Given the continued flat projection on CD profits via interest earnings, Barclays Bank’s 3-year CD ends up being something the fly a banner about. Barclays is currently offering a 3-year CD with an annual interest payment of 1.35 percent and a 5-year CD at 1.75 percent. Hey, that’s actually getting near the ballpark of 2 percent! That sort of payout hasn’t been seen since the mid-2000s. With savings rates at all-time lows, the fact that Barclays won Money Magazine's 2012 best-interest paying savings award is impressive in itself. So far, the Bank intends to keep going in the same direction for 2013.

Barclays Online Banking represents the U.S. branch of a global financial institution that operates in 50 countries and in multiple financial industries. Barclays' business activities include retail banking, corporate and commercial investment banking, wealth planning and credit card services. For U.S. online customers, however, Barclays Online is limited to savings and CD accounts.

Through the Bank’s website, a saver can open up a CD account within a few minutes and providing required identification information via the Internet. The funds are then drawn from an existing external account to fund the CD or from a Barclays account if one already exists. Whichever the case, it only takes a bit of keyboard work and 30 minutes maximum to complete. Further, all deposits are insured up to $250,000 per depositor and deposit category. That at least provides savers a guaranteed place to make a bit more on their cash funds.