Citadel Credit Union is a regional credit union based out of Exton, Pennsylvania that was founded in 1937.

Today they hold roughly $4.4 billion in assets and service more than 240,000 members across Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Lancaster, and Philadelphia Counties in Pennsylvania.

They offer some fairly competitive CD (certificate of deposit) rates with terms ranging from 3 months to 7 years.

If you reside in Pennsylvania and are looking to open a CD, you may want to consider Citadel. To see if their rates and terms are right for you, continue reading our review below.

Citadel Credit Union CD Rates + Account Details

Citadel Credit Union is federally insured by the NCUA (FDIC equivalent for credit unions) and all consumer deposits held with them are insured up to $250,000 per depositor.

All Citadel CDs require a minimum deposit of at least $500 to open.

CD Rates

To put the rates above into perspective, the current national average for a 12 month CD and a 60 month CD sit at 1.07% and 1.09% APY, respectively, according to FDIC data.

That said, there are a number of online banks and credit unions with nationwide acceptance that are now offering above the 4.50% and 4.75% APY mark for the same respective terms.

📌 Bonus! In Citadel Credit Union’s Certificate of Deposit disclosure form (found here) they mention a bonus APY for deposits of $75,000 or greater. They do not mention the specific bonus amount, so you’ll have to call them directly at (800) 666-0191 to take advantage of this offer.

Grace Period and Early Withdrawal Fees

Upon the maturity of any Citadel Credit Union CD, you will have a 10 calendar-day grace period in which you may modify the CD (either by term or deposit amount) or close the CD out entirely without incurring any early withdrawal penalty fees. If nothing is done during this 10 day window your CD will automatically renew into the same term and the going APY at that time.

If you need funds from your CD prior to its maturity you will face an early withdrawal fee. The fee structure is as follows:

We should note that these fees may impact your principal investment if your account has not earned enough interest to cover the early withdrawal penalty.

How to Open and Fund the CD

Once you’re a member (see requirements in section below) you can open and fund your CD either online or in a local branch. The online process is simple and straightforward and should take less than 10 minutes according to Citadel.

Here’s what you’ll need to complete the process in minutes:

• Social Security Number
• Driver’s License (or other government issued ID)
• Bank or credit union routing number (if not funding from any Citadel account). This should be your current bank where the funds will come from to fund your Citadel CD.
• Account number
• Minimum Opening Deposit

You’ll also need basic personal information like email address, phone number, address, etc.

How to Join

Membership is only available to those who live, work, worship or study in the following Pennsylvania counties:

• Bucks
• Chester
• Delaware
• Lancaster
• Montgomery
• Philadelphia

You are also eligible to join Citadel if someone in your family or member of your household is also a member. This applies no matter where you live.

You will also need to open a Star Savings ‘share’ account with at least $5.00 to complete your membership. This share account will automatically be opened for you if you’re opening a CD.