Third Federal S&L Adds Nationally Available 55-Month CD Special

For the past several years, Ohio-based Third Federal Savings & Loan (Third Federal) has been offering a series of CD Specials, usually in “non-standard” term lengths. At the beginning of the month, Third Federal added a 55-month CD Special earning 1.05% APY. Of the five CD Specials currently available, the 55-month has the most competitive rate (by far).

The minimum opening deposit is $500 and the maximum deposit allowed is determined by your funding method. As stated on the FAQs page,

If you are funding by check or transfer from an existing Third Federal account, the limits are as follows:

Certificates of Deposit - maximum is $500,000

If you are opening your account online and are funding by ACH transfer, the limits are as follows:

Certificates of Deposit - maximum is $100,000

As stated in the Truth in Savings document, the Early Withdrawal Penalty reads as follows:

The penalty on the amount withdrawn will be a loss of interest, whether earned or not, as follow:

A term of 4 years or more – loss of 18 months’ interest

The penalty will be figured on the amount withdrawn at the simple interest rate being paid on the account, and will be deducted from the account balance or the amount withdrawn.

Interest is compounded and credited quarterly and “may be withdrawn without penalty only during the term in which it is earned.”

There is a seven (7) calendar day grace period before a CD automatically renews.

If you open a Certificate of Deposit account with a promotional interest rate, such as a CD Special or Retirement CD Special, this type of account will automatically renew on the initial maturity date at the non-promotional interest rate then in effect for a Certificate of Deposit with the same term. If we do not renew the account, the account will be converted at maturity to a savings account that has the lowest interest rate then paid on our interest-bearing savings accounts.

Availability

Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Third Federal Savings & Loan offers its High Yield Savings account and CDs online to all U.S. citizens/resident aliens, 18 years or older. According to the online application, “these accounts can be opened as either joint or individual accounts only.”

Not to be confused with the Cincinnati-based Fifth Third Bank, Third Federal is currently the seventh largest bank in Ohio, with assets in excess of $14.5 billion and nearly 302,000 customer accounts.

Opening a CD Special can be done online, by phone (800.THIRD.FED), or at any of the 21 Ohio branches, located in the Greater Cleveland metropolitan area, or the 16 Florida branches, located along both the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. As stated on the Find a Branch page,

For the safety of our customers and associates during these unprecedented times, we temporarily have changed some of our branch hours. Please enter your location information below to view an updated listing of all branches near you.

Bank Overview

Third Federal Savings & Loan has an overall health grade of "A" at DepositAccounts.com, with a Texas Ratio of 3.54% (excellent) based on December 31, 2020 data. In the past year, Third Federal has increased its total non-brokered deposits by $224.77 million, an above average annual growth rate of 2.6%. Please refer to our financial overview of Third Federal Savings & Loan (FDIC Certificate # 30012) for more details.

More than 80 years ago in the depths of the Great Depression, almost one-third of all Cleveland residents were unemployed or underemployed.

To keep the dream of home ownership alive, Ben S. Stefanski and his wife, Gerome, applied for a federal charter to create a savings and loan association in the vicinity of East 70th Street and Broadway Avenue. In fact, the Stefanskis were so committed to the idea that they applied for the charter on their honeymoon.

With the initial $50,000 in capital provided by members of the Slavic Village neighborhood, Third Federal Savings and Loan Association opened its first office on Broadway Avenue on May 7, 1938.

Beyond organic growth and expansion, much of Third Federal has remained the same, with its headquarters housed in the Slavic Village neighborhood and with a member of the Stefanski family serving as the Bank’s President and CEO.

How the CD Special Compares

When compared 176 similar length-of-term CDs tracked by DepositAccounts.com that require a similar minimum deposit and are available nationally, Third Federal Savings & Loan's 55-Month CD Special APY currently ranks seventh, but it ranks first for bank CDs.

The above information and rates are accurate as of 3/19/2021.

To look for the best CD rates, both nationwide and state specific, please refer to our CD Rates Table page.