{
  "slug": "cd-ladder",
  "title": "CD Ladder Calculator",
  "heading": "CD Ladder Calculator",
  "category": "financial",
  "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/cd-ladder",
  "summary": "Build a certificate ladder with staggered maturities and blended yield.",
  "description": "A ladder gives you the yield of longer terms with regular access to cash. Each rung matures in turn and gets rolled into the longest term, keeping the average rate high.",
  "formula": "Blended yield = Σ (Rung amount × rate) ÷ Total invested.",
  "dateModified": "2026-09-30",
  "run_url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/calc?tool=cd-ladder",
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "total",
      "label": "Total to invest",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 50000,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "rungs",
      "label": "Number of rungs",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 5,
      "unit": null,
      "min": 2,
      "max": 10
    },
    {
      "id": "startRate",
      "label": "1-year rate",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 4.6,
      "unit": "%",
      "min": 0,
      "max": 12
    },
    {
      "id": "stepRate",
      "label": "Rate change per extra year",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": -0.1,
      "unit": "%",
      "min": -1,
      "max": 1
    },
    {
      "id": "years",
      "label": "Years to project",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 5,
      "unit": null,
      "min": 1,
      "max": 15
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "id": "blended",
      "label": "Blended ladder yield",
      "format": "percent",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": true
    },
    {
      "id": "per",
      "label": "Amount per rung",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "interestYr1",
      "label": "First-year interest",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "monthly",
      "label": "Average monthly interest",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "future",
      "label": "Value at the end of the horizon",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "interest",
      "label": "Total interest earned",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    }
  ],
  "worked_example": {
    "inputs": [
      "Total to invest: 50000 $",
      "Number of rungs: 5",
      "1-year rate: 4.6 %",
      "Rate change per extra year: -0.1 %",
      "Years to project: 5"
    ],
    "outputs": [
      "Blended ladder yield: 4.400%",
      "Amount per rung: $10,000.00",
      "First-year interest: $2,200.00",
      "Average monthly interest: $183.33",
      "Value at the end of the horizon: $62,011.54",
      "Total interest earned: $12,011.54"
    ]
  },
  "how_to": {
    "title": "How to use this",
    "steps": [
      "Enter total to invest ($).",
      "Enter number of rungs.",
      "Enter 1-year rate (%).",
      "Enter rate change per extra year (%).",
      "Enter years to project.",
      "Read your blended ladder yield on the right — it updates as you type.",
      "Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone."
    ]
  },
  "scenarios": [
    {
      "name": "Conservative",
      "description": "Lower-end numbers — what if things land soft?",
      "values": {
        "total": 30000,
        "rungs": 3,
        "startRate": 2.76,
        "stepRate": -0.06,
        "years": 3
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Typical",
      "description": "Defaults — the most common real-world setup.",
      "values": {
        "total": 50000,
        "rungs": 5,
        "startRate": 4.6,
        "stepRate": -0.1,
        "years": 5
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Ambitious",
      "description": "Higher-end numbers — what if things really pop?",
      "values": {
        "total": 80000,
        "rungs": 8,
        "startRate": 7.359999999999999,
        "stepRate": -0.16000000000000003,
        "years": 8
      }
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.",
    "Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.",
    "This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant."
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "How does the cd ladder calculator work?",
      "a": "A ladder gives you the yield of longer terms with regular access to cash. Each rung matures in turn and gets rolled into the longest term, keeping the average rate high. The underlying maths is: Blended yield = Σ (Rung amount × rate) ÷ Total invested."
    },
    {
      "q": "What do I need to enter?",
      "a": "5 values: total to invest, number of rungs, 1-year rate, rate change per extra year, and years to project. Each field starts with a sensible default, so you can change one number at a time and watch the result move."
    },
    {
      "q": "What does the blended ladder yield result mean?",
      "a": "It is returned as a percentage and updates live as you edit the inputs, so you can compare two or three versions of a scenario in a few seconds."
    },
    {
      "q": "Is this calculator free, and do I need an account?",
      "a": "Yes, it's free, and no account is required. Nothing you type is stored on our servers — the maths runs entirely in your browser."
    },
    {
      "q": "How accurate is the result?",
      "a": "It applies the standard formula exactly, so the arithmetic is precise. Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them."
    },
    {
      "q": "Who is this tool for?",
      "a": "It's built for anyone comparing money scenarios before committing — budgeting a payment, sanity-checking a quote, or seeing what a change in rate or term actually costs."
    }
  ],
  "related": [
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/treasury-bill-yield",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/bond-yield-to-maturity"
  ],
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "citation": "RevenueLab — CD Ladder Calculator (https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/cd-ladder)"
}