A fixed deposit (FD) is a savings product where you lock in a lump sum with a bank for a fixed period — 1, 3, 6, or 12 months — and earn a guaranteed interest rate in return. There is no market risk: your principal is fully protected, and you know exactly what you will earn before you start. That certainty is the main reason Malaysians use FDs, but it comes at a cost — your money is tied up, and the rates on offer rarely keep pace with inflation. This guide explains how FD rates are set, why the advertised rate is not always the one you get, who FDs are genuinely useful for, and how to choose a placement and squeeze a better rate out of your bank.
Want fixed deposit products side by side rather than explained? See our Best Fixed Deposit Rates in Malaysia list. This guide is the companion explainer: it covers how the board rates, campaign conditions and tenures behind that list work, so you read it knowing what to check.
Bottom line: On 11 October 2026, 12-month board rates were 1.90% p.a. at CIMB and 1.80% at Hong Leong, AmBank, Public Bank and RHB (each bank's own rate page). Time-limited campaigns at five banks paid 3.60–3.90% p.a. for 12 months on 11 October 2026 (Standard Chartered's only for placements of at least RM50,000 of fresh funds at a branch, or via a Relationship Manager or myRM for Priority clients, not via Online/SC Mobile), and all five end between 31 October and 31 December 2026: AmBank's on 31 October, CIMB's and Hong Leong's on 3 November, Public Bank's and Standard Chartered's on 31 December. The 3.90% top rate was CIMB's, which ends on 3 November. Among digital banks, GX Bank's 2.00% p.a. on an ordinary balance is slightly above those board rates and AEON Bank's 0.25% p.a. is far below them. Bank Negara Malaysia publishes the commercial-bank average every month; see the latest figure in our FD rates tool. Compare on the rate, the tenure, the end date and any "new funds" condition — not the headline.
Best for: idle lump sums you can lock away for a fixed term. For money you might need, a high-yield savings account keeps it liquid at a comparable rate.
Last updated 28 October 2026 · money.com.my Editorial
What FD Rates Looked Like on 11 October 2026
Bank Negara Malaysia publishes the average 3-month commercial bank FD rate in Malaysia every month, and the latest figure is in our FD rates tool. That average is the headline number for a standard placement at a major bank — Maybank, CIMB, Public Bank, RHB, Hong Leong.
A few things to understand about that average:
- It is a benchmark, not the best you can get. Banks run time-limited campaigns above their board rates. On 11 October 2026, 12-month campaign rates were 3.60–3.90% p.a. at CIMB, AmBank, Hong Leong, Public Bank and Standard Chartered, each with an end date. Standard Chartered's terms say placements made via Online/SC Mobile are not entitled to its promotional rate, so that one is for placements at a branch, or via a Relationship Manager for Priority clients (clause 12 of its terms), with a minimum of RM50,000 of fresh funds (clause 11). Some campaigns need money from another bank (Hong Leong, Public Bank). CIMB's and AmBank's October campaigns also accept a transfer from your own savings or current account at that bank.
- Islamic FD usually pays the same as conventional. At Hong Leong, AmBank, Alliance and RHB, the Islamic term deposit's profit rates matched the conventional board rates tenure for tenure (checked 11 October 2026). Check both at your bank.
- Shorter tenures sometimes earn less. On 11 October 2026, a 1-month placement earned the same board rate as a 3-month one at CIMB, AmBank, Public Bank, RHB and Hong Leong (counter FD), and 0.15 percentage points less at Hong Leong (e-FD) and BSN.
To see how today's rates compare to the past 29 years — including the spike during the 1998 Asian financial crisis and the COVID-era lows — look at the FD rate history chart on our rates tool.
FD rates are closely tied to Bank Negara Malaysia's Overnight Policy Rate (OPR). When the OPR moves, commercial bank FD rates follow — usually within a few weeks. You can track OPR decisions and what they mean for your savings at our OPR tracker.
Why the Advertised Rate Isn't Always the Rate You Get
Search "best FD rate" and you will see eye-catching numbers that often do not match what actually lands in your account. Three things explain the gap, and knowing them saves a lot of frustration.
