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Course 152 · Money course 23

Compare Short-Term Savings Products

Practice compare short-term savings products with complete fictional records, worked calculations and changed-input checks.

Before you start

Use the supplied fictional case; paper and a calculator are sufficient.

Build a Budget That Runs Itself See everything you’ll need

Free download · Original practice data · No external account required. Download the starter pack

What you’ll leave with

A time-matched savings comparison with annual yield, fees, early-exit costs, insurance checks and a maturity calendar.

Start course Start without an account. Sign in to save lesson progress across devices.

Your project

Start with the practice files. Build your project one lesson at a time.

Practice files are free without an account. Sign in to save your project record in My Proof: a description, checklist, and optional work link. Keep the original files in your own app or notebook; saving a project record does not upload them.

  1. Get your materialsDownload practice filesSupplied practice cases, a blank working record, complete lesson instructions, and annotated worked examples.
  2. Make your projectView the project checklist Work in your own notebook, document, or software. Use the supplied practice examples when you prefer.
  3. Keep a private recordSave a project record Sign in to save a description and checklist, then return to update them.
Course handbook

Know the route before you begin.

Here’s what you’ll need and what you’ll make. You can return to this guide during any lesson.

Who this is for

Learners ages 14+ practicing independently; adult-only transactions are studied as fictional future decisions.

Prepare before lesson one
  • Use the supplied fictional case; paper and a calculator are sufficient.
  • Recommended preparation: Build a Budget That Runs Itself. Do not supply private financial documents.
Your final project

Finish with proof you can use.

A time-matched savings comparison with annual yield, fees, early-exit costs, insurance checks and a maturity calendar.

Save a project record in My Proof
See project checklist and review criteria

Keep your working files in your own notebook or software. Save a private description, checklist, and work link in My Proof.

What to include

  • A dated savings-use allocation and product-eligibility screen.
  • A one-year APY comparison with principal, interest and ending balances.
  • An after-cost savings comparison with itemized recurring fees and exit deductions.
  • A product-type and official-insurance verification sheet.
  • A maturity ladder with cumulative available principal and renewal actions.
  • A before/after savings allocation with a quantified early-access gap.

Review and revise

Use these criteria to check your work and choose what to improve.

  • All supplied records reconcile and the decision uses the named case rules.
  • Calculations show units, intermediate values and a second check.
  • Changed-input practice revises the affected result and identifies uncertainty.
  • The final project combines six lesson records, separates fictional assumptions from current rules, and states a supported next step.
Three ideas to help you along the way
Three useful ideas

The rules behind the steps.

01

Trace the money

For compare short-term savings products, keep the source amount, transformation and resulting balance together.

02

Keep the assumption visible

Use the stated rate, date, permission and case rule; a real arrangement can produce a different result.

03

Test the decision

Use a changed input and a clear stop or review condition before turning this practice into an action.

What do these words mean?
Key words

Key terms worth knowing.

APY
An effective annual yield that incorporates the stated compounding.
Maturity
The date a term deposit reaches the end of its stated term.
Liquidity
The ability to obtain usable money when needed under stated conditions.
Deposit insurance
Protection for eligible deposits at covered institutions under applicable ownership and limit rules.
Your route

6 lessons.
One useful project.

Work in order the first time. Each lesson makes something the next lesson can use.

  1. 1
    Up next

    Match savings to access dates

    Classify savings by earliest access date and test term restrictions against each need.

  2. 2
    7 min

    Compare annual yields correctly

    Calculate comparable one-year ending balances from stated APYs.

  3. 3
    8 min

    Subtract fees and early-exit costs

    Calculate after-fee and early-exit savings returns using specified terms.

  4. 4
    8 min

    Check the issuer and insurance

    Distinguish deposit products from investments and record institution/ownership checks.

  5. 5
    9 min

    Build a maturity ladder

    Build a staggered maturity schedule and test principal available by a use date.

  6. 6
    10 min

    Stress-test an early cash need

    Stress-test an earlier cash requirement and revise a savings allocation within a fixed total.

Use the tools

Tools to help you practice.

See all tools
ZIP · practice files

Compare Short-Term Savings Products practice files

Supplied practice cases, a blank working record, complete lesson instructions, and annotated worked examples.

Text worksheet

Your course project worksheet

A downloadable text worksheet with each lesson’s working output, space for your answers, and the shared final-project checklist. Save your own copy.

Source transparency

Sources and further study.

Explore the references behind the lessons and take your learning further. Source notes explain access and reuse.

NCUA MyCreditUnion.gov — Share Insurance
Source & access notes · checked 2026-10-01

Official page opened/read during Money expansion authoring; checked the relevant concept and access state. These sources do not establish funding eligibility.

Access: Readable official webpage inspected with the web reader on 2026-10-01. No interactive-tool operation is claimed.

Reuse: Original fictional practice, questions and calculations; paraphrased concepts with a source link. No source exercise copied.

SEC Investor.gov — Certificates of Deposit (CDs)
Source & access notes · checked 2026-10-01

Official page opened/read during Money expansion authoring; checked the relevant concept and access state. These sources do not establish funding eligibility.

Access: Readable official webpage inspected with the web reader on 2026-10-01. No interactive-tool operation is claimed.

Reuse: Original fictional practice, questions and calculations; paraphrased concepts with a source link. No source exercise copied.

SEC Investor.gov — High-Yield CDs: Protect Your Money by Checking the Fine Print
Source & access notes · checked 2026-10-01

Official page opened/read during Money expansion authoring; checked the relevant concept and access state. These sources do not establish funding eligibility.

Access: Readable official webpage inspected with the web reader on 2026-10-01. No interactive-tool operation is claimed.

Reuse: Original fictional practice, questions and calculations; paraphrased concepts with a source link. No source exercise copied.

FDIC — Understanding Deposit Insurance
Source & access notes · checked 2026-10-01

Official indexed FDIC guidance explicitly supports eligible bank deposits versus nondeposit investments and aggregation of deposits in the same ownership category at the same insured bank. No precise current coverage computation or interactive-verification pass is claimed.

Access: Official FDIC search-index text inspected on 2026-10-01. Direct webpage/PDF-reader attempts returned HTTP 403; full-page reading and the FDIC interactive estimator remain unavailable in this environment.

Reuse: Original product-screen and aggregation questions; paraphrased deposit/investment distinction and linked official verification route. No FDIC exercise or form copied.

Ready when you are

Start with the first useful move.

You’ll always know what to do, what to make, and where to go next.

Start lesson one