re: are cd's a good idea?

The return on CDs right now is so low that I would only look at them if I was a very conservative investor with no appetite for risk. Even then, I'd probably look elsewhere.

In the not so distant past, CDs offered a decent rate of return with little to no risk (depending on the issuer).

Off tangent, but we will have the fed to thank when a lot of people like your grandparents lose money when interest rates rise because they've had to chase yield in other instruments.