Five-year certificates of deposit (CDs) will most often be the longest term of a CD offered by the banks. The banks will offer the highest possible rates, but this will only be in return for a long-term commitment on the part of the customer. A 5-year CD is popular as it allows the depositors to lock in a large sum of money at a high interest rate for a long period of time. 5-year CDs are preferred by depositors looking to gain a high yield and take advantage of the high interest rates. The interest rates, however, are still making their way to a higher amount after their significant drop due to the recession. Following are some of the institutions offering the best 5-year CD rates.
CommunityWide Federal Credit Union
CommunityWide is one of the oldest credit unions, being established in 1967. The credit union held assets worth $410.9 million as of 31st December 2017. It has a large working team of around 77 full-time employees and hold leases and loans worth $362.6 million. They have 47,332 members that currently hold a massive $281.3 million in shares with the credit union. This credit union has had a good response from their customers and holds a good rating for the safety and soundness. A higher capital shows that the credit union can provide protection to their members in the unwarranted occurrence of a mishap. The institution has a high capital performance with a capitalization ratio of 24 percent.
Mountain America Credit Union
Mountain America is an NCUA-insured credit union that has its inception in 1936 and is currently headquartered in West Jordan, UT. This credit union has a substantial $7.09 billion in assets as of 31st December 2017. They have a commendable group of 1,686 employees that ensure the smooth functioning for this credit union. It is one of the credit unions with the best 5-year CD rates due to its commendable grip on loans and leases worth $6.13 billion. Even if this credit union is higher on assets and loan and leases amount, it ranks behind Communitywide due to its slight drop in the capital. Mountain America has a slightly below average capital score and has a capitalization ration of only 10 percent. It is, however, high on safety and soundness as it holds an amazing asset quality score.
Connexus Credit Union
Another NCUA-insured credit union, Connexus is based in Wausau, WI and was founded back in 1935. As of December 31st, 2017, the credit union had assets worth $1.69 billion. They are one of the top credit unions with the best 5-year CD rates and a strong team of 255 full-time employees. This credit union holds loans and leases worth $1.05 billion. Connexus currently has 305,795 members that account for $1.34 billion in shares. Similar to Mountain America, Connexus does not have a great capital score either. They have a score that allows them to be one of the best as they have an outstanding asset quality score. This commendable asset quality score allows them to be high on safety and soundness. The capitalization ratio is set at 12 percent, which is a lot better than most credit unions and complements the asset quality score well.
United States Senate
Founded in 1935, United States Senate is an NCUA-insured credit union based in Alexandria, VA. They have assets worth $673.8 million as of 31st December 2017. A strong workforce of 106 full-time employees allows them to have a tight grip on loans and leases worth $516.2 million. They come in as a credit union with one of the best 5-year CD rates with around 34,809 members who hold $589.1 million shares with them. Even with comparatively lower assets, they still hold a very high asset quality score that allows them to be a credit union with one of the best 5-year CD rates. The capitalization score of 14 percent is not very far behind either. A strong asset quality score and a good capitalization score allow them to be high on safety and soundness.
Boat covers are very important when it comes to the boat’s protection. The investment involved in purchasing a boat is very heavy. It’s a valuable asset and if you love spending a lot of time on water, there’s nothing better than owning a boat. However, it needs safety too and should be kept away from airborne particles, dirt, grime and dust.
Boat covers are quite essential for boats and have varied uses. The boat is kept dirt free and clean; moreover, even the mold and dampness is kept away. The boat is saved from UV rays of the sun. The rays are extremely destructive and the boat’s color is harmed by it. In fact, these rays are the biggest cause of weakness and cracking of rubber on the boats.
There’s a set warranty period that the boat cover comes with. If warranty isn’t offered by the company, it’s not worth buying the cover. Also, it means that the quality of the cover is not up to the mark. Check the fabric that’s used for this cover. The main ones include poly-cotton blend, polyester and polyester-canvas. Everything works really well. The most popular material is polyester because it doesn’t shrink or stretch. Poly-cotton ones are good but there are chances of them breaking down. You might find them in a variety of colors; select the one you want. However, always remember that black covers might cause damage to components. Avoid using black.
Refurbished laptops are an excellent way of saving a lot of money. If you need basic functions and you are not very tech savvy, a refurbished laptop might be the right choice for you. As with all products that you buy, the purchase of a refurbished laptop also needs careful inspection. Pay close attention to the product specifications, caveats, and risks involved in the deal. The latter might not be clearly mentioned online or by the retailer you have approached. So, discussions with others who have used refurbished laptops before will give invaluable practical advice to make a well-thought decision. Online customer reviews are an excellent means to find some practical pros and cons of products. It is worth the effort to invest time in Internet research before you commit yourself.
