Written by If you’re looking for a safe, effective way to grow your savings, a term deposit could be the right option to suit your needs. Term deposits are a type of cash investment that banks and other financial institutions offer as an alternative to savings accounts. Their key attraction is that, as a cash investment, they avoid the unpredictability of the property or share market. The agreed interest rate and fixed investment term make term deposits a safe, simple, and straightforward way to invest your cash.
When you invest in a term deposit, you lock in an agreed interest rate and a fixed timeframe for the investment. The interest rate is set by the bank, building society, or credit union offering the term deposit. The rate you receive may depend on how long you wish to invest for and the amount you plan to deposit. Depending on the length of your term deposit, you may have the option to receive interest payments annually, at maturity, or more frequently throughout the investment period.
Most institutions allow you to hold a term deposit for anywhere from one month to five years. Once your agreed investment period ends, the term deposit is said to have reached ‘maturity’ or to have ‘matured’.
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$0 Set up and no ongoing account-keeping fees. Interest rate depends on balance amount. Optional 3,6,9 or 12 month terms. Balances from $10,000.More details |
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What is the difference between a term deposit and a savings account?
Term Deposits differ from savings accounts in two main ways:
- The interest rate
A term deposit has a fixed interest rate. This means how much interest your savings earn is guaranteed to remain unchanged for the investment period. A savings account is usually on a variable interest rate, which means the interest you make on your money can move up or down as the financial institution changes its interest rates in line with RBA announcements.Â
- The money is ‘locked in’
Typically, with a savings account, you have access to your money so that you can add more funds to grow your savings balance, or equally withdraw your funds if you need to. A term deposit is different, because the amount you choose to invest is locked in and can’t be added to.
Also, because you have agreed to invest your money for a set period of time, you can only access the funds by providing up to 31 days' notice. You will often incur a penalty fee for early withdrawal, and may have the interest rate reduced too.
How is interest calculated on term deposits?
Term deposit interest is calculated using the interest rate agreed upon, the amount of money deposited and the length of time it’s locked in for.
The standard method of calculating simple interest on a term deposit is:
Interest =           amount          X    rate %      X         number of days
               invested             per annum                        365
For term deposits with a longer term, you’ll sometimes have different options when it comes to receiving your interest payments. Term deposit interest can be paid monthly, quarterly, half-yearly, annually or at maturity. You also have the option of choosing whether you would like to have the interest paid into a nominated bank account or added back into the term deposit balance. If you choose to add the interest to the term deposit amount, you are ‘compounding’ your investment.
Interest paid to you: With this option, you’ll have access to the interest paid to you, and you could receive this interest monthly if you choose, giving you a regular income. You’re able to spend the interest without breaking the term deposit. However, you will miss out on being able to grow your term deposit balance and access the benefits of compound interest.
Interest added back into the term deposit (compounded): You’re able to grow your investment without spending the interest. If you choose to have it paid frequently throughout the term, you’ll also start to compound your interest —this means, growing your balance, then earning interest on the higher balance every time interest is calculated and paid.
Are there any fees on my term deposit?
Yes, but only usually one – accessing your funds early will incur a fee. When you invest your money in a term deposit, you enter into an agreement with your financial institution. They invest and lend money on a large scale, to earn a rate of return which is then paid to you as interest. Accessing your term deposit money before its maturity date is commonly referred to as ‘breaking’ the term deposit. By breaking your term deposit, you’re dishonouring the agreement you made and taking away funds for the bank or credit union to lend or invest.
 If you choose to break your term deposit, you will generally need to provide at least 31 days’ notice. Further to your notice period, you will also incur either a fee (usually around $30) or an interest adjustment, or both, as a penalty. If you have less than 31 days until your maturity date, you may need to wait until maturity to have access to the funds.
When you access your term deposit early, the interest you receive depends on how much time is left on the agreed term. The interest is usually progressively reduced the earlier you break your term deposit. For example, if less than 20% of the term has passed when you break your agreement, the interest will be reduced by 90%. But breaking after 80% of the term has passed will mean your interest is reduced by only 20%. These figures are for illustrative purposes only and the amount your interest may be reduced depends on who your term deposit is with.
Although there are early withdrawal fees to consider, term deposits are otherwise known for being a no-fee investment option.
Are term deposits safe?
Term deposits hold a very strong reputation as one of the safest and most low risk investments. The term ‘no risk investment’ doesn’t usually exist in the financial world, because even storing cash under your pillow at night runs the risk of being lost, stolen or not keeping up with the value of money over time.
The safety of term deposits comes from being a cash investment. This means that you aren’t buying shares, or property, or any other form of investment that is subject to volatility. Further to this, the Australian Government provides a backup under its Financial Claims Scheme (FCS).
In the unlikely event that your bank, credit union or building society fails, the Financial Claims Scheme offers protection of up to $250,000 per account holder, per deposit-taking institution. The only way you could lose money in a term deposit would be if the bank and the government failed. This is extremely unlikely to happen.
