Make the small print visible.

Before comparing any percentage

Write the purpose of the money and the date or range of dates when it might be needed. Decide what information you are trying to compare rather than beginning with the highest displayed number. Keep deposits and securities in separate columns until their measurement and access differences are clear.

• Product and issuing institution or issuer.
• Exact yield label, quoted value, quote date, and source document.
• Amount invested, funding date, holding period, and maturity if applicable.
• Fees, minimum balances, rate conditions, and what the quote already includes.
• Route to usable cash, early-exit conditions, and relevant coverage or investment risks.

A CD disclosure review

Check the term and APY together. Record how and when the rate is established, how interest is handled, and whether the product can be called. Identify whether the arrangement is a direct bank deposit or a brokered purchase. Read the CD comparison guide for context.

• Note the minimum deposit and any promotional funding deadline.
• Copy the actual early-withdrawal or early-sale rule, not merely the word penalty.
• Record maturity, automatic renewal, the grace period, and the renewal-rate process.
• Identify the issuing bank and review applicable deposit coverage independently.

A savings account review

Look beyond the initial APY to the account's operation. A variable rate and a transfer process can both affect how well the account serves the intended use. Read the savings guide before filling out the worksheet.

• Record balance tiers and conditions attached to the displayed rate.
• Distinguish an opening minimum from a fee-waiver or rate-qualification minimum.
• Check transfer methods, holds, limits, and timing in the actual terms.
• Save the relevant fee schedule and institution information with the comparison.

A bond or dividend research review

Name the instrument and the measure before projecting income. An individual bond's coupon and current yield are not a stock's forward dividend yield. Security-specific documents matter more than a generic comparison screen.

• For a bond, record price, face value, coupons, dates, maturity, call terms, and the yield definition.
• For shares, record the distribution period, trailing or forward method, and price date.
• Separate recurring payments from special distributions and assumptions from commitments.
• Consider capital-value changes, costs, and an early-sale case independently from cash income.

At a maturity or goal review

Revisit why the money was assigned to the product. An old plan is not automatically the right next holding period. The decision to renew should use the next actual deadline and the current terms rather than an assumed rate forecast.

• Confirm where proceeds will go and when they become usable.
• Check any deadline for stopping or changing automatic renewal.
• Compare the new term and conditions with the original purpose of the money.
• Keep confirmations and record the next review date.

Use the worksheet safely

The text worksheet contains blank lines for your own notes; the website does not collect your entries. Print it or save it locally. Do not email filled financial details to YieldEarn.com. The worksheet is an organizing aid, not an eligibility check, insurance determination, or personalized recommendation.