- Board rate vs promotional rate
- The “new funds” condition
- Tenure and minimum placement
Board rate vs promotional rate. The board rate is the bank's standard, always-on rate for a given tenure. The promotional rate is a campaign rate, usually higher, but fenced with conditions. The headline figure in an advert is almost always the promotional one, not the rate you get by default.
The "new funds" condition. Most promotional rates are fenced by where the money comes from. Some campaigns accept only money from another bank (Hong Leong's and Public Bank's October 2026 campaigns). Others also accept a transfer from your own savings or current account at the same bank (CIMB's and AmBank's). Standard Chartered's campaign takes fresh funds only: money paid into your Standard Chartered current or savings account in the 30 days before you place, not money already held at the bank, including a maturing FD (clause 8 of its terms), though money from selling Standard Chartered wealth assets counts. A maturing FD that simply rolls over earns the board rate: CIMB, AmBank and Standard Chartered (clause 13) apply the campaign rate for one cycle only and renew at the board rate. Read the campaign terms.
- Hong Leong
- money from another bank
- Public Bank
- money from another bank
- CIMB
- also your own CIMB account
- AmBank
- also your own AmBank account
- Standard Chartered
- fresh funds only, not money already at the bank
- A maturing FD that rolls over
- board rate (CIMB, AmBank, Standard Chartered)
Tenure and minimum placement. Advertised rates are usually pegged to a specific tenure, often 12 months, and sometimes a minimum amount. A shorter tenure, or a placement below the threshold, quietly drops you to a lower rate. Always read a rate against its tenure and minimum, never in isolation.
The practical habit: treat any advertised rate as a starting question, not a promise. Confirm whether it is the board or promotional rate, what funds qualify, and which tenure and minimum it assumes, before you place a single ringgit.
FD vs. Savings Account vs. ASNB vs. EPF
This is the comparison that actually matters. Here is where the major options stand:
| Product | Typical Return | Liquidity | Risk | Who Can Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Savings account (major banks) | 0.00–0.50% p.a. base rate (Hong Leong, RHB, AmBank, BSN, checked 11 Oct 2026); some accounts add a bonus if you meet conditions | Immediate | None | All |
| Fixed deposit (standard) | Bank Negara Malaysia's average: see our FD rates tool | Locked until maturity | None | All |
| Fixed deposit (promotional) | 3.60–3.90% p.a. for 12 months at five banks on 11 Oct 2026, time-limited (end dates: AmBank 31 Oct, CIMB and Hong Leong 3 Nov, Public Bank and Standard Chartered 31 Dec 2026; check each bank's page for the current offer) | Locked until maturity | None | All |
| Islamic FD (term deposit-i) | Same as conventional at the banks we checked | Locked until maturity | None | All |
| ASNB stable NAV funds | Variable, typically above FD | T+1 to T+3 | Very low | All Malaysians |
| ASB (Amanah Saham Bumiputera) | 4.25–5.75% over FY2020 to FY2025; 5.75% in 2025 | Redeemable | Very low | Bumiputera only |
| EPF (employee contribution) | 6.15% (2025 dividend) | Locked until 55 / withdrawals | Very low | Employees only |
Bank Negara Malaysia's June 2026 figures for commercial banks: the average savings rate was 0.65% p.a. as a simple average of banks' rates, or 0.35% p.a. weighted by balances.
Savings account vs. FD: A standard FD pays somewhat more than a savings account, and more still if you catch a promotion. If you have money sitting in a savings account that you will not touch for three months, an FD makes sense. The trade-off is that breaking an FD early pays no interest at Hong Leong (eFD), Public Bank and BSN (Term Deposit) under the terms we read, and no profit at RHB (Commodity Murabahah Deposit-i, after 1 January 2019, per its disclosure sheet); see the early-withdrawal FAQ above. We did not read Maybank's or CIMB's current terms, so check the bank's terms before placing. Do not place funds you might need suddenly.
FD vs. ASNB: ASNB funds (open to all Malaysians, not just Bumiputera) typically beat standard FD rates with comparable stability and slightly better liquidity. If you have not explored ASNB, it deserves a look before you default to an FD. Visit asnb.com.my directly to check current fund performance.
FD vs. EPF: EPF consistently outperforms FD — 6.15% for 2025, against a standard FD rate that is a fraction of that. For employees, topping up your EPF voluntarily (up to the RM100,000 annual cap) is almost always a better move for long-term savings than an FD. The drawback is that EPF money is illiquid until retirement (with limited exception withdrawals). For a detailed comparison, see the EPF complete guide 2026.
