Members 1st CD Rates: Member Certificate Term Ladder

The Members 1st certificate term ladder runs 91 days to 60 months.

Members 1st publishes certificate APY across eight standard terms — 91 days, 6 months, 12 months, 18 months, 24 months, 36 months, 48 months, and 60 months. The 91-day product is the shortest commitment a member can make and is most commonly used by members parking a near-term operating reserve, a brief tax-set-aside, or a small business operator's seasonal float. The 12-month CD is the most common middle-of-the-ladder product and is frequently held inside a five-rung Members 1st CD ladder. The 36-month, 48-month, and 60-month rungs are typically the highest-yielding terms on the rate sheet and serve members willing to accept reduced liquidity in exchange for a fixed rate that holds for several years.

How the member-only APY differs from a non-member rate.

Members 1st CD APY is published as a member-only rate. The cooperative does not market a separate non-member CD product because the certificate of deposit relationship requires member-ownership in the credit union. A prospective Members 1st member who wants to open a CD opens a regular Members 1st savings share at the same time, funds the par-value deposit that establishes ownership, and then funds the certificate from the new savings share.

Jumbo CD threshold and how the second tier works.

Members 1st publishes separate jumbo CD tiers for balances at or above the published threshold, typically set at fifty thousand dollars. The jumbo tier earns a higher member APY than the standard tier on the same term length. The structural pattern is the same as the money market product: a balance threshold opens a richer rate band. Members rolling a maturing CD that just crosses the jumbo threshold frequently consolidate two or three smaller maturing certificates into a single jumbo at renewal to capture the higher tier.

Members 1st CD rate ladder table.

The eight standard terms with the structural pattern of minimum deposit, the standard member APY position relative to peers, and the jumbo tier above the published threshold. The exact basis-point rate at each rung is confirmed inside the Members 1st mobile app, on the printed welcome kit, or by calling Members 1st customer service at (717) 691-3500.

Term	Min Deposit	Standard APY	Jumbo APY
91 Days	Member minimum	Entry rung	Entry jumbo
6 Months	Member minimum	Step up	Step up jumbo
12 Months	Member minimum	Mid ladder	Mid jumbo
18 Months	Member minimum	Mid ladder	Mid jumbo
24 Months	Member minimum	Mid ladder	Mid jumbo
36 Months	Member minimum	Upper ladder	Upper jumbo
48 Months	Member minimum	Upper ladder	Upper jumbo
60 Months	Member minimum	Top ladder	Top jumbo

How the laddering strategy plays out.

A Members 1st CD ladder splits a single deposit into equal slices across staggered terms — for example one fifth into a 12-month, one fifth into a 24-month, one fifth into a 36-month, one fifth into a 48-month, and one fifth into a 60-month certificate. As each rung matures the member rolls the proceeds into a new 60-month CD at the then-current rate. After five years the entire ladder is composed of 60-month rungs but with one rung maturing every twelve months. The result is a steady annual liquidity event combined with most of the balance earning the long-term rate. The pattern is sometimes called a five-year CD ladder and is documented in general consumer-finance guidance at cfpb.gov.

Early withdrawal penalty schedule.

Members 1st applies an early withdrawal penalty when a CD is closed before maturity. The penalty is calculated as a number of days of dividend on the withdrawn amount, scaled by term length — short terms carry a smaller penalty, long terms carry a larger penalty. The penalty applies to the dividend earned on the withdrawn portion rather than the principal, so a member withdrawing only part of the balance pays a penalty proportional to the withdrawn slice. Members planning a known future expense before maturity frequently choose a term that ends just before the expense or split the deposit into a shorter rung plus a longer rung to limit early-withdrawal exposure.

IRA-CD registration for Traditional and Roth.

The IRA-CD variant wraps the certificate inside a Traditional IRA or a Roth IRA registration. The certificate earns the same member APY as the equivalent non-retirement CD, follows the same term ladder, and pays dividends inside the IRA shell rather than into a non-retirement savings share. The certificate is then subject to IRS contribution limits, distribution rules, and required minimum distribution mechanics in addition to the certificate's own term and penalty schedule. Members 1st customer service routes IRA-CD account questions to a dedicated retirement-account specialist for the registration paperwork.

Related references

Where this CD rates page sits inside the Members 1st reference set.

A member opening a Members 1st CD often arrives via the broader Members 1st FCU member hub, then bounces between CD rates, the companion Members 1st savings accounts reference, the everyday-spending Members 1st checking accounts reference, the liquid-tier Members 1st money market reference, and the family-side Members 1st youth accounts page. Digital readers continue to the Members 1st online banking walkthrough or the Members 1st mobile app install guide. Members verifying ABA detail jump straight to the Members 1st routing number reference.