CDT Calculator for Colombia

What is a CDT?

A CDT — Certificado de Depósito a Término— is Colombia’s fixed-term deposit: you hand a bank a lump sum for an agreed number of days, the bank locks in an interest rate, and at maturity you get your money back plus interest. Terms of 90, 180 and 360 days are the most common, though banks offer anything from 30 days to several years, and longer terms generally pay higher rates.

The defining feature is the commitment. Unlike a savings account, you cannot simply withdraw a CDT whenever you like: the bank is not obligated to redeem it before the maturity date. Some banks allow early cancellation with a penalty on the accrued interest, and because a CDT is a negotiable security you can sometimes sell it to someone else on the secondary market — usually at a discount. In practice, money in a CDT should be money you are confident you will not need until the term ends. In exchange, you get a rate that is typically well above what savings accounts pay, and it is guaranteed no matter what markets or the central bank do in the meantime.

How E.A. rates work (and why 180 days isn't half the annual rate)

Colombian banks quote CDT rates as E.A. — efectivo anual— the effective annual rate, which already includes the effect of compounding over a full year. That is different from a nominal rate (often quoted monthly or as “nominal anual”), which ignores compounding: a 9% nominal rate compounded monthly actually works out to about 9.38% E.A. When comparing offers across banks, always compare E.A. to E.A. — it is the standardized, honest figure, and it is the one this calculator expects.

Because E.A. is a compounded rate, a partial term earns the fractional exponent, not a simple pro-rata slice. The formula is: gross interest = deposit × ((1 + E.A.)^(days/365) − 1). At 9% E.A., a 180-day CDT earns about 4.34% — slightly less than half of 9% — because compounding means the second half of the year earns interest on the first half’s interest, which a shorter term never receives. The difference is small but real, and it is why two banks quoting the same E.A. for different terms can hand you slightly different-looking payouts.

Retención en la fuente: the tax withheld from your interest

Before paying your interest, the bank withholds retención en la fuente— a withholding tax on financial yields — and sends it to DIAN, Colombia’s tax authority. As of 2026 the rate applied to CDT interest is currently 7%, following changes that equalized the treatment of CDTs and CDATs — but rates change by decree, so verify the exact percentage with your bank. That is why the calculator lets you edit it.

Importantly, retención is withholding, not a final extra tax. It is an advance payment of your income tax: if you file a Colombian tax return, the amount withheld is credited against the tax you owe for the year. The interest itself is taxable income (partially adjusted for inflation via the componente inflacionario rules in some years), so your true tax cost depends on your overall bracket — some filers effectively recover part of the withholding, others owe more. For planning purposes, the net interest this calculator shows is the cash that actually lands in your account at maturity.

Deposit insurance: what Fogafín covers

CDTs issued by banks and other credit institutions supervised by the Superintendencia Financiera are covered by Fogafín, Colombia’s deposit insurance fund. If the institution fails, Fogafín reimburses deposits — including CDTs — up to a limit that currently stands at COP 50 million per depositor, per institution(as of 2026; check Fogafín’s site for the current figure). Coverage is automatic and free: you do not sign up or pay anything.

The “per institution” part matters. If you hold more than the insured limit, a common strategy is to split CDTs across several banks so each stays under the cap. Also note that deposits in cooperatives are insured by a different fund (Fogacoop) with its own limit, and that products like investment funds are not deposits and are not covered at all.

Why CDT rates rise and fall

CDT rates track the Banco de la Repúblicapolicy rate. When the central bank raises its rate to fight inflation, banks’ own funding gets more expensive and they pay more to attract deposits — CDT rates climb, sometimes into double digits as they did during the 2022–2023 inflation spike. When the central bank cuts, CDT offers drift down within weeks. Longer terms bake in expectations: if banks expect rates to fall, a 360-day CDT may pay less than you would guess from today’s short-term rates.

The practical takeaway: when rates are high and expected to fall, locking a longer term preserves today’s rate; when rates are low or rising, shorter terms keep you flexible. And always compare your E.A. against inflation — a 9% CDT during 10% inflation loses purchasing power even though the peso balance grows.

Where a CDT fits in your finances

A CDT is the classic home for short- and medium-term money: savings for a purchase 6 to 18 months away, a portion of an emergency fund you are unlikely to touch, or the conservative sleeve of a larger portfolio. It will rarely beat stocks or real estate over long horizons, but it is predictable, insured, and immune to market drawdowns — useful ballast next to riskier assets. If you are saving over decades, our retirement calculator for Colombia shows how fixed-income returns compare with what you actually need for retirement, and if you move money between accounts often, check the 4x1000 calculatorto see what Colombia’s financial transactions tax costs you along the way.

Wherever CDTs fit for you, the key is seeing them next to everything else. Guaca tracks your CDTs alongside your accounts, investments, real estate and debts — in pesos, dollars or any currency — so maturity amounts flow straight into your net worth instead of living in a forgotten spreadsheet tab. Here is how to track your net worth in Colombia from end to end.

This page is educational and not financial or tax advice — confirm rates, taxes and insurance limits with your bank and a professional before deciding.

Frequently asked questions