It appears that a branch visit may be required to open an account. Branches are located in Ormond Beach and Port Orange, FL.

The bank’s financial ratings are mixed: 2 star rating (below peer group) at Bankrate.com and 4 star rating (excellent) at BauerFinancial. Both are based on 3/31/08 data.

Accounts can be opened online or by mail. According to the online application, you can fund accounts by mailing a check, wire transfer or a transfer from another ICB account.

The early withdrawal penalty for the 9-month term is a little severe: 181 days of interest. The wire transfer fees are $12 for incoming and $25 for outgoing.

Here are some of the details on ELOAN CDs:

• Individual, Joint and Living Trust Accounts can be opened.
• Beneficiary can be added in the application
• $10,000 minimum deposit
• No early withdrawal permitted during the first 90 days
• Eary withdrawal penalty: 3 months interest for 1 year or shorter term and 6 months for over 1 year term
• Grace period: 10 calendar days
• No interest is paid past the maturity date on accounts closed during the grace period
• Interest is compounded daily and credited monthly (same as savings)
• CD is opened like savings account with one linked checking/savings account which will fund the CD
• Linked account can be your E-LOAN savings account
• Option is available to transfer interest monthly by ACH from CD to linked account
• At maturity, you can instruct E-LOAN via the secure message system to close CD and transfer money back to your linked account

One important detail regarding this CD is a severe early withdrawal penalty. According to the CD disclosure, the penalty for the 59 month CD would be over 29.5 months of interest on the amount withdrawn.

US Bank does have an online application. However, you can only open the CD online if you already have a checking account with them and you use the checking account to fund the CD. Otherwise, you have to come into one of their branches. They do not accept checks by mail to fund a CD.

US Bank has branches in 26 states. It’s a large bank with $232.8 billion in assets.

Some banks are already responding. While average CD rates have been relatively flat in April, a handful of banks offering high-yield CDs — such as Capital One Financial Corp, Advanta Bank and E*Trade Financial Corp. — have recently bumped up yields on some of their CDs stretching out three to five years.

KeyDirect recently raised rates on its longer-term CDs by 0.25 percentage point to 4.75% and 5% for its 60- and 84-month CDs, respectively. GMAC Bank raised the rates last week on its four- and five-year CDs to 4.35% from 4% and 4.15%, respectively. Bank of America has also increased rates on a variety of CDs stretching out as many as 47 months.

Some banks are also raising some of their short-term CD rates. Earlier this month, for example, ING Direct raised the rates on its six-, nine- and 12-month CDs to 3.3%, from 2.75%, 2.5% and 2.5%, respectively. Meanwhile, IndyMac Bank is offering special one-year CDs online with a yield of 4.15%.

Membership is open to anyone who lives, works, worships or attends school in Orange County or 16 additional cities throughout the Greater Los Angeles area. You can also be eligible via select employer groups. Membership requires a $5 fee and a minimum initial deposit of $50 in the savings account.

Branches are located in the cities of La Habra, Buena Park, Tustin, Placentia and Orange. The credit union is federally insured by the NCUA.

Aside from this special, Wells Fargo CD rates are a bit low, ranging from 1.50% to 3.00% APY.

At maturity, CD will automatically renew for the Renewal Term stated above, at the interest rate and APY in effect for CDs not subject to a Special Rate, unless the Bank has notified you otherwise.

This CD is only available online and not through brick and mortar Wells Fargo Banks.

This CD is only available online. Other online CDs have terms ranging from 3 to 24 months, and yields from 3.16% to 4.25%. Visit Wachovia’s rate table for more information.

Wells Fargo also offers a range of customizable CDs, so you can choose how many months you want the deposit to be.

Umbrella Bank is currently offering 5.20% APY on their 3 and 6 month certificates. Initial deposit of $1000 required on all CD accounts. Umbrella Bank also offers IRA CDs.

UmbrellaBank.com is the Internet banking division of New South Federal Savings Bank. New South Federal is a member of the Collateral Family of Companies, which has been in the financial services industry since 1933.