Using an investment laddering strategy with 5 initial investments of $800 over varying maturities and interest rates you could accumulate $4,547 after taxes compared to $4,417 with a single $4,000 Investment Certificate reinvested each year at the 12-month rate. This represents $130 in additional after-tax interest savings. <div id="chart1Container">Chart will load here</div> <script type="text/javascript"> <!-- var myChart1 = new FusionCharts( "MSColumn2D", "myChart1Id", "100%", "100%", "0", "1" ); myChart1.setXMLData("<chart showValues='0' showFCMenuItem='0' decimals='0' formatNumberScale='0' caption='Investment Certificate After-Tax Accumulated Interest' xAxisName='Year' numberPrefix='$' bgColor='FFFFFF' showBorder='1' borderColor='FFFFFF' borderThickness='1' canvasBgColor='ffffff' showAlternateHGridColor='0' plotGradientColor='' numberSuffix='' thousandSeparator=',' decimalSeparator='.'><categories><category label='1' /><category label='2' /><category label='3' /><category label='4' /><category label='5' /></categories><dataset seriesName='Single Year Investment Certificate'><set value='80.20591498447811' /><set value='162.02007716858043' /><set value='245.47473428684953' /><set value='330.6027806885904' /><set value='417.4377703034543' /></dataset><dataset seriesName='Investment Certificate Laddering'><set value='95.023866393969' /><set value='198.38557212603064' /><set value='309.0282354109022' /><set value='425.78674043121646' /><set value='547.3583694487879' /></dataset></chart>"); // --> </script> <table class='pure-table pure-table-bordered' role='grid'><tr><th colspan='5'>Single Investment Certificate</th><th scope="col">Investment Certificate Laddering</th></tr><tr><th scope="col">Year</th><th scope="col">Beginning Balance</th><th scope="col">Interest</th><th scope="col">Taxes</th><th scope="col">Ending Balance</th><th scope="col">Ending Balance</th></tr><tr><td role="rowheader" scope="row">1</td><td>$4,000</td><td>$111</td><td>$31</td><td>$4,080</td><td>$4,095</td></tr><tr><td role="rowheader" scope="row">2</td><td>$4,080</td><td>$114</td><td>$32</td><td>$4,162</td><td>$4,198</td></tr><tr><td role="rowheader" scope="row">3</td><td>$4,162</td><td>$116</td><td>$32</td><td>$4,245</td><td>$4,309</td></tr><tr><td role="rowheader" scope="row">4</td><td>$4,245</td><td>$118</td><td>$33</td><td>$4,331</td><td>$4,426</td></tr><tr><td role="rowheader" scope="row">5</td><td>$4,331</td><td>$121</td><td>$34</td><td>$4,417</td><td>$4,547</td></tr></table>