A deposit held at a financial institution that has a fixed term. These are generally short-term with maturities ranging anywhere from a month to a few years. When a term deposit is purchased, the lender (the customer) understands that the money can only be withdrawn after the term has ended or by giving a predetermined number of days notice. 

|||Term deposits are an extremely safe investment and are therefore very appealing to conservative, low-risk investors. By having the money tied up you'll generally get a higher rate with a term deposit compared with a demand deposit.