Reaching Your Short Term Savings Goal with a CD LadderPerhaps your goal today (May 2013) is to maximize your earnings on a sum of money that you won't need for three years to fund a wedding, a college education or use as a down payment on a new house (May 2016). You could choose a 36-month CD and hope that interest rates don't rise or that you don't need access to your money, as your savings will be locked in for three years. Or, you could choose to buy and renew a 12-month CD during each of the next three years, but you would be sacrificing the higher returns usually offered with longer term CDs.The CD Ladder offers many options to help you reach your goal. It makes saving easy and offers access to your money if you should need it prior to your goal date or to take advantage of rising interest rates. For example, Dollar Bank can open three CDs for you with terms of 12, 24 and 36 months. Each of these CDs will earn interest at its current rate, creating a blended rate that is higher than the shortest CD in your ladder. So, you start earning more on your entire balance from the very first day your CD Ladder is open.Following is a timeline of the 3/12 CD Ladder with a Goal renewal option.Please note: rates shown below are examples only. For our current rates, click Today's Rates on the right-hand side. May 2013 1.00% APY 1.50% APY 2.00% APY Blended rate*1.50% 12 months 24 months 36 months May 2014 1.50% APY Blended rate*1.67% 24 months with12 monthsremaining with24 monthsremaining May 2015 1.00% APY Blended rate*1.50% with12 monthsremaining 12 months with12 monthsremaining May 2016 All three CD's reach maturity. One year after your purchase date (May 2014), your 12-month CD is maturing. We will reinvest this CD into a 24-month CD. You will benefit from an APY that is likely to be higher than the current 12-month rate at that time and this CD will mature on your goal date (May 2016). Your remaining CDs have 12 months and 24 months remaining until maturity.After the second year (May 2015), your original 24-month CD is maturing. We will reinvest this CD into a 12-month CD. At this point, each of your three CDs has 12 months until maturity and will mature on your goal date (May 2016) so you have the money you need when you need it! Click here to see account and fee information Long Term CD Ladder Example CD Ladder FAQs CD Ladder Calculator Other CD Options: Traditional Term CD Relationship CD Rising Rate CD CD Ladder Bump-Up CD Three Month No Penalty CD Flex CD *Blended Rate: This is the weighted average interest rate of each of the individual certificates in your CD Ladder for the next liquidity period. Over time, as interest earnings are credited to your individual CDs or you increase or decrease the amount of an individual CD that is renewing, the blended rate you are earning will be updated to reflect these changes. The rates and terms shown are for purposes of example only and do not reflect actual rates and terms offered by Dollar Bank. The example assumes rates remain constant, however actual rates may vary substantially over time.