Real returns matter: Malaysia's headline inflation was 1.9% in August 2026 (DOSM), and between 1.3% and 2.0% in each month of the past year. A 12-month board rate of 1.80–1.90% p.a. leaves little or nothing after inflation. The newest month DOSM has published is on our Malaysia inflation rate page.
Check our inflation calculator to see what your savings are actually worth after inflation.
Four Ways to Get a Better Rate
Best for:
1. Check for "new funds" promotional rates
Every major bank runs periodic FD promotions — particularly at quarter-end and during campaign periods. Check whether the campaign needs money from another bank; some do and some do not. Many banks show their FD promotions in their app: open the FD section and look for a "promotion" tab. Not all do: Standard Chartered's campaign rate is not available via Online/SC Mobile, so read each campaign's terms for the channel. In October 2026, 3-month campaign rates were 3.45% p.a. at AmBank (campaign period ending 31 October), 3.50% at Hong Leong and 3.55% at CIMB (both campaigns ending 3 November). All three campaigns end on or before 3 November 2026 and later offers can differ, so check each bank's own page for its current offer. RinggitPlus and CompareHero both aggregate these promotions and are worth bookmarking.
Check which money qualifies
Some campaigns need money from another bank (Hong Leong and Public Bank in October 2026). Others also accept a transfer from your own savings or current account at that bank (CIMB and AmBank). Standard Chartered takes fresh funds only: not money already held at the bank, including a maturing FD (money from selling Standard Chartered wealth assets does count). A maturing FD that rolls over earns the board rate at CIMB, AmBank and Standard Chartered. Read the campaign terms before you move money.
2. Consider Islamic FD
Conventional and Islamic FDs sit side by side at most banks. At Hong Leong, AmBank, Alliance and RHB, the Islamic profit rates matched the conventional board rates exactly (checked 11 October 2026). Choose on the contract you prefer, not on a rate premium.
- Conventional FDinterestIslamic term deposit-iprofit; matched the board rates at Hong Leong, AmBank, Alliance and RHB
Best for:
3. Ladder your placements
Rather than placing all your savings in a single 12-month FD, split the amount across different tenures — for example, three equal portions at 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months. When each tranche matures, reinvest at whatever the best rate is at that time. This keeps you liquid (a portion matures every month or two) and lets you capture rate increases without waiting for a single large placement to run its course.
4. Negotiate for larger amounts
For placements above RM50,000, it is worth calling the bank's priority banking line and asking for a negotiated rate. Banks have room to move, especially for large amounts placed by existing customers. This is not guaranteed. Public Bank lists 13- to 60-month placements as "Negotiable" and RHB lists placements over 12 months as "Negotiable", so it is worth asking.
- Public Bank
- 13- to 60-month placements
- RHB
- placements over 12 months
- How
- the bank’s priority banking line
Above RM50,000? Ask before you place
For placements over RM50,000, ask the bank for a better rate before you place. Public Bank and RHB list longer tenures as "Negotiable". There is no published figure for how much more you will get, but asking costs nothing.
A Simple FD Ladder, Worked Through
Laddering is the one FD strategy that consistently earns its keep, and it is simpler than it sounds. Instead of locking everything into one long placement, you stagger several so that one matures regularly. That keeps part of your money reachable and lets you re-price into better rates as they appear.
Here is the shape of it with a round, illustrative figure. Say you have RM60,000 to place. Split it into three tranches of RM20,000, opened at 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month tenures.
- 3-month RM20,000
- 6-month RM20,000
- 12-month RM20,000
When the 3-month tranche matures, you reinvest it into a fresh 12-month FD. Do the same as each later tranche matures. After the first year you hold three rolling 12-month FDs, with one coming due every few months.
- Split RM60,000 into three tranches of RM20,000
- Open them at 3-month, 6-month and 12-month tenures
- Reinvest each maturing tranche into a fresh 12-month FD
- After the first year: three rolling 12-month FDsOne comes due every few months.
