A CD ladder is a set of multiple CDs you purchase with different maturity dates, which helps you avoid locking up all of your money at once. With that approach, you might purchase a series of CDs with maturities in six-month increments. As a result, you periodically have cash available for planned (and unplanned) needs, or you can buy a new CD at the going rate. For example, if you have $10,000 to put into CDs, you might invest the following: 6-month CD: $2,500  12-month CD $2,500  18-month CD $2,500  24-month CD: $2,500  Ideally, every time one of these CDs matures, you would buy a new 24-month CD with the proceeds to begin the cycle again.