Finding certificate of deposit rates offering a good return is no easy task. But if you are in the market for a CD, several Web sites offer an array of insights and search tools to help consumers track down the best rates.

Here are a few sites worth visiting:

¢ Bankrate.com (www.bank rate.com/brm/rate/dep_home.asp) has the latest CD rates and investing basics.

¢ Banxquote.com (www.banx.com/banking.asp) lets you search for CD rates by type, location and term.

¢ Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (www.fdic.gov/deposit/deposits/certificate/index.html) features a brief explainer on how a CD works and a number of useful consumer tips.

¢ The Investment FAQ

(invest-faq.com/articles/index-cds.html) offers brief overviews of CD basics and a market index linked CD.

¢ Money-rates.com (www.money-rates.com/cdrates.htm) lists a variety of current rates for certificates of deposit with terms from 30 days to 10 years.