There can be a slight confusion regarding the word “Refurbished” that is used by both manufacturers and repair shop retailers to sell old laptops. The distinction in quality and the warranty period might vary greatly depending on where you buy the refurbished laptop. In this case, the laptops are usually returned to the manufacturer immediately after purchase for reasons like a scratch on the screen, a dent, minor technical issues, etc.
After the manufacturer accepts the returned laptop, it undergoes a rigorous process of inspection and repairs. Its functionality is checked on many parameters. The laptop is approved for resale in the refurbished category only after it meets high standards of company evaluation. After the laptop is approved and made fully functional, the company assigns a new serial number. The machine is then repackaged and sold as a refurbished laptop at a discounted price.
Manufacturer-refurbished laptops tend to be of a higher quality because they come with the brand name and guarantee. The company has a lot at stake if its refurbished laptops do not hold up to the promised standards. So, the risks of non-performance are significantly less. Most laptop manufacturers sell refurbished laptops. However, their repair process and sales policy may differ. Read the terms and conditions carefully to know which company offers the best assurance and good price. Sometimes, a cheaper product may come with limited or no warranty. Laptop repairs are not cheap, so ensure to not get too carried away by the discounts. Focus on product features and warranty as well.
Used or second-hand laptops that are returned or sold to a local retailer after long-term use are often sold as refurbished laptops too. These laptops may or may not have any technical issues because sometimes, owners simply want to upgrade to a new model. So they exchange their old laptops to get better deals on the new purchase. In other cases, over a period of heavy use, the laptop may have developed technical snags and have a worn-out look (crack on the screen, scratches and dents on the body, etc.) and the user would have wanted to spend on a new laptop rather than coughing up on repairs.
The retailer gets such returned/sold laptops again into a running condition with the help of their repair teams. The product is then put for sale as a refurbished laptop. Note how the process varies greatly from manufacturer refurbishing in terms of previous usage and expert repairs by authorised personnel. That being said, there are also some advantages of going to a retail store for a second-hand laptop.
Customers can also approach a retailer with specific requirements. They can get the refurbished laptop customized according to their needs and upgrade it for processor speed, multimedia cards, memory, hard drive size, accessories, etc. This benefit is not possible in the case of manufacturer-refurbished laptops. These are some basic differences between manufacturer repaired laptops and those sold by the local retailer. Compare the risks carefully in both scenarios before making a purchase.
Be it a brick-and-mortar store, an online business or a large enterprise, you need to constantly work on promoting your business to give it a competitive edge. Some businesses like grocery stores launch new products quite frequently. This requires even a more focused approach to promotional activities to maximize its sales and generate the target revenue through it.
If you run an online grocery store, you need effective ways to retain your existing customers and target new ones.
Here are some simple but effective ways to promote your online grocery business.
Count on discounts to attract new customers and keep the existing ones happy. Not only offer holiday deals but ensure monthly discounts on few categories to retain your regular customers. Offer your customers promotional codes to lower their bill amounts. Promote these discounts not only on your website but also on your social media channels.
Use your social channels to promote your products on offer. Share news about every new launch. Build it up with some advance notice so that it creates a buzz. For instance, you plan to sell organic bread in your grocery store. You can begin the promotions for the same with the big announcement and then regularly post pictures and relevant information about the product line until the launch. You can keep the momentum going after the launch by regular posts every week on the bread.
Another excellent way to promote your online grocery store is through contests. You can offer a great prize to the winner such as a new line of cookies or chocolates. The promotional contests can be simple such as asking your customers to post about the giveaway on their social pages or enter their names and e-mails to qualify for the promotion. Contests are a great way to promote new products, drive traffic to your website and offer something extra to your existing customers.
There is no reason why you shouldn’t promote your online grocery business at farmers’ market, local fairs and trade shows. This is particularly relevant if you sell gourmet food items and other specialty products in your online grocery store. You can ask your vendors for samples or promotional packs and use them to attract new customers to your business. You can also offer promotional reusable grocery bags with your company website and logo printed on it.
If you run a grocery store at a physical location in addition to your online business, it can be an excellent avenue for your promotional work. You can place a sign on the checkout counter with information on your website and offers. If you offer discount coupons in your physical store, also make the same available to your online customers. Even if you don’t sell gourmet products at your brick-and-mortar store, you can keep samples of new food products for your customers so that they can be motivated to buy them from your online grocery store.