Banking
Banks provide consumers with services related to investing and lending. Full-service banks have multiple lines of business that typically include Personal Banking, Savings Accounts, Credit Cards, Mortgages, Private Banking, Premium Finance, Certificates of Deposit and Money Market Accounts.
Personal Banking comprises consumer loans, mortgages, retail financing (including auto financing), direct/auto-pay options, CDs, MMAs and other financial and credit related products.
A Certificate of Deposit (CD) is a type of savings account that pays higher interest rate than a standard savings account. The deposit is documented by a certificate that specifies the dollar amount, the maturity date and the interest rate. The deposit remains with the bank for a set period of time, ranging from a few weeks to several years. There are normally penalties for early liquidation or withdrawal. CDs are a very low-risk savings vehicle, as they are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) up to $100,000. This means that even if the bank goes out of business the depositor can still retrieve their money.
A Money Market Account (MMA) is a type of savings account that pays a higher rate of interest than a traditional savings account. Although MMAs can usually be liquidated at any time without penalty, most have a stipulated number of withdrawals per period, for example, two per month. Money Market Accounts are considered to be very low-risk, as they are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) up to $100,000. This means that even if the financial institution goes out of business the depositor can still retrieve their money.