To avoid a very painful surprise, always confirm the maturity date for any certificate of deposit you are considering to purchase. Though this seems elementary (and it is indeed), many investors don’t do it and later discover that they’ve obligated those funds for many years more than they thought. They might think that they bought CDs maturing in three or four years only to find out that they’re in for 10 to 20 years! So, when you’re going to buy a CD, ask to see the maturity date — in writing — before you sign that dotted line.