Two things this buys you. First, liquidity: a portion is always near maturity, so an unexpected need rarely forces you to break a deposit early. Second, rate flexibility: if rates rise, each maturing tranche captures the new level instead of being stuck for a year, and if rates fall, you have already locked part of your money at the older, higher rate. The exact amounts and tenures are yours to set. The principle is what matters: never tie up money you cannot reach, and never bet the whole sum on a single rate at a single moment.
The RM60,000 ladder at a glance
Split RM60,000 into three tranches of RM20,000, opened at 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month tenures. As each tranche matures you reinvest it into a fresh 12-month FD. After the first year you hold three rolling 12-month FDs, with one coming due every few months — always liquid, always re-pricing.
Which Banks to Check
For standard placements, the big names are Maybank, CIMB, Public Bank, RHB, Hong Leong Bank, and AmBank. Their standard rates are similar — within a narrow band of each other: 1.80–1.90% p.a. for 12 months at CIMB, Hong Leong, AmBank, Public Bank and RHB on 11 October 2026. BSN (2.15%) was higher. We could not read Maybank's page.
For Islamic options, BIMB (Bank Islam), Bank Muamalat, and CIMB Islamic are worth checking alongside their conventional counterparts at mainstream banks.
Do not compare rates manually bank by bank. Our fixed deposit rates list shows products side by side, ordered by our editorial rating rather than by rate, and the live FD rates tool shows how today sits against the long-run history.
Digital Bank FDs and eFDs
A newer option sits beside the traditional banks: fully digital fixed deposits, often labelled eFD, offered by digital banks and by the app arms of conventional banks. These are opened and managed entirely in an app, with no branch visit.
The placement experience is the clear advantage: a few taps to open, with maturity and renewal settings handled in the app. The rate advantage is not automatic. Lower overheads do let a digital bank price above a branch network, but it does not follow that every digital bank does. On savings, GX Bank pays 2.00% p.a., slightly above the 1.80–1.90% p.a. 12-month board rate at CIMB, Hong Leong, AmBank, Public Bank and RHB. AEON Bank's prevailing rate of 0.25% p.a. is far below it (all checked 11 October 2026). Check the specific product's rate rather than assuming the digital option wins.
- GX Bank2.00% p.a. on savings, slightly above the 1.80–1.90% board rateAEON Bank0.25% p.a. prevailing, far below it
The safety question is the one most people ask first. Licensed digital banks in Malaysia are PIDM members, so their deposits carry the same RM250,000 per depositor protection as any other licensed bank. The usual cautions still apply: check the tenure, the minimum placement, and whether the headline rate is a board or promotional rate, exactly as you would with a conventional FD.
PIDM: Your Money Is Insured Up to RM250,000
All deposits at BNM-licensed commercial banks in Malaysia are insured by Perbadanan Insurans Deposit Malaysia (PIDM). The coverage limit is RM250,000 per depositor per member institution.
This means if you have RM300,000 to place, you should split it across two separate banks — not two branches of the same bank — to keep each tranche within the insured limit. PIDM covers both conventional and Islamic deposits. You can verify which banks are PIDM members at pidm.org.my.
- All at one bankcovered up to RM250,000 per depositorSplit across two bankseach tranche within the RM250,000 limit
One important clarification: the RM250,000 limit is per bank, not per account. Multiple FD accounts at the same bank are aggregated and covered up to the single limit.
Split large sums across banks to stay insured
PIDM covers RM250,000 per depositor per member institution. If you have RM300,000 to place, split it across two separate banks — not two branches of the same bank — so every ringgit stays within the insured limit. The cover applies to both conventional and Islamic deposits.
FD Interest Is Tax-Exempt in Malaysia
Interest income from fixed deposits placed with licensed Malaysian banks is currently exempt from personal income tax for Malaysian individuals. You do not need to declare it in your tax return. This is a straightforward advantage over some other instruments. Corporate FD interest is a different matter — businesses must declare it as income.
When FD Is Not the Right Tool
FD works well for specific situations. For everything else, there are better options.
Do not use FD for your emergency fund if you have none. An emergency fund needs to be accessible within hours. An FD that matures in three months does not help if your car breaks down next week. Keep three to six months of expenses in a savings account or a liquid money market fund first. Only excess savings beyond that threshold belong in an FD.
Do not use FD if you carry high-interest debt. Personal loans in Malaysia commonly run at 8–15% interest. Credit card revolving debt runs at 18% per annum. Parking money in an FD while paying 18% on a credit card balance is a losing trade by a wide margin. Pay down the debt first.
