Using an investment laddering strategy with 4 initial investments of $25,000 over varying maturities and interest rates you could accumulate $114,290 after taxes compared to $111,614 with a single $100,000 Investment Certificate reinvested each year at the 12-month rate. This represents $2,676 in additional after-tax interest savings. <div id="chart1Container">Chart will load here</div> <script type="text/javascript"> <!-- var myChart1 = new FusionCharts( "MSColumn2D", "myChart1Id", "100%", "100%", "0", "1" ); myChart1.setXMLData("<chart showValues='0' showFCMenuItem='0' decimals='0' formatNumberScale='0' caption='Investment Certificate After-Tax Accumulated Interest' xAxisName='Year' numberPrefix='$' 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' /></categories><dataset seriesName='Single Year Investment Certificate'><set value='2784.927603627715' /><set value='5647.413424829909' /><set value='8589.617403816694' /><set value='11613.759633569309' /></dataset><dataset seriesName='Investment Certificate Laddering'><set value='3170.517442658602' /><set value='6640.699167526138' /><set value='10364.799772573315' /><set value='14290.13941297587' /></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>$100,000</td><td>$2,785</td><td>$0</td><td>$102,785</td><td>$103,171</td></tr><tr><td role="rowheader" scope="row">2</td><td>$102,785</td><td>$2,862</td><td>$0</td><td>$105,647</td><td>$106,641</td></tr><tr><td role="rowheader" scope="row">3</td><td>$105,647</td><td>$2,942</td><td>$0</td><td>$108,590</td><td>$110,365</td></tr><tr><td role="rowheader" scope="row">4</td><td>$108,590</td><td>$3,024</td><td>$0</td><td>$111,614</td><td>$114,290</td></tr></table>