CapitalSource Bank continues to offer some competitive short-term CD rates. In addition, it has recently added an online application. Its best CD deals include a 1.01% APY 1-year CD and a 0.80% APY 6-month CD. These are also available as IRA CDs. The bank also has a promotional 9-month CD with a 0.90% APY. The promotional CD can only be opened online. Minimum deposit is $1,000. These CDs are listed in the bank’s rates page as of 5/23/2013.

Above the bank’s rate tables, there’s now an “Open-Now” link. Clicking on this link takes you to the online...

I first reported on Credit Union West in 2007 when it was offering a reward checking account called Star Checking. Back in the early days the Star Checking was a very competitive reward checking account, but that ended in 2011. It appears Credit Union West is again trying to offer a competitive reward checking account under the Kasasa brand. The checking account is called Kasasa Cash. Below is a list of the account rates and features that are listed in the credit union’s Kasasa Cash page as of 5/23/2013:

Rates if monthly requirements are met:

• 2.01% APY for...

In testimony today before the Joint Economic Committee, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke described why a “premature tightening of monetary policy” would be a mistake. The Chairman of the Joint Economic Committee, Representative Kevin Brady, asked Chairman Bernanke about the Fed’s exit strategy and when an exit process might occur. Chairman Bernanke emphasized that it would depend on future economic data, especially employment data. When there is finally strong evidence of improvements in the labor market, the Fed may then start the long process of tightening. The first step, according to Chairman Bernanke, would be to slow the pace of its...

Salem Five Direct has increased its rates and added new terms on its special eCDs. The new rates are high compared to what other banks are offering. Just be aware that Salem Five has a severe early withdrawal penalty of 4% of principal. Below are the new eCD rates as listed in the Salem Five Direct eCD page as of 5/22/2013.

• 1.50% APY 3-year eCD
• 1.25% APY 2-year eCD
• 1.00% APY 1-year eCD

Salem Five Direct continues to offer a savings account special with a 0.90% APY. However, this is only for new customers. Existing customers get a lower rate...

HomeBanc has changed its CD special. The new one is a 4-month CD with a 1.30% APY. Minimum deposit is $10,000, and the maximum deposit is $75,000. Only one CD offer is allowed per household. Funds must be new money to HomeBanc, and the offer is not available to customers who have participated in CD promotions and closed their HomeBanc accounts within the previous 24 months. This special rate is listed at the bank's rates page as of 5/22/2013.

This bank has a history of offering high-rate 3-month CD specials. In previous months it had been offering...

Flagstar Bank is offering a nice savings account promotion for Michigan residents. Flagstar is guaranteeing a 1.00% rate for the first six months on its SuperSmart Savings Account. The rate is good for balances of up to $10 million. New money is required. This rate is listed at Flagstar’s SuperSmart promo page as of 5/21/2013. Note, this page shows a 1.00% 6-mo interest rate and a 0.70% APY. That’s due to the APY being based on the average rate during the first year. After the first six months, a standard rate would apply, and that standard...

Christian Community Credit Union has two promotions that are pretty good deals. One important caveat about this credit union is that it’s not federally insured by the NCUA. Instead, its deposits are privately insured by ASI. The credit union is regulated by the California Department of Financial Institutions.

The first promotion is a $50 checking account bonus. You can earn a $50 Visa Reward Card for opening a new checking account. There’s also a $50 refer-a-friend bonus. You and each person you refer who opens a checking account receive a $50 Visa Reward Card. The credit union’s free checking account...

Savers often come across a bank or credit union that penalizes them for account inactivity. A reader just emailed me about his experience with his TIAA Direct savings account. One day he found that he was not able to transfer funds into or out of his account. When he called, the TIAA Direct rep told him that the account had been locked after six months of inactivity. Fortunately, they did not charge him any inactive fees. So if you have a TIAA Direct account that is no longer active, you should either close the account or make sure you...

For the parents of a child with special needs, concerns about their child's health, well-being and future financial security are magnified, especially if the child may need continued special care and support well into adulthood. It is essential that parents engage in a planning process so that the needs of the child and other family members are met.

A carefully structured Special Needs Trust (also called a Supplemental Needs Trust) is an important cornerstone in special needs planning.

Here's what you need to know.

Over the last decade, estate planning techniques have changed, based on emerging, federal and state legislation, and shifting threshold...

In economic news this week, the Labor Department released April Consumer Price Index (CPI) numbers. According to the report, this was another month of lower inflation, primarily due to falling gas prices. CPI fell 0.4% for April, and over the last year, CPI is only up by 1.1%. Even with the slight decrease in gas prices in April, it sure seems like we have seen more inflation over the last year. I know many of my grocery staples have increased in price (or the package sizes have shrunk).

Unfortunately, only these government-reported inflation numbers matter in determining monetary policy. And this...

Treasury yields have been going up over the last two weeks, but May continues to be bad for CD rates. We lost another nationally available 2% CD this week. Air Force Federal Credit Union reduced its 7-year Jumbo CD yield from 2% to 1.90%. That leaves Mountain America Credit Union's 2% APY 5-year CD as the only nationally available 2% CD that doesn't require a checking account. If you don't mind maintaining an active checking account, you can also get a 2% APY 5-year CD at Stanford Federal Credit Union and at Connexus Credit Union.

The highest 5-year CD rate for...

After more than a year of a 1.00% APY, Barclays cut its online savings account yield to 0.90% APY on Thursday. As I described last month, Barclays started offering its online savings account and online CDs in March 2012. The savings account yield held for more than a year, but like many other internet banks in this low interest rate environment, Barclays wasn’t able to maintain this rate.

In addition to the Fed policies, deposit growth and competition are likely factors that affected Barclays’ decision. Last November, Barclays reported that it had exceeded its deposit goals with a...