Term Certificates | High-Yield Savings Accounts

Lock in your rate and support economic opportunity

Choose a Self-Help term certificate to earn guaranteed, competitive dividends that you can feel good about. Your deposit will fuel loans for local businesses, affordable homes, and community initiatives.

Earn our highest interest rates

Set it and forget it: open the account and let your money grow untouched until the end of the term

When your term is up, the term certificate will automatically renew, or you can contact us to withdraw your funds

Fully insured by the NCUA

Helpful Tip

Want your savings to reflect what you care about?

Explore our Specialty Term Certificates. These certificates give you a way to show your support for particular initiatives, like our clean-energy investments or loans to women-owned businesses. You earn dividends, and your dollars work overtime to build a fairer economy.

Earn our highest interest rates

Set it and forget it: open the account and let your money grow untouched until the end of the term

When your term is up, the term certificate will automatically renew, or you can contact us to withdraw your funds

Fully insured by the NCUA

Helpful Tip

Want your savings to reflect what you care about?

Term Certificates

“Term certificate” is the credit union term for certificates of deposit (CDs). Term certificates are a good place to keep longer-term savings that you don’t anticipate using for at least three months.

Term length options range from three months to five years. Choose the term length that matches your needs.

A Self-Help term certificate is more than a smart, safe place for your savings. It's also an easy way to align your money with your values.

Open a term certificate by visiting your local branch or logging into the online banking portal.

Looking for an option with more flexibility? Check out our money market accounts.

*$500 minimum deposit to open. Early withdrawal penalties apply -- 90 days on terms of 12 months or less; 180 days on terms greater than 12 months

Your money is always available

Your money is always yours. With a term certificate, you leave your money alone to grow — at a locked-in rate — until the end of the term.

If you need to access the money before the term is up, that’s okay too. Withdrawing funds before the end of the term just means you pay a small fee.*

Plus, you can enjoy peace of mind knowing your deposits are insured by the NCUA up to $250,000.

Term Certificate FAQs

What's the difference between a standard and a Specialty Term Certificate?

Both offer the same great rates and safety, and both help expand economic opportunity for all. Specialty Term Certificates, in addition to supporting our impact lending more broadly, also help fund specific areas of our work. They are a great way to show your support for our clean energy and sustainability work, our work supporting opportunities for women and children, or our work in Western North Carolina.

What happens when my certificate matures?

We'll notify you before the maturity date. You can then choose to renew (at the current rate), transfer the funds to another Self-Help account, or withdraw the funds. You have a grace period to decide.

What happens if I need the money before the certificate matures?

You can access your funds anytime, but you will pay a penalty for early withdrawal. Each early withdrawal is subject to a penalty amounting to: 90 days of interest on terms of 12 months or less; 180 days of interest on terms greater than 12 months.

Resources to help you grow and thrive

Financial Counseling

Credit Builder Loans

*Early withdrawal fee for term certificates: Each early withdrawal is subject to a penalty amounting to: 90 days of interest on terms of 12 months or less; 180 days of interest on terms greater than 12 months.