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CleverAlpha Securities is a registered trade name (DBA) of Velocity Capital LLC, an SEC-registered broker-dealer and FINRA/SIPC member. CRD #171810. Registered at 199 Water Street, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10038. It provides self-directed brokerage services including access to equities, options, fixed income (CDs, Treasuries, corporate bonds), futures, and mutual funds.

CleverAlpha Securities (Velocity Capital LLC) is regulated by the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) and FINRA (Financial Industry Regulatory Authority). It is a member of SIPC (Securities Investor Protection Corporation). CRD #171810. Verify at FINRA BrokerCheck.

CDexplorer is a product of CleverAlpha Securities offering specialized access to the CD (Certificate of Deposit) marketplace. Available at CDexplorer.com. Features include primary CD offerings, secondary market trading, CD ladder building tools, portfolio optimizer, and fixed income allocation tools — all free to use with no account required.

CleverAlpha Asset Management LLC is a separate SEC-registered investment adviser (CRD #301620) that provides automated portfolio management services. Annual advisory fee of 25 basis points (0.25%) with a $1/month minimum. Registered at 5155 West Rosecrans Ave, Suite 320A, Hawthorne, CA 90250. The RIA and the broker-dealer are related entities under the CleverAlpha brand but have separate registrations.

Email: support@cleveralpha.com | Privacy: privacy@cleveralpha.com | Accessibility: accessibility@cleveralpha.com. Business address: CleverAlpha Securities, 199 Water Street, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10038.

A CD is a time deposit issued by an FDIC-insured bank that pays a fixed interest rate for a defined term (typically 3 months to 5+ years). In exchange for keeping funds deposited for the full term, the bank pays a higher rate than a standard savings account. At maturity, the investor receives the principal plus accrued interest.

A brokered CD is a CD issued by a bank and distributed through a broker-dealer rather than sold directly to the public. Brokered CDs are purchased in bulk lots by the broker-dealer and made available to individual investors. They can be held to maturity or sold in a secondary market before maturity, unlike bank CDs which have early withdrawal penalties.

A new-issue CD is purchased at face value directly from the issuing bank at the time of issuance. A secondary market CD is purchased from another investor before the original CD's maturity date. Secondary market CDs may be priced at a premium or discount to face value based on how current rates compare to the CD's coupon rate.

A callable CD includes a provision allowing the issuing bank to redeem the CD before its stated maturity date, typically after an initial call protection period. Callable CDs usually offer higher rates to compensate for this risk. If called, investors must reinvest at potentially lower prevailing rates (reinvestment risk).

A step-rate (or escalating-rate) CD has an interest rate that increases at predetermined intervals over the CD's term. For example, a 3-year step-rate CD might pay 4.50% in year one, 4.75% in year two, and 5.00% in year three. These are often callable by the issuing bank.

At maturity, the CD pays back the original principal plus any accrued interest. In a brokerage account, the proceeds are deposited as cash. You can then reinvest in a new CD, transfer funds, or withdraw. CDexplorer allows you to set up automatic reinvestment instructions.

Yes, provided the CD is issued by an FDIC-insured bank and your aggregate deposits at that specific institution do not exceed $250,000 per depositor per ownership category. CDexplorer displays the issuing bank for each CD. Because CDs from multiple banks can be held in one brokerage account, investors can achieve FDIC coverage beyond $250,000 by diversifying across issuers.

SIPC (Securities Investor Protection Corporation) protects brokerage customers in the event their broker-dealer fails. Coverage is up to $500,000 per customer (including up to $250,000 for uninvested cash). SIPC does not protect against investment losses or declines in the value of your holdings — only against the failure of the broker-dealer itself.

FDIC does not cover: brokerage accounts, equity securities, bonds not issued by banks, money market funds. FDIC covers deposits at FDIC-insured banks, including brokered CDs, up to $250,000 per institution. SIPC does not cover: investment losses from market fluctuations, commodity futures contracts, foreign exchange contracts, fixed annuity contracts, or investment contracts that are not registered securities.

No. FDIC insurance covers the risk of bank failure — it does not cover losses that result from selling a CD in the secondary market at a lower price than you paid. Market losses on CDs sold early are not covered by FDIC or SIPC.

Key risks include: (1) Interest Rate Risk — if rates rise after you purchase a fixed-rate CD, the market value of your CD falls if sold before maturity; (2) Call Risk — callable CDs may be redeemed early by the issuer; (3) Credit Risk — amounts above FDIC limits are subject to the issuing bank's financial health; (4) Liquidity Risk — secondary market trading is not guaranteed; (5) Reinvestment Risk — when a CD matures or is called, you may have to reinvest at lower prevailing rates.

CDs are generally considered lower-risk investments suitable for capital preservation and income generation. They are typically appropriate for investors who have a defined time horizon, do not need immediate access to the invested funds, and prioritize capital preservation over growth. However, all investing involves risk, and CDs may not be suitable for everyone. Consider consulting a qualified financial adviser.

Reinvestment risk is the risk that when a CD matures or is called, prevailing interest rates may be lower than the original CD's rate, meaning you may have to reinvest at a lower yield. CD laddering strategies (available in our free CD Ladder Builder tool) can help manage reinvestment risk by staggering maturities.

CDexplorer offers three free tools (no account required): (1) CD Ladder Builder — model a multi-maturity CD ladder from any investment amount; (2) CD Portfolio Optimizer — find the optimal allocation across CD maturities to maximize your blended yield; (3) Fixed Income Portfolio Allocator — build a diversified fixed income portfolio across CDs, Treasuries, corporate bonds, and structured notes.

No. All three CDexplorer tools are fully accessible without creating an account or logging in. They are free, browser-based tools for planning purposes.

A CD ladder is a strategy where you divide your total investment equally (or in varying amounts) across CDs with different maturity dates. As each CD matures, you reinvest in a new long-term CD to maintain the ladder. This provides regular liquidity windows while capturing higher long-term rates.

CleverAlpha Securities offers individual brokerage accounts, joint accounts, IRA accounts (Traditional, Roth, Rollover), and entity accounts for trusts and corporations. Account types available for specific products may vary.

Most accounts are opened within one business day. Identity verification (KYC) is completed electronically in most cases. More complex accounts (joint, entity, IRA) may take longer.

There is no minimum to open an account. Individual CDs are typically available starting at $1,000 face value, with minimums varying by issuing bank.

Accounts can be funded via ACH bank transfer (1–3 business days), wire transfer (same day if received before cut-off), or ACATS transfer from an existing brokerage account (3–5 business days). There are no deposit fees.