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How do I compare term deposits?
There’s no point looking at term deposits that require a minimum deposit of more than you are able to invest. The lowest deposit amount on the market is generally $1,000, although there are others with minimums of $5,000 and sometimes higher. Find a minimum amount that you are comfortable with because once you’ve made your deposit it’s locked in.
Generally speaking, the longer the term, the higher the interest rate. Common term deposit lengths are 3, 6, 9 and one year, ranging up to five years. The longest term won’t always have the best interest rate though, so have a look at all the options available when deciding how long to lock it in for. You might find a particularly high rate for a term deposit of 9 months with one provider, while a different provider could have the same rate for 6 months. It comes down to how long you want to commit to the deposit and what you’re intending to do with the funds once the deposit matures.
You’ll want to be on the lookout for the highest interest rate — that will give you the best return on your investment. However, be aware that if the term deposit charges fees, it ultimately lowers your return. For example, a term deposit with an interest rate of 3% may end up being more profitable than a term deposit with a rate of 4% with high fees.
How often you receive interest payments can make a big difference to your balance at maturity. If you choose to have your interest paid at maturity, you will miss out on the benefits of compound interest. For example, if your initial deposit is $5,000 and you are receiving interest monthly, each monthly interest amount is added to the balance and interest is earned on top of that interest. 1% interest paid monthly would mean in the first month you’d earn approximately $4, but the next month you would earn interest on $5,004 and so on. With compounding, your total interest earned will be higher than if you simply had the interest paid at maturity.
Are there any fees on my term deposit?
Yes, but only usually one – accessing your funds early will incur a fee. When you invest your money in a term deposit, you enter into an agreement with your financial institution. They invest and lend money on a large scale, to earn a rate of return which is then paid to you as interest. Accessing your term deposit money before its maturity date is commonly referred to as ‘breaking’ the term deposit. By breaking your term deposit, you’re dishonouring the agreement you made and taking away funds for the bank or credit union to lend or invest.
 If you choose to break your term deposit, you will generally need to provide at least 31 days’ notice. Further to your notice period, you will also incur either a fee (usually around $30) or an interest adjustment, or both, as a penalty. If you have less than 31 days until your maturity date, you may need to wait until maturity to have access to the funds.
When you access your term deposit early, the interest you receive depends on how much time is left on the agreed term. The interest is usually progressively reduced the earlier you break your term deposit. For example, if less than 20% of the term has passed when you break your agreement, the interest will be reduced by 90%. But breaking after 80% of the term has passed will mean your interest is reduced by only 20%. These figures are for illustrative purposes only and the amount your interest may be reduced depends on who your term deposit is with.
Although there are early withdrawal fees to consider, term deposits are otherwise known for being a no-fee investment option.
The pros and cons of investing in term deposits
Are term deposits safe?
Term deposits hold a very strong reputation as one of the safest and most low risk investments. The term ‘no risk investment’ doesn’t usually exist in the financial world, because even storing cash under your pillow at night runs the risk of being lost, stolen or not keeping up with the value of money over time.
The safety of term deposits comes from being a cash investment. This means that you aren’t buying shares, or property, or any other form of investment that is subject to volatility. Further to this, the Australian Government provides a backup under its Financial Claims Scheme (FCS).
In the unlikely event that your bank, credit union or building society fails, the Financial Claims Scheme offers protection of up to $250,000 per account holder, per deposit-taking institution. The only way you could lose money in a term deposit would be if the bank and the government failed. This is extremely unlikely to happen.
Other frequently asked questions about term deposits
You can use Savvy’s term deposit calculator to help you work out exactly how much interest your savings will earn over a set period. Just enter in the amount you wish to deposit, the term of the deposit and the interest rate offered, and the calculator will show you how much interest your savings will earn.
Each financial institution has a different minimum deposit amount ranging from $500-$5,000. Maximum deposits range from $500,000 up to $5 million or more. Often larger amounts can be invested in a term deposit by special arrangement.
Most banks, credit unions and building societies won’t need you to be an existing customer or hold other products in order to have a term deposit with them.
You don’t need to be approved. Applying for a term deposit is very similar to a bank account – you just need identification documents and available funds.
The interest that you earn on a term deposit may be subject to income tax (similar to all other interest-bearing bank accounts). The financial institution may withhold additional tax from the interest if you don’t provide a Tax File Number (TFN), Australian Business Number (ABN) or if you are a non-resident of Australia.
When you first set up your term deposit, the maturity date will be communicated to you. You’ll generally be able to check the details through an online portal. You will also receive correspondence a short time before maturity to ask you what you’d like to do with the funds. If you fail to act on this correspondence after your term deposit reaches maturity, it may automatically enter a new term, meaning you’ll have to pay a fee to access your funds.
