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CIT Bank® offers certificates of deposit (CDs) with terms between six and 60 months — though only a few terms currently offer competitive yields that you should consider for your savings. Still, all of its CDs come with no maintenance fees and an affordable minimum deposit. Therefore, you need to be selective in choosing the terms that are appropriate for your financial needs. 

Account details and annual percentage yields (APYs) are accurate as of June 20, 2024.

About CIT Bank CDs

CIT Bank offers the following types of CDs for new accounts:

  • Term CDs: These CIT Bank certificates of deposit are standard CDs and you can choose terms between six months and five years, with rates varying based on the term length you pick. CIT’s best offerings are on its six-, 13- and 18-month CD terms — while its one-year CD term offers the lowest rate of all. 
  • No-Penalty CD: The CIT Bank No-penalty CD offers an 11-month term and an APY of 3.50%, which is nearly three times the national average rate on a 12-month CD term. Once the initial seven-day window passes (after funds have been received for your CD), you can withdraw your total balance and interest earned without a penalty. 
  • Jumbo CDs: The CIT Bank Jumbo CDs are designed for large deposits of $100,000 or more. CIT Bank currently offers a paltry 0.40% APY on its two- and three-year jumbo CDs and a 0.50% APY on its four- and five-year jumbo CDs. If you have that kind of cash to park, you’re better off looking elsewhere.
ABOUT CIT BANK CDS  
Minimum deposit
  • Term CDs: $1,000
  • No-Penalty CD: $1,000
  • Jumbo CDs: $100,000
Term lengths
  • Short-term CDs: 6-Month, 13-Month, 18-Month, 1-Year, 2-Year, 3-Year, 4-Year and 5-Year
  • No-Penalty CD: 11-Month; Jumbo CDs: 2-Year, 3-Year, 4-Year and 5-Year
Compounding schedule
Daily compounding (paid monthly)
Early withdrawal penalty
  • Terms of 1 year or less: 3 months simple interest on the amount withdrawn
  • Terms more than 1 year to 3 years: 6 months simple interest on the amount withdrawn
  • Terms more than 3 years: 12 months simple interest on the amount withdrawn
Grace period for penalty-free withdrawals after maturity
10 days

How much can you earn with CIT Bank CDs

The details of a CD, including its yield, minimum deposit requirements, interest payment schedule, and fees, depend on the issuer and whether you purchase it new. The available yields are listed in the table below.

CD TERMAPY
6-Month
3.00%
11-Month*
3.50%
1-Year
0.30%
13-Month
3.50%
18-Month
3.00%
2-Year
0.40%
3-Year
0.40%
4-Year
0.50%
5-Year
0.50%

With our CD calculator below, you can run the numbers to see how much you’d earn.

How to get a CIT Bank CD

CIT Bank offers a completely online process for opening CDs and it takes just five minutes to complete. When filling out the application, you’ll need to provide your:

  • First and last name.
  • Date of birth.
  • Mailing address.
  • Phone number.
  • Email address.
  • Social Security number.

You’ll also need to share your citizen and employment status, employer name and occupation. Once you choose your CD type and term length, you’ll fund the account. Your options include an electronic transfer (with an account either from CIT Bank or another financial institution), a mail-in check or wire transfer.

The final step is creating a username and password — if you don’t already have a CIT Bank account. 

How CIT Bank CD rates compare

Among CIT Bank’s 13 CD account offerings, four of them come with rates well above the national average — so they’re worth a look. Its 11-month no-penalty CD is exceptional because it offers a higher APY than most other no-penalty CDs, doesn’t charge fees and allows you to withdraw funds without sacrificing your earnings (beginning seven days after funds have been received for your CD).  

The bank’s nine other CD accounts aren’t anything to get excited about. Savers earn between 0.30% and 0.50% APY on these CD options, which is far below the national average rate. If you can’t find a CD that works for you, consider checking other bank or credit union CD rates.