Do not use FD as your primary long-term savings vehicle. Over a 10 or 20-year horizon, FD rates — even optimistic ones — will not grow wealth meaningfully after inflation. EPF, ASNB, or a diversified unit trust portfolio will outperform FDs over the long run for money you will not need for years.
ASB investors should not prioritise FD. If you are Bumiputera and have unfilled ASB capacity, directing savings there (5.75% for both 2024 and 2025) before placing into an FD is generally the better decision.
The Bottom Line
A fixed deposit does one thing well: it pays more than a savings account with zero risk, and your return is locked in from day one. The standard rate is not going to build wealth, but it beats leaving cash idle. If you catch a time-limited campaign, rates in October 2026 were 3.60–3.90% p.a. for 12 months, but each campaign ends on a set date and some need money from another bank. Islamic term deposits paid the same as conventional at the banks we checked.
The key discipline is knowing where FD fits in your broader savings picture. Emergency fund first. High-interest debt eliminated. EPF and ASNB capacity reviewed. Whatever is left over, sitting idle, and not needed for at least three months — that is the money an FD is designed for.
For current rates updated regularly, use our FD rates comparison tool. For a side-by-side list of products (ordered by our editorial rating, not by rate), see our fixed deposit rates list. For context on how today's rates compare to real purchasing power, run the numbers through our inflation calculator.
Related Guides
- Emergency fund firstThree to six months of expenses, liquid.
- High-interest debt eliminated
- EPF and ASNB capacity reviewed
- Then idle money not needed for three months or moreThat is the money an FD is designed for.
- ASB vs Fixed Deposit Malaysia 2026 — Which Gives Better Returns? — head-to-head comparison of ASB dividends vs FD rates, with worked examples
Amendment, 10 October 2026. This guide quoted the average 3-month commercial-bank fixed deposit rate as "2.60–2.70%" for December 2025 and credited it to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM). Neither was right. The series is Bank Negara Malaysia's: data.gov.my lists Bank Negara Malaysia as the source of the "interestrates" dataset behind our FD rates tool. And the guide said "2.60–2.70%", which is roughly the level from before the July 2025 OPR cut, not December 2025's. The figure has been removed rather than restated, because a replacement needs its own check and a stale rate does more harm than an absent one. It came out of the bottom-line box, the "What FD Rates Look Like Right Now" section, the first FAQ answer, the comparison table and the "Which Banks to Check" section, and the two charts built on it were removed. The passages that set it against savings accounts, EPF, inflation and credit card interest, and the closing summary, now make their points without a number. The rate-history sentence's 1998 peak (7%) and post-COVID range (2.5–3%) did not match the series either and were removed too. Readers are sent to Bank Negara Malaysia's latest average in the FD rates tool instead.
Amendment, 11 October 2026. This guide gave promotional fixed deposit rates as "3.50–4.00% p.a." and "routinely available", and said that money already in the same bank or a maturing FD "typically earns the lower board rate". We checked the banks' own pages and campaign terms on 11 October 2026. Twelve-month campaign rates were 3.60–3.90% p.a. at five banks (the guide said "3.50–4.00%"), and every one has an end date (31 October to 31 December 2026), so "routinely available" was removed. The three-month campaign range is 3.45–3.55%; the guide said "3.50–4.00%". The rule that campaigns take only money from another bank is true for Hong Leong and Public Bank but not for CIMB or AmBank, whose October campaigns also accept a transfer from your own savings or current account there; a maturing FD still renews at the board rate. We also corrected the "Savings account (major banks)" row; the guide's row said 1.85–2.00% (it became 0.00–0.50% base rates, with Bank Negara Malaysia's June 2026 savings averages of 0.65% simple and 0.35% weighted quoted separately); the claim that Islamic FDs run 0.05–0.15 percentage points above conventional (it was 0.00 at the four banks checked, and the RHB product is a Commodity Murabahah deposit, not mudharabah); the one-month tenure gap of 0.2–0.4 percentage points (mostly 0.00); inflation of "2–2.5%" (1.9% in August 2026, DOSM); the unsourced "extra 0.1–0.2 percentage points" for negotiated rates; the statement that GX Bank's 2.00% is below a 12-month board rate (it is above the 1.80–1.90% at five banks); and BSN's board rates being "broadly in line" (2.15% for 12 months, somewhat higher).
