6-Month CD Rates. CDs, or certificates of deposit, give consumers a secure means of growing savings over a fixed period of time. A 6-month CD is a short term CD that helps consumers by giving them a quick turnaround on their deposited funds.

This is a multi-part deal, but you may already have some of these accounts. Marcus is the online banking arm of Goldman Sachs. AARP members are eligible for two member benefits at Marcus:

1. How Bank of America CDs Rates Compare to Other Banks. As you can see below, Bank of America CD rates doesn’t even come close to the rates of other banks, namely online banks like Marcus by Goldman Sachs and Ally Bank. Ally’s one-year CD 0.75% APY outperforms Bank of America’s 0.03% substantially.
2. TILA mandated that consumer lenders clearly provide the annual percentage rates on loans. Before the passage of this law, some lenders were vague about costs associated with borrowing from them. TILA was designed to protect consumers and make it easier for borrowers to compare costs and loans fairly.

• 0.10% APY rate increase to the Online Savings rate for 24 months. As of 1/18/2021, that means 0.60% APY instead of 0.50% APY.
• Special 8-month No-Penalty CD at 0.55% APY as of 1/18/2021. Their standard No-Penalty CD is 0.45% APY for 7 months.

AARP membership is targeted at those age 50+, but there is no actual age restriction. I was a member in my 30s, as AARP has offered a variety of member benefits that can be quite valuable – insurance discounts, hotel discounts, restaurant discounts, and so on. If only younger folks had such a well-organized association! The standard membership fee is $16/year, but it drops to $12/year if you sign-up for auto-renewal with a credit card on file (you can still cancel at any time).

Swagbucks is a popular points website, and you can currently get 1,500 Swagbucks (worth $15 Amazon gift card)for joining AARP through their site. This essentially offsetts the AARP annual membership fee. If you are a member, log in and search for “AARP”. If you are not a member yet, join via my Swagbucks referral link and earn a $3 referral bonus + an additional $10 bonus if you spend at least $25 through their shopping portal within 30 days of registration. (There are even some money-making offers on Swagbucks like donating $15 to the Sierra Club and getting 4,000 Swagbucks in return worth $40 in Amazon gift cards.)

Goldman Sachs Marcus Cd Rates

Taken altogether, you can get the 0.10% APY rate boost, special CD access, and a year of AARP membership (including many other perks) all at zero net cost. Thanks to reader Bill P for the tip.