Brokered certificates of deposit offer FDIC-insured principal up to applicable limits and a fixed rate for a fixed term. Non-callable means the issuing bank cannot return your money early. Corporate notes are not FDIC insured and issued with corporate bond ratings - the rate you see is the rate you keep until maturity or call (reinvestment risk is real – learn more about call risk HERE).
⚠ IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS:
• This counter is strictly illustrative. It does not represent actual cash received, credited, or settled in any account.
• Fixed income coupon payments are typically paid semi-annually on scheduled dates — not continuously or daily.
• Actual daily interest accrual for settlement purposes follows the applicable day count convention (e.g. 30/360, Actual/Actual) for each security — which may differ from the simple 365-day calculation shown here.
• This display resets at midnight local time and does not accumulate across days.
• Market prices, accrued interest, and actual account values are subject to change. This display is for educational and motivational purposes only.
CleverAlpha Securities LLC is a registered broker-dealer. Member FINRA/SIPC. CRD #301620. This is not investment advice. Past performance is not indicative of future results. All fixed income investments carry risk including possible loss of principal.
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation is a U.S. government agency created specifically to protect bank depositors. If an FDIC-insured bank fails, the government steps in and makes you whole — up to the coverage limit. You don’t have to sue, file a claim, or wait years. The money just shows up.
FDIC insurance covers up to $250,000 per depositor, per bank, per account category. With brokered CDs, your money is spread across many different issuing banks — each bank counts separately. So buying a $250k CD from Bank A and a $250k CD from Bank B gives you $500k in total FDIC coverage across two institutions, all in one brokerage account.
Since corporate notes carry no government guarantee, the market uses credit ratings to assess risk. A company rated AAA is considered extremely unlikely to default; BBB is still “investment grade” but carries more risk. Higher yield on a corporate note is compensation for taking on that credit risk — you’re being paid more because there’s no safety net if things go wrong.
When a CD or note is “callable,” the issuing bank or company has the right to return your principal before the maturity date — at their discretion, not yours. Banks typically do this when market interest rates have dropped, because they can then borrow money more cheaply elsewhere.
Getting your money back early sounds fine — but the timing works against you. Banks call CDs when rates are low. That means when you go to reinvest, the best rates available are likely lower than what you were earning. You end up earning less than you planned for the full term.
Non-callable (bullet) CDs guarantee your rate holds all the way to maturity — no surprises. Callable CDs typically offer a slightly higher headline rate as compensation for the call risk you accept. Whether that tradeoff is worth it depends on your rate outlook and how important certainty is to you.
Moody's, Standard & Poor's (S&P), and Fitch each independently assess an issuer's ability to repay debt. A rating like A3/A means Moody's rates it A3 and S&P rates it A. Higher letter = stronger creditworthiness.
| Grade | Moody's | S&P / Fitch | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Aaa | AAA | Highest quality, minimal risk |
| High Grade | Aa1 / Aa2 / Aa3 | AA+ / AA / AA- | Very low credit risk |
| Upper Medium | A1 / A2 / A3 | A+ / A / A- | Low credit risk, strong capacity |
| Lower Medium | Baa1 / Baa2 / Baa3 | BBB+ / BBB / BBB- | Lowest investment grade; adequate capacity |
| Speculative | Ba / B | BB / B | Below investment grade; speculative elements |
| Junk | Caa / Ca / C | CCC / CC / C / D | High risk or in default |
Notes on this platform are generally investment-grade (BBB- or higher). A higher-rated issuer pays you less because the market trusts them more. A lower-rated issuer must offer more yield to compensate for the extra risk. Unlike FDIC-insured CDs, corporate notes carry no government guarantee — you are an unsecured creditor of the issuer.
A corporate note is a debt security issued by a company (bank, financial institution, or corporation) to raise capital. When you buy a note, you are lending money to the issuer in exchange for regular interest payments (coupons) and the return of principal at maturity.
Unlike brokered CDs, corporate notes carry no government guarantee. If the issuer defaults, you are an unsecured creditor — you may lose some or all of your investment. This is why notes carry credit ratings and typically offer higher yields than CDs of comparable duration.
| Brokered CD | Corporate Note | |
|---|---|---|
| Government guarantee | Yes (FDIC up to $250K) | No |
| Default risk | Very low (bank + FDIC) | Depends on credit rating |
| Typical yield premium | Benchmark | +50 to +200 bps over CDs |
| Callable risk | Possible | Common on bank notes |
Most notes on this platform are issued by investment-grade financial institutions (major banks, broker-dealers). They are sold subject to a prospectus or offering document. Always check the credit rating and read the offering terms before buying.
A floating rate instrument pays a coupon that resets periodically based on a reference rate — typically SOFR (Secured Overnight Financing Rate), the successor to LIBOR. Instead of a fixed 5.00% for the life of the note, you might earn SOFR + 1.50%, which resets quarterly.
In a rising rate environment, floaters protect you automatically. As short-term rates climb, your coupon climbs with them. You don't have to sell and rebuy to capture higher rates — the instrument does it for you.
Fixed-rate notes lock in your yield regardless of where rates go. Floaters trade that certainty for rate-following behavior. If you believe rates will stay high or rise, a floater may outperform. If you believe rates will fall, a fixed-rate instrument is usually the better choice.
Some floaters include a coupon floor (e.g., minimum 2.00%) that protects you from very low rate scenarios. Always check the offering document for floor provisions before buying.
| # | ISSUER | CUSIP | TERM | APY | CALLABLE | AMOUNT | ACTION |
|---|
Enter credentials to authenticate into the new-issue offering grid.