UGMA: A Universal Transfer to Minors Act/Universal Gift to Minors Act account lets you invest money and manage it as a custodian on behalf of a minor. You can then automatically transfer it to them when they reach maturity. They can use this money for anything, not just education expenses.

Are Fifth Third Bank CDs Worth It?

Fifth Third Bank CDs are worth it if you have extra money to lock up for a set time. The 5/3 promotional CD rates change over time, like all interest rates. Still, with a relatively low minimum deposit starting at $500 for the Long-term Standard CD, these CDs are an accessible savings option for a low-risk investment.