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PNC Bank (Member FDIC) has over 2,000 branches in 28 US states and Washington, DC. You don't need to live in an area with a branch to open a CD online — just know that PNC CD rates vary depending on where you live, and if you're in an area without branches, your options will be more limited.

PNC Bank CD Rates

PNC Fixed Rate CD

A PNC Fixed Rate CD - Product Name Only locks in the APY (Annual Percentage Yield) until your CD matures. PNC's mandatory minimum deposit is PNC Fixed Rate CD - Minimum Deposit, so the APYs listed below for $1 to $999.99 are only relevant for CD renewals.

PNC CD rates change depending on the area. To pull the following rates, we looked at availability in the zip code 19103. This is a zip code in Philadelphia, which is a popular city for the bank.

Term lengthAPY ($1 to $999.99)APY ($1,000 to $24,999)APY ($25,000+)
1 month0.01%0.02%0.03%
3 months0.01%0.02%0.03%
6 months0.01%0.02%0.03%
1 year0.01%0.02%0.03%
18 months0.01%0.02%0.03%
2 years0.01%0.02%0.03%
3 years0.01%0.02%0.03%
4 years0.01%0.02%0.03%
5 years0.01%0.02%0.03%
7 years0.01%0.02%0.03%
10 years0.01%0.02%0.03%

PNC Promotional CD rates

PNC Fixed-Rate Promotional CDs work the same way as the Fixed-Rate CDs, but they have different term lengths. The minimum deposit is still PNC Fixed Rate CD - Minimum Deposit.

Again, the following rates are for a zip code in Philadelphia, but rates vary by region. For example, although the highest rate in Philadelphia and many other areas is on a 4-month promotional CD with $100,000 or more, some cities pay better rates on the 7-month CD.

Term lengthAPY ($1 to $999.99) APY ($1,000 to $99,999)APY ($100,000+)
4 months0.01%0.05%5.25%
7 months0.01%5.00%5.00%
9 months0.01%0.05%0.05%
13 months0.01%2.00%2.00%
19 months0.01%1.25%1.25%
25 months0.01%1.50%1.50%
37 months0.01%1.75%1.75%
61 months0.01%2.00%2.00%

PNC Ready Access CD rates

A Ready Access CD is a no-penalty CD. Once your account has been open for seven days, you can withdraw funds before your CD matures without paying a penalty. Here are the rates for Philadelphia:

Term lengthAPY for $1,000+
3 months0.01%
1 year0.02%

PNC CD Rates Pros and Cons

ProsCons
  • High CD rates on certain promotional terms

  • Standard opening deposit of PNC Fixed Rate CD - Minimum Deposit

  • Variety of CD terms, including a no-penalty CD

  • Online CDs are available around the US

  • Low rates on most CD terms
  • Areas without branches don't have access to PNC's highest CD rates

How PNC CD Rates Compare

PNC CD Rates vs. Bank of America CD Rates

Bank of America CDs are similar to PNC CDs in that there are three types: regular, promotional, and no-penalty. Like PNC, Bank of America CD rates vary depending on your term length and where you live.

The main difference between the two is that the 12-month Bank of America Flexible CD - Product Name Only — the bank's no-penalty option — pays a much higher rate than the PNC Ready Access CD. Bank of America pays Bank of America Flexible CD - APY APY. If you want to open a no-penalty CD with large, brick-and-mortar bank, it's a good choice. The best no-penalty CDs are still at online banks, though.

Bank of America Review

PNC CD Rates vs. TD Bank CD Rates

Like PNC, TD Bank CD rates vary by location (though there seems to be more continuity with TD than with PNC). 

TD Bank has three types of CDs: regular, no-penalty, and the Step-Rate CD (3- and 5-year CDs that increase your rate annually and let you take a penalty-free withdrawal on each anniversary). Still, CD rates are low overall unless you earn a relationship rate on certain terms. You'll earn a relationship rate by linking your CD to an eligible TD Bank checking account.

Your choice between PNC and TD Bank CDs could come down to which type of CD or term length you want to open. But the best CD rates are usually at online banks.

TD Bank Review

Why You Should Trust Us: How We Reviewed PNC Bank CDs

We used Insider's certificate of deposit methodology to review PNC Bank CDs. We look at the company's ethics, customer service, and mobile app ratings. Then we evaluate the CDs' interest rates, minimum opening deposits, early withdrawal penalties, and variety of CD terms.

We assign each of these seven categories a score between 0 and 5. Then we find the average and assign the CD a rating between 0 and 5.

Read the original article on Business Insider