A Citi CD can offer strong returns to your investment, but be prepared to make a large in-person deposit to get the highest APY.
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Citi CD rates and review
- 1-year APY
- 4.15%
- 3-year APY
- 2.00%
- 5-year APY
- 2.00%
Up to 4.15% APY for terms between three months and five years, though the highest rates have steep requirements.
Citi offers a wide variety of CD terms and relatively forgiving withdrawal fees should you need to access your money ahead of schedule. However, their APY rates are incredibly low compared to competitors, only breaking 1% with the 3-year terms.
The exception is if you manage to qualify for a Citi featured rate. For a 1-year term, the featured rate rests at 2.50%, which is in line with top competitors like Synchrony Bank. However, to qualify for a featured rate, you must link either a Citigold account or Citi Priority account. Qualifying for a Citigold account requires maintaining at least $200,000 in an eligible account, while Citi Priority costs $30 a month unless you can maintain a minimum balance of at least $50,000. These are both steep requirements considering they only result in a competitive APY rather than the best on the market.
Given the otherwise low APY, it's hard to recommend a Citi CD for anyone other than those already members of Citigold or Citi Priority.
Details
Citi Fixed Rate CDs
| Star rate | 4.6 |
| 3-month APY | 3.25% |
| 5-month APY | 0.05% |
| 6-month APY | 1.10% |
| 7-month APY | 0.05% |
| 9-month APY | 1.10% |
| 11-month APY | 0.05% |
| 1-year APY | 4.15% |
| 13-month APY | 0.10% |
| 14-month APY | 0.10% |
| 15-month APY | 0.10% |
| 18-month APY | 4.15% |
| 2-year APY | 2.00% |
| 30-month APY | 0.10% |
| 3-year APY | 2.00% |
| 4-year APY | 2.00% |
| 5-year APY | 2.00% |
| Early withdrawal penalty | 90 days interest for terms of 1 to 12 months 180 days interest for terms of 13 + months |
| Minimum deposit to open | $500 |
| Interest compounding | Daily |
Citi Step Up CD
| 11-month APY | 0.10% |
| 1-year APY | 0.10% |
| 13-month APY | 0.10% |
| 14-month APY | 0.10% |
| 15-month APY | 0.10% |
| 18-month APY | 0.10% |
| 20-month APY | 0.10% |
| 2-year APY | 0.15% |
| 28-month APY | 0.15% |
| 30-month APY | 0.15% |
| Early withdrawal penalty | 180 days interest for terms of 1 to 30 months |
| Minimum deposit to open | $500 |
| Interest compounding | Daily |
Citi No Penalty CD
| 1-year APY | 3.10% |
| Early withdrawal penalty | Early withdrawal penalty not advertised |
| Minimum deposit to open | $500 |
| Interest compounding | Daily |
How do I open a Citi CD account?
You can easily apply for a Citi CD by filling out an online application.
- Go to the provider’s site and follow the steps to apply.
- From the main Citi CD page, select your desired CD term and click Apply.
- Fill out the required information, including personal info, financial history, and source of funding. Click Next and wait for confirmation from Citi.
Eligibility
To apply for a Citi CD, you’ll need to have an account with Citi and have a physical address in the US.
Required documents
You’ll be able to sign up for a Citi account prior to activating your CD. Have the following ready:
- Date of birth
- Social Security number
- Valid ID
Funding options
For amounts under $100,000, you can deposit money into your CD through your Citi account online. For deposits over $100,000, you’ll need to visit a physical branch.
Opening a Citi CD in CA and NV require a $1,000 deposit. Accounts opened in MD, DC, VA, and FL require a $2,500 deposit. All other states require at least a $500 deposit.
4 benefits of a Citi CD
In addition to standard benefits like daily compounding interest and FDIC insurance, Citi CDs offer a few other perks:
- Automatic renewal. Your CD renews at each date of maturity for the same term you opened up with.
- Step-Up CDs available. The interest rate for this 30-month CD starts out at 0.05% and increases every 10 months until it hits 0.15%.
- No Penalty CDs. This 12-month CD offers a 3.1% APY and lets you make a fee-free withdrawal six days after you fund the account.
- Interest payout monthly. All CD term lengths pay out monthly, with terms of one year or less also payable at maturity.
5 potential drawbacks
When choosing your Citi CD, understand some of its limitations and requirements:
- Poor APY. Outside of the featured rates, most of Citi’s APYs fall well below the top competitors on the market.
- Variable minimum deposit. All Citi CDs require a minimum deposit between $500 to $2,500, depending on your state of residence.
- Large in-person deposits. If you plan to deposit more than $10,000, you’ll need to visit your local Citi branch.
- Early withdrawal penalty. Unless you have a No Penalty CD, withdrawing funds outside of the grace period results in fees ranging from 90 to 180 days’ worth of simple interest, depending on your term.
- Grace period. You have seven calendar days after the maturity date of your CD to deposit or withdraw funds or make a change to your term. The standard you’ll see at other banks is a 10-day grace period.
Compare with other CDs
For a better idea of how Citi CD rates stack up to the competition, click up to 4 accounts and click “Compare” to see them side-by-side.
How do I cash out a Citi CD?
After your CD’s maturity period, you have seven days to make changes to your account. You’re allowed to deposit money, change your term, or withdraw funds without incurring a penalty. However, if you withdraw funds, ensure the money in your CD meets the requirements of your term.
If you take no action during your grace period, your Citi CD renews itself at the same term you opened. Taking any action on your Citi CD will end the grace period and begin your account at your new maturity date.
Citi CDs reviews and complaints
There aren’t many available customer reviews of Citi CDs available on social media. Citibank is not accredited with the Better Business Bureau and currently sports an F rating. The bank has a 1.7 out of 5 customer rating on Trustpilot, with several reviews citing poor customer service.
How can I get in touch with customer service?
Citi offers a few ways to get in touch:- Online chat
- Call their toll-free number at 800-374-9700
- Visit a physical branch
- Send snail mail to customer service: Citi Inquiries: PO Box 6500, Sioux Falls, SD 57117
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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.
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