Amendment, 11 October 2026 (wording). In the amendment note above, the sentence that introduced a superseded figure now names the guide as the subject ("the guide said" or "the guide's … said"), so it reads plainly as the old text rather than a bank's own page. No figure in this guide changed.
Still outstanding on this guide: Maybank's rates could not be read and are not quoted. Alliance Bank's page is dated 15 July 2025. Campaign rates change or end without notice. Confirm any rate on the bank's own page before acting on it.
Amendment, 11 October 2026 (refocus). This guide was refocused on how fixed deposits work and how to choose one, so that it no longer competes with our Best Fixed Deposit Rates in Malaysia list for the same search. The title and description changed to match, the first FAQ now asks how board and campaign rates compare rather than which rate is best, and the introduction links to the list. The URL is unchanged. No rate, date, condition or other product figure was changed.
Amendment, 11 October 2026 (wording). In the amendment notes above, each superseded figure is now introduced by "the guide said" or "gave … as", so it reads plainly as the old figure rather than a current one. No figure in this guide changed.
Amendment, 11 October 2026 (BSN protection, board rates). The guide said "BSN deposits are PIDM-protected up to RM250,000 per depositor" (BSN FAQ). BSN is not a PIDM member; its deposits are guaranteed by the Government under the Bank Simpanan Nasional Act 1974 instead. The bottom line also now gives each bank's 12-month board rate (1.90% at CIMB, 1.80% at Hong Leong, AmBank, Public Bank and RHB) in place of the combined range, from each bank's own rate page read on 11 October 2026. Sources: PIDM's member-bank list, the Bank Simpanan Nasional Act 1974, and the five banks' rate pages.
Amendment, 11 October 2026 (wording, Term Deposit-i). In the BSN FAQ, next to the Government guarantee, the guide now says that BSN's website does not say how the guarantee applies to Term Deposit-i. No figure in this guide changed.
Amendment, 17 October 2026 (early-withdrawal FAQ). The FAQ on breaking a fixed deposit said "most banks will reduce or forfeit the interest earned", that "some banks allow early redemption with partial interest, while others charge a fee", and that Islamic FDs "sometimes have different early-termination rules". The banks' own terms we read on 17 October 2026 pay no interest at all on a premature withdrawal: Hong Leong (eFD terms, last updated 7 May 2026), Public Bank (FD terms cl. 5.4), BSN (Term Deposit terms 6.2 and Term Deposit-i PDS) and RHB (Commodity Murabahah Deposit-i PDS, July 2025, placements after 1 January 2019; for placements before that date RHB pays no profit under 3 months and 50% of the profit for 3 months and over). Maybank could not be read and CIMB's latest readable eFD terms are from 2020, so the FAQ no longer says anything about them. Other figures in this guide were not re-checked in this amendment.
Amendment, 17 October 2026 (early-withdrawal FAQ, second pass). The 17 October FAQ said all four banks pay nothing "however many months you completed" and that Public Bank and BSN can deduct interest already paid. "Regardless of the number of completed months" is in Hong Leong's, RHB's (after 1 January 2019) and BSN Term Deposit-i's terms only; Public Bank's PLUS FD terms for placements over 12 months (cl. 1.1.2) say "the interest paid at half (1/2) of the original contracted rate for each completed month will be deducted from the principal", which we quote without interpreting. Only BSN Term Deposit-i (cl. 9.2) has a clause to "recover such profit from the principal amount". Public Bank's partial-withdrawal term (PLUS FD cl. 1.3) covers individual account holders. RHB now reads "after 1 January 2019", as in its terms.
Amendment, 17 October 2026 (RHB date wording). The early-withdrawal FAQ described RHB's rule as applying to "placements after 1 January 2019". RHB's Commodity Murabahah Deposit-i PDS (last updated July 2025) says "After 1 January 2019" without saying whether the date refers to the placement or the withdrawal, so the FAQ now says "after 1 January 2019". We could not re-fetch RHB's PDS on 17 October 2026 (HTTP 403 from rhbgroup.com); the wording follows the quote recorded in our 16 October 2026 verification log.
