Credit Union of Texas seems to be one of the few credit unions that can take nationwide deposits. However, they did indicate that you have to send over your application and then they let you know if it is approved or not. The general membership requirements are:

• Persons who live or work in Dallas, Collin, or Rockwall Counties, regardless of their employer. Check our Field of Membership Map for more information.
• Persons who live or work in the Lewisville, Red Oak, and Midlothian Independent School Districts, regardless of their employer.

The other method is if you are an employee or member of a variety of organizations. However, the following are the most likely in order to be able to access membership from anywhere in the US.

• AAA Auto Club
• American Heart Association
• Dallas Association for the Education of Young Children (DAEYC)
• Vietnamese Eucharistic Youth Society
• Volunteer Center of Dallas
• Young Audiences of Greater Dallas

Often times the community type organizations are looking for a small donation, similar to the Getting Ahead Association of GA (which grants access to membership for many CUs based in Georgia).

So if the rate seems worth it, give it a whirl. If it doesn’t work out, you can still feel good about helping out an association and usually the gift is tax deductible.

NCUA#	66327
Stats Updated:	012/10
Star Rating:	3 (***)
Assets:	$996.4MM
Equity:	$63.4MM
Capital Ratio:	6.4%
Profits(loss):	$7.4MM
Phone#:	(800) 314-3828
Contact:	Customer Service
Address:	8131 LBJ Freeway, Suite 550 Dallas, TX 75251
Website:	http://www.cuoftexas.org/

Credit Union of Texas doesn’t have very strong rates at this point. They do offer a step-up CD on their longer-term certificates, but the start rate is low. If the initial rates or current rates were more attractive, the step-up might make more sense.

1-Year:	0.20%
18-Months:	0.70%
2-Year:	0.95%
2-Year (Bump-up):	0.80%
3-Year:	1.35%
3-Year (Bump-up):	1.20%
4-Year:	1.75%
4-Year (Bump-up):	1.30%
5-Year:	1.85%
5-Year (Bump-up):	1.15%

If you are interested in some higher rate offerings, shoot us a note. We have a fee-based service. Contact US.
cd :O)

California First National Bank has very competitive rates. The 1-year is in the top 5 of the nation that I’m aware of. They were established in 2001 and appear to have weathered the financial storm quite well.

FDIC#	35331
Stats Updated:	12/10
Star Rating:	5 (*****)
Assets:	$322.7MM
Equity:	$76.2MM
Capital Ratio:	23.62%
Profits(loss):	$6.1MM
Phone#:	(800) 735-2465
Address:	18201 Von Karman Avenue, Suite 420 Irvine, CA 92612
Penalty:	3-months for CDs less than or equal to 1-year. 6-months for CDs greater than 1-year.
Website:	http://www.calfirst.com/

Besides having strong Certificate of Deposit rates, California First National Bank also has a strong Money Market and Savings Account. In addition they offer IRAs which can be hard to come by. Their current CD rates are:

3-Months	0.80%
6-Months	1.00%
1-Year:	1.33%
2-Year:	1.48%
3-Year:	1.80%

cd :O)

CD Rates are still incrementally creeping up. 5-year treasury yields have been holding in the 2.30% range which is definitely adding pressure on the longer-term CD Rates. I thought Ben was supposed to be holding down rates to save the housing market?!?

Salem Five Cents Savings Bank appears to be quite a healthy bank. The various rating sites give them between 3-stars to 5-stars. We gave them a 4. They certainly have competitive CD Rates with their 5-year tied for the highest that I’ve seen.

FDIC#	23296
Stats Updated:	09/10
Star Rating:	4 (****)
Assets:	$2.80BB
Equity:	$264.4MM
Capital Ratio:	9.43%
Profits(loss):	$13.2MM
Phone#:	(978)745-5555
Contact:	Customer Service
Address:	71 Washington St. Salem, MA 01970
Website:	www.salemfive.com

Salem Five Cents Savings Bank takes personal funds, trusts, and IRAs. They appear to have a pretty straightforward process. The rates below are for a $10,000 minimum balance

12-Months:	0.50%
24-Months:	0.80%
5-Year:	1.65%

Let us know what kind of deals you are finding.
cd :O)

Well, we did fall behind in our posting schedule, but thank fully things have remained busy. You have probably noticed an uptick in 4-year and 5-year CD rates. This is primarily because the 5-year treasury has been trading above 2% for almost two-months. It was previously at 1.50%. However, I believe we are a long way away from being out of the woods. Another great piece of news is in the next few months we will have a new site. For now, here is our latest review. Nationwide Bank has been a strong player in the national CD market for a few years now. They are continuing that with a good showing on their longer-term rates.

NCUA/FDIC# 34710
Stats Updated:	09/10
Star Rating:	5(*****)
Assets:	$3.75BB
Equity:	$369.7MM
Capital Ratio:	9.84%
Profits(loss):	$37.2M
Phone#:	(877) 422-6569
Contact:	Banking Specialist
Address:	One Nationwide Plaza, 2-14-05 Columbus, OH 43215
Penalty:	6-months of interest(5-year CD)
Website:	www.nationwidebank.com

Nationwide Bank does accept personal as well as institutional deposits. Institutional investors have a different set of rates though. They will also do IRAs. They are even smart enough to realize that certain account types such as banks, credit unions, and public funds are exempt from the Patriot Act.

1-Year:	1.30%
18-Months:	1.45%
2-Year:	1.55%
3-Year:	2.00%
4-Year:	2.25%
5-Year:	2.60%

If managing your CDs is becoming burdensome, check-out our CD Service. cd :O)