Opening a CD is very similar to opening any standard bank deposit account. The difference is what you're agreeing to when you sign on the dotted line (even if that signature is now digital). After you've shopped around and identified which CD(s) you'll open, completing the process will lock you into four things: The interest rate: Locked rates are positive in that they provide a clear and predictable return on your deposit over a specific time period. The bank cannot later change the rate and therefore reduce your earnings. On the flip side, a fixed return may hurt you if rates later rise substantially and you've lost your opportunity to take advantage of higher-paying CDs. The term: This is the length of time you agree to leave your funds deposited to avoid any penalty (e.g., 6-month CD, 1-year CD, 18-month CD, etc.) The term ends on the "maturity date," when your CD has fully matured and you can withdraw your funds penalty-free. The principal: With the exception of some specialty CDs that allow add-on deposits, this is the amount you agree to deposit into the CD, at the time of opening. The institution: The bank or credit union where you open your CD will determine aspects of the agreement, such as early withdrawal penalties (EWPs) and whether your CD will be automatically reinvested if you don’t provide other instructions at the time of maturity. Once your CD is established and funded, the bank or credit union will administer it like most other deposit accounts, with either monthly or quarterly statement periods, paper or electronic statements, and usually monthly or quarterly interest payments deposited to your CD balance, where the interest will compound.

Best CD Rates for May 2023

We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more.

BEST NATIONAL CDs
_{Ranked by highest APY, then shortest term, then lowest minimum}

Best 3-Month CDs	Rate	Term	Minimum
	5.10% APY	3 months	$1,000
	5.01% APY	3 months	$25,000
	4.75% APY	3 months	$500
For more options, see our in-depth 3-month CD rankings

Best 6-Month CDs	Rate	Term	Minimum
	5.50% APY	9 months	$10,000
	5.33% APY	7 months	$15,000
	5.11% APY	6 months	$25,000
For more options, see our in-depth 6-month CD rankings

Best 1-Year CDs	Rate	Term	Minimum
	5.25% APY	10 months	$500
	5.25% APY	12 months	$500
	5.25% APY	12 months	$500
For more options, see our in-depth 1-year CD rankings

Best 18-Month CDs	Rate	Term	Minimum
	5.50% APY	15 months	$500
	5.30% APY	15 months	$10,000
	5.25% APY	18 months	$500
For more options, see our in-depth 伟民配资_在线配资炒股:18-month CD rankings

Best 2-Year CDs	Rate	Term	Minimum
	5.25% APY	22 months	$5,000
	5.25% APY	24 months	$500
	5.18% APY	24 months	$1,000
For more options, see our in-depth 伟民配资_在线配资炒股:2-year CD rankings

Best 3-Year CDs	Rate	Term	Minimum
	5.13% APY	36 months	$1,000
	4.85% APY	36 months	$500
	4.85% APY	36 months	$1,000
	4.84% APY	36 months	$500
For more options, see our in-depth 3-year CD rankings

Best 4-Year CDs	Rate	Term	Minimum
	4.73% APY	48 months	$500
	4.60% APY	49 months	$10,000
	4.54% APY	48 months	$1,000
For more options, see our in-depth 伟民配资_在线配资炒股:4-year CD rankings

Best 5-Year CDs	Rate	Term	Minimum
	4.68% APY	60 months	$500
	4.54% APY	60 months	$500
	4.52% APY	60 months	$500
For more options, see our in-depth 5-year CD rankings

Best 6- to 9-Year CDs	Rate	Term	Minimum
	4.50% APY	7 years	$1,000
	4.34% APY	5-7 years	$25,000
	4.06% APY	7 years	$500
	4.00% APY	7 years	$500
	4.00% APY	7 years	$500
Best 10-Year CDs	Rate	Term	Minimum
	4.00% APY	10 years	$500
	4.00% APY	10 years	$500
	3.80% APY	10 years	$2,500
For more options, see our in-depth 10-year CD rankings

Early withdrawal penalty: Half the interest that would have been earned if held to maturity
About: Brilliant Bank is an online-only division of FDIC-insured Equity Bank, which operates branches in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma.

*Online accounts from Brilliant Bank are not available to residents of Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma.

Early withdrawal penalty: All interest up to 6 months' worth
Membership: Anyone can join NASA FCU by signing up for a free membership in the National Space Society and holding $5 or more in a savings account.

Early withdrawal penalty: 3 months of interest
Membership: Anyone can join PMCU by keeping $5 in a savings account and agreeing to the credit union making a small donation in your name to its affiliated nonprofit, Impact on Education.

Early withdrawal penalty: 12 months of interest
About: Northern Bank Direct is the online division of New England's Northern Bank, established in 1960.

Early withdrawal penalty: 6 months of interest
Membership: Anyone can join Summit by keeping at least $5 in a member savings account.

Early withdrawal penalty: 4 months of interest
Membership: Anyone can join USSFCU by agreeing to a free one-year membership in the nonprofit American Consumer Council and keeping at least $5 in a savings account.