TERMCIT BANK TERM CD RATESCAPITAL ONE 360 ONLINE CD RATESCHASE BANK CD RELATIONSHIP RATESHUNTINGTON BANK FIXED RATE CD PROMOTIONAL RATES
6 months
3.00% APY
4.25% APY
3.00% APY
5.13% APY (7 months)
12 months
0.30% APY
5.00% APY
2.00% APY
4.34% APY (11 months)
24 months
0.40% APY
4.00% APY
2.50% APY
N/A

Other CIT Bank products

In addition to its CDs, CIT Bank offers the following products for personal banking:

  • CIT Bank Platinum Savings. Platinum Savings is a high-yield savings account that pays a tiered interest rate based on your average daily balance. The account offers a 5.00% APY with a balance of $5,000 or more and 0.25% APY on balances less than $5,000. There is a minimum opening deposit of $100.  
  • CIT Bank Savings Connect. Savings Connect is another high-yield savings account, it pays a 4.65% APY on all balances. The minimum opening deposit is $100.
  • CIT Bank Savings Builder. The Savings Builder account also pays a tiered interest rate. It offers a 1.00% APY from the day the account is opened through the first evaluation day, then continue to earn 1.00% APY by maintaining a $25,000 minimum balance or making at least one monthly deposit of $100 or more. Otherwise, earn 0.40% APY.
  • CIT Bank eChecking. Its eChecking account comes with a connected debit card and no ATM fees. It also pays a tiered interest rate based on your average daily balance: 0.10% APY on balances under $25,000 and 0.25% APY on balances of $25,000 or greater. There is a $100 minimum deposit requirement.
  • CIT Bank High-Yield Money Market Account. The Money Market account pays a 1.55% APY on all balances and has a $100 minimum deposit requirement.
  • Home Loans. Home loans are available for purchase and refinance purposes. These loans come with fixed interest rates and terms ranging from 10- to 30-years.

CIT Bank review

CIT opened its doors in 1908 and is now a division of First Citizens Bank, the 15th largest bank in the U.S. While it’s largely run as a digital bank, CIT has 19 branches in eight states and headquarters in Pasadena, California.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau collected about 1,476 complaints against the bank in the past 10 years; the bulk of those complaints were associated with home loans. Complaints have dropped significantly over the past five years.

With the Better Business Bureau, CIT received a score of 1.14 out of 5 stars based on 22 customer reviews. The bank received a similarly low score of 2.2 out of 5 stars with Trustpilot based on 391 customer scores. Some of the Trustpilot complaints specifically referenced miscommunication about CD account grace periods and problems making withdrawals. 

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

At CIT Bank, your rate depends on the type of CD and the term length you pick. Its 13 CD account offerings come with terms ranging from six-months to five-years and rates ranging from 0.30% to 3.50% APY.

Yes, you can open a CD account with CIT Bank from any state in the U.S. — but branch locations are only in Arizona, Nevada, Nebraska, California, Florida, Kansas, Texas and Hawaii.

Yes, CIT Bank offers online banking. It also has a mobile app, which received 4.6 out of 5 stars for the iOS version and 2.8 out of 5 stars for the Android version.

Blueprint is an independent publisher and comparison service, not an investment advisor. The information provided is for educational purposes only and we encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding specific financial decisions. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

Blueprint has an advertiser disclosure policy. The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Blueprint editorial staff alone. Blueprint adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.

Kim Porter

BLUEPRINT

Kim Porter is a writer and editor who's been creating personal finance content since 2010. Before transitioning to full-time freelance writing in 2018, Kim was the chief copy editor at Bankrate, a managing editor at Macmillan, and co-author of the personal finance book "Future Millionaires' Guidebook." Her work has appeared in AARP's print magazine and on sites such as U.S. News & World Report, Fortune, NextAdvisor, Credit Karma, and more. Kim loves to bake and exercise in her free time, and she plans to run a half marathon on each continent.

Ashley Barnett has been writing and editing personal finance articles for the internet since 2008. Before editing for USA TODAY Blueprint, she was the Content Director for an international media company leading the content on their suite of personal finance sites. She lives in Phoenix, AZ where you can find her rereading Harry Potter for the 100th time.

Taylor Tepper

BLUEPRINT

Taylor Tepper is the lead banking editor for USA TODAY Blueprint. Prior to that he was a senior writer at Forbes Advisor, Wirecutter, Bankrate and Money Magazine. He has also been published in the New York Times, NPR, Bloomberg and the Tampa Bay Times. His work has been recognized by his peers, winning a Loeb, Deadline Club and SABEW award. He has completed the education requirement from the University of Texas to qualify for a Certified Financial Planner certification, and earned a M.A. from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York where he focused on business reporting and was awarded the Frederic Wiegold Prize for Business Journalism. He earned his undergraduate degree from New York University, and married his college sweetheart with whom he raises three kids in Dripping Springs, TX.