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BrioDirect CD review
Get 0.45% APY on terms from 18 to 60 months with a $500 minimum deposit.
finder.com’s rating: 4.0 / 5.0
★★★★★
BrioDirect is the online division of Sterling National Bank. With terms as short as 30 days, a BrioDirect CD is best for anyone looking to invest in a CD without a long-term commitment. Its 30-day term is a low 0.05%, but you’ll earn a better rate on its five-month term at 0.15% APY.
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0.6%
1-year APY
0.45%
3-year APY
0.45%
5-year APY
Details
| Minimum deposit to open | $500 |
|---|---|
| Interest compounding | Daily |
| 3-month APY | 0.25% |
| 5-month APY | 0.15% |
| 9-month APY | 0.3% |
| 1-year APY | 0.6% |
| 18-month APY | 0.45% |
| 2-year APY | 0.45% |
| 30-month APY | 0.45% |
| 3-year APY | 0.45% |
| 4-year APY | 0.45% |
| 5-year APY | 0.45% |
| Early withdrawal penalty | 30 days interest for terms of 1+ months 90 days interest for terms of 2 to 12 months 270 days interest for terms of 18 to 59 months 360 days interest for terms of 60 + months |
Review by
Heather Petty
heather.petty@finder.comHeather Petty is a personal finance writer at Finder specializing in home loans, banking and insurance. After falling victim to a disreputable mortgage broker when buying her first home, she’s on a mission to help readers avoid similar experiences when managing their own finances. A self-proclaimed word nerd, her writing has been featured on MSN, Credit.com and MediaFeed.org, among others. Heather previously worked as a technical writer and editor for the casino systems industry and is an internationally published young adult mystery author. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English with a minor in journalism from the University of Nevada, Reno.
Expert review
BrioDirect CDs are best for those looking for a short-term CD and low minimum deposit. You’ll have a wide selection of term options to choose from — as short as 30 days and as long as 60 months. And if you open a five-month CD, you can earn a rate as high as 0.15%.
But if you want to open a 30-day CD, you’ll only earn 0.05% APY. And if you think you might need quick access to your money once it matures, you can’t transfer your funds into your external account. If you don’t already have a BrioDirect or Sterling National account, your only option to withdraw your money is to request a check.
How do I open a BrioDirect High-Rate CDs account?
You can sign up for your account online in only a few minutes:
- Go to the provider’s site and follow the steps to apply.
- From the High-Rate CDs page on the BrioDirect website, click Apply Now next to the CD term option you want.
- Choose whether you want to open a joint or individual account and click Next.
- Step through the prompts to enter your personal information.
- Determine how you want to fund your account.
- Review your information and submit.
Eligibility
You’ll need to meet the following requirements open a CD with BrioDirect:
- At least 18 years old
- US citizen or resident
- Minimum $500 deposit
Required information
Have the following information ready when you apply:
- Date of birth
- Social Security number
- Home address
- Email and phone number
- Driver’s license or passport
Funding options
Use one of the following ways to fund your account:
- Bank transfer
- Mail a check
- Wire transfer
How do I cash in my BrioDirect CD?
Once your CD matures, you have a seven-day grace period to decide what to do with your funds. If you choose to withdraw, you can either have the money sent to you by check or transferred to another Sterling National account. BrioDirect won’t wire or transfer your money into an external bank account.
- Auto renew. If you let the grace period pass, your CD will auto renew for the same term using the current interest rates for that term.
- Make a partial withdrawal. You can choose to take out some of the money in your account during the grace period. As long as there is still at least $500 in the account, the CD will auto-renew.
- Close your account. If you withdraw all of your CD account funds or leave a balance of less than $500 for more than 20 days, BrioDirect will close your account.
Benefits of a BrioDirect CDs
This bank offers a range of CDs with locked-in rates and no monthly maintenance fees, but you can expect the following additional benefits:
- Low minimum deposit. You only need $500 to start a CD account with BrioDirect.
- Many term options. BrioDirect offers 11 different term options from 30 days to 60 months so that you can plan for your savings goals.
- High short-term rate. The highest rate you’ll earn is 0.25% APY for its three-month term.
What to watch out for
Consider the following drawbacks before applying for a BrioDirect CD:
- Interest deposited quarterly. Your interest compounds daily, but it’s deposited into your account every three months. This means that if you have to withdraw your funds between deposit dates, you may lose the interest you’ve accrued.
- No checking accounts. The bank only offers CDs and one savings account option. So, if you’re looking for an all-inclusive bank, BrioDirect may not be for you.
- No external bank transfers. After your CD matures, you can’t transfer your money to your external bank account. You can only transfer it into a Sterling National savings account or request a check.
- Negative customer experience. While the majority of customer reviews are about BrioDirect’s High Yield Savings account, most point to negative customer experiences and long external fund transfers.
If these drawbacks and lack of positive reviews leaves room for pause, you’ll want to consider exploring other CDs with high interest rates.
Compare with other CDs
What other savings products does BrioDirect offer?
In addition to CDs, BrioDirect offers a high-yield savings account with a 0.4% APY, no monthly fees and a $25 minimum deposit.
Frequently asked questions
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We rate CDs and share certificates on a scale ranging from one to five stars based on what matters most to you. We consider two factors equally when rating CDs: minimum deposits and annual percentage yields (APYs) relative to term length. If a bank requires a different minimum opening deposit depending on the chosen term, we rate the CD based on the average minimum deposit across all terms. And although some institutions offer CDs with terms ranging from one week to 20 years, we only consider term lengths the FDIC uses in its monthly updates on national rates.
Read the full methodology of how we rate CDs.