The amount of the penalty is based on the term of your certificate account. For account terms 12 months or less, the penalty is equal to six months’ (180 days) dividends on the amount withdrawn whether earned or not. For account terms greater than 12 months, the penalty is equal to nine months’ (270 days) dividends on the amount withdrawn whether earned or not.

Note: Both Certificates of Deposit (CDs) and share certificates are low-risk deposit accounts where your money can grow at a fixed rate. The main distinction between them is that CDs are products offered by for-profit banks, while share certificates are offered by member-owned, not-for-profit credit unions. Share certificates are federally insured by the NCUA while the FDIC insures CDs at banks.