Amendment, 17 October 2026 (FAQ answers). The first FAQ listed per-bank 12-month campaign rates (3.85% at AmBank, 3.80% at Hong Leong, 3.70% at Public Bank, and also 3.90% at CIMB and 3.60% at Standard Chartered) with minimum placements and end dates. Only the combined range, 3.60-3.90% across five banks, with end dates between 31 October and 31 December 2026, is in the body of this guide, and we could not re-read each bank's campaign page on 17 October 2026, so the per-bank figures, the RM5,000 and RM50,000 minimums and the individual dates are removed; the answer now points readers to each bank's own page. The second FAQ said "Your principal cannot be lost even if the bank fails", which ignores the PIDM limit. PIDM's own Deposit Insurance System brochure says it "protects your eligible bank deposits up to RM250,000", "per depositor per member bank", and "This limit includes the principal amount of a deposit and the interest/return"; the answer now says so and notes that amounts above the limit are not protected. Source: PIDM brochure read 17 October 2026 (URL and hash in the verification log).
Amendment, 17 October 2026 (PIDM FAQ). The PIDM FAQ now adds that joint and other account types are protected separately, using PIDM's Deposit Insurance System brochure (sha256 89be31fc910ff58812e1bffb85a2c092c8962824d962956614d691165ad835d1), page 3: "Individuals with several bank deposit products or accounts with the same member bank can enjoy separate protection." Its example shows an individual's savings, current and fixed deposit accounts (RM300,000) protected at RM250,000, a joint fixed deposit of RM220,000 protected at RM220,000, a professional practice current account of RM280,000 protected at RM250,000, and a company account of RM180,000 protected in full.
Amendment, 17 October 2026 (EPF account names, follow-up). A further sweep of the EPF account names. In the FD-versus-EPF paragraph the words "Account 1" were dropped from "topping up EPF Account 1 voluntarily" because we have not confirmed which account a voluntary top-up is credited to (HELD). The old names stay only where they describe the past (the 70/30 split before 11 May 2024, balances held before the restructuring, COVID-era schemes), in earlier amendment notes, and in the titles of linked guides. The links between the new names and the old account numbers are our reading, not KWSP's wording: the RTM report of 6 July 2026 and the malaysia.gov.my page "Jenis Akaun Simpanan KWSP" name the three accounts and the 75% / 15% / 10% split but do not use the words "Account 1", "Account 2" or "Account 3" (evidence in docs/verification-log/followups-g5-oct17/). Only labels changed; no figure, rate or withdrawal rule was changed.
Amendment, 25 October 2026 (ASB range). The guide's table said "4.25–7.25% over the last decade" for ASB. Only FY2020 to FY2025 is evidenced in saved PNB releases, so the cell now reads "4.25–5.75% over FY2020 to FY2025". Removed: the 7.25% upper end and "last decade". Evidence: docs/verification-log/followups-batch2-oct25/evidence.md.
Follow-up amendment, 25 October 2026 (early-withdrawal wording). Two sentences stated a general rule: "breaking an FD early forfeits your interest" (savings-versus-FD paragraph) and "break a deposit and forfeit interest" (laddering paragraph). Changed: the first now names Hong Leong, Public Bank and BSN (conventional terms read), says Maybank's and CIMB's were not read and points to the early-withdrawal FAQ, whose per-bank wording is unchanged; the second drops the claim and says only "break a deposit early". Removed: "forfeits your interest" and "forfeit interest" as claims about all banks. Evidence: docs/verification-log/batch3-fd-wording-oct25/evidence.md.
Amendment, 27 October 2026 (expiring campaign wording). Changed: the introduction to step 1 gave the 3-month campaign rates as "3.45% p.a. at AmBank (to 31 October), 3.50% at Hong Leong (to 3 November) and 3.55% at CIMB (to 3 November)" with no word on what happens after those dates. It now gives the same October 2026 rates with each campaign's end date, says all three end on or before 3 November 2026 and that later offers can differ, and tells readers to check each bank's page for the current offer. AmBank's page was re-read on 27 October 2026 and still showed 3.45% for 3 months to 31 October; Hong Leong's page was also re-read on 27 October 2026 and was unchanged (3.50% for 3 months and 3.80% for 12 months to 3 November, new funds only); CIMB's rates are as read on 17 October 2026. The same end-date wording was applied to the comparison table's promotional FD row ("time-limited (ends 31 Oct to 31 Dec 2026)" now says the end dates run 31 Oct to 31 Dec 2026, so some may have ended by the time you read this). Fix round 1, 27 October 2026: that table wording now gives the known end dates (AmBank 31 October, CIMB and Hong Leong 3 November, Public Bank and Standard Chartered 31 December 2026) in place of "some may have ended". The bottom line, the chart caption and the section heading, which still read as if the campaigns were current ("most of those campaigns end", "Campaigns run 3.60–3.90%", "What FD Rates Look Like Right Now"), now say that the rates were those of 11 October 2026, that all five campaigns end between 31 October and 31 December 2026, and that the 3.90% top rate is CIMB's, which ends on 3 November 2026; the heading now reads "What FD Rates Looked Like on 11 October 2026". No rate figure changed and none was removed. Fix round 2, 27 October 2026: the word "online" was removed from the bottom line, the chart label and the "benchmark" bullet, because Standard Chartered's terms say "FD/TD-i placements made via Online/SC Mobile will not be entitled to the Promotional Rate"; the bottom line and bullet now say Standard Chartered's rate is for branch placements only. No rate figure changed and none was removed. Evidence: docs/verification-log/batch5-facts-first-2026-10-27/evidence.md.
Amendment, 28 October 2026 (Standard Chartered channel; promotions wording). Changed: (1) the bottom line and the "benchmark" bullet said Standard Chartered's campaign is "only for placements at a branch" and "for branch placements only". Standard Chartered's terms (clause 12) let a placement be made over the counter at a branch or, for Priority Private and Priority Banking clients only, through the client's Relationship Manager or myRM, and say that placements made via Online/SC Mobile are not entitled to the Promotional Rate. Both now say a branch, or a Relationship Manager or myRM for Priority clients, and not Online/SC Mobile. (2) Step 1 said "The standard procedure: open a bank's app, navigate to the FD section, and look for a 'promotion' tab", which read as the route for every bank. It now says many banks show their promotions in the app, and that Standard Chartered's campaign rate is not available via Online/SC Mobile, so the reader should check each campaign's terms for the channel. No rate or date changed. Fix round 1, 28 October 2026: (3) the early-withdrawal FAQ and the savings-versus-FD paragraph now use the per-bank wording of the other guides. Changed: "Hong Leong" is now "Hong Leong (eFD)" (only its eFD terms were read; "under their conventional terms" is removed); the FAQ now says early withdrawal can cost all of the interest and that the rule depends on the bank, adds RHB's older "Before 1 January 2019" rule and the fact that its disclosure sheet does not say whether the date is the placement or the withdrawal, and the paragraph names RHB's "no profit" after 1 January 2019. Removed: "We could not read Maybank's terms and the latest CIMB eFD terms we could read are a 2020 campaign" and "could not read"; both now say we did not read Maybank's or CIMB's current terms, so check the bank's terms before placing. (4) Standard Chartered's RM50,000 minimum of fresh funds (terms, clauses 8 and 11) is added to the bottom line and the "benchmark" bullet, and "Relationship Manager or myRM" is now "Relationship Manager (myRM)" on first use. The "new funds" paragraph, its table and the callout now include Standard Chartered: fresh funds only (clause 8: money paid into the client's Standard Chartered current or savings account in the 30 days before the placement, not money from an existing account at the bank including a maturing FD; money from selling Standard Chartered wealth assets counts) and a renewal at the board rate after one cycle (clause 13). No rate or date changed. Evidence: docs/verification-log/batch6-a43-2026-10-28/evidence.md. Fix round 2, 28 October 2026: (a) "Relationship Manager (myRM)" is restored to "Relationship Manager or myRM" in the bottom line, because Standard Chartered's terms (clause 12(b)) name them as two channels. (b) The new-funds callout now says that money from selling Standard Chartered wealth assets does count as fresh funds (clause 8), as the "new funds" paragraph already did. (c) In the early-withdrawal FAQ, the RHB sentence that the disclosure sheet does not say whether the "Before 1 January 2019" date refers to the placement or the withdrawal now ends: "if your RHB deposit was first placed before 2019, ask RHB which rule applies". No rate or date changed and no figure was removed.