Early withdrawal penalty: 16 months of interest
Membership: Anyone can join Lafayette Federal with a $10 membership in the Home Ownership Financial Literacy Council and $50 or more held in a savings account.

Early withdrawal penalty: 20 months of interest
Membership: Anyone can join Lafayette Federal with a $10 membership in the Home Ownership Financial Literacy Council and $50 or more held in a savings account.

Early withdrawal penalty: 18 months of interest
About: First National Bank of America is a Michigan-based community bank established in 1955. In addition to three branches in the state, FNBA offers online banking products to customers nationwide.

Early withdrawal penalty: All interested earned, up to max of 36 months' worth
Membership: Anyone can join Apple Federal by signing up for a $20 membership in the Northern Virginia Athletic Directors, Administrators, and Coaches Association, as well as keeping at least $5 in a savings account.

Alternatives to CDs

If you aren't looking to lock your money up for a period of time and want easier access to it, you could look at opening a high-yield savings account as an alternative. Below are some savings account options from our partners that can be competitive with the rates you can earn on CDs. It should be noted that unlike a CD, where your rate is locked in, with a savings account the bank or credit union can change your rate at any time.

Pros and Cons of CDs

Pros

Offers a higher rate than you can earn with a savings or money market account
Pays a guaranteed, predictable rate of return, avoiding the volatility and losses that are possible with stocks and bonds
Is federally insured if opened with an FDIC bank or NCUA credit union
Can help fend off spending temptations since withdrawing the funds early triggers a penalty

Cons

Cannot be liquidated before maturity without incurring an early withdrawal penalty
Typically earns less than stocks and bonds can over time
Earns a fixed rate of return regardless of whether interest rates rise during the term

How Much Do CDs Pay?

While the national average is a good indicator of the direction of rates—and how much they've changed over a period of time—they are not what you should consider when shopping for CDs. Instead, look for the top nationally available rates, which stand far above industry averages.

Take one-year CDs, for instance. The current national average is just 1.36% annual percentage yield (APY). Today's top-paying institution, however, will pay you three to four times that yield on that same one-year commitment. Similarly, compare our top three-year CD rates to the current FDIC industry average of 1.22% APY.

If you have cash, you can park for a period of time, but want to earn more than the best savings and money market accounts will net you, our research on the best nationally available rates in every major CD term can lead you to maximum returns.

Keep in mind that CD yields are still considered 伟民配资_在线配资炒股:taxable as interest income on both the state and federal levels, which will impact the total return you can realize.

How Does a CD Work?

Opening a CD is very similar to opening any standard bank deposit account. The difference is what you're agreeing to when you sign on the dotted line (even if that signature is now digital). After you've shopped around and identified which CD(s) you'll open, completing the process will lock you into four things:

The interest rate: Locked rates are positive in that they provide a clear and predictable return on your deposit over a specific time period. The bank cannot later change the rate and therefore reduce your earnings. On the flip side, a fixed return may hurt you if rates later rise substantially and you've lost your opportunity to take advantage of higher-paying CDs.
The term: This is the length of time you agree to leave your funds deposited to avoid any penalty (e.g., 6-month CD, 1-year CD, 18-month CD, etc.) The term ends on the "maturity date," when your CD has fully matured and you can withdraw your funds penalty-free.
The principal: With the exception of some specialty CDs that allow add-on deposits, this is the amount you agree to deposit into the CD, at the time of opening.
The institution: The bank or credit union where you open your CD will determine aspects of the agreement, such as early withdrawal penalties (EWPs) and whether your CD will be automatically reinvested if you don’t provide other instructions at the time of maturity.

Once your CD is established and funded, the bank or credit union will administer it like most other deposit accounts, with either monthly or quarterly statement periods, paper or electronic statements, and usually monthly or quarterly interest payments deposited to your CD balance, where the interest will compound.

What Is a CD Ladder and Why Should I Build One?

Smart CD investors have a specific tactic for hedging against rate changes over time and maximizing their return. It's called a 伟民配资_在线配资炒股:CD ladder and it enables you to access the higher rates offered by 5-year CD terms, but with the twist that a portion of your money becomes available every year, rather than every five years. Here's how to do it.

At the outset, you take the amount of money you want to invest in CDs and divide it by five. You then put one-fifth of the funds into a top-earning 1-year CD, another fifth into a top 2-year CD, another into a 3-year CD, and so forth through a 5-year CD. Let’s say you have $25,000 available. That would give you five CDs of varying length, each with a value of $5,000.Then, when the first CD matures in a year, you take the resulting funds and open a top-rate 5-year CD. A year later, your initial 2-year CD will mature, and you'll invest those funds into another 5-year CD. You continue doing this every year with whichever CD is maturing, until you end up with a portfolio of five CDs all earning 5-year APYs, but with one of them maturing every 12 months, keeping your money a bit more accessible than if all of it were locked up for a full five years.

What Is Considered a Good Rate for a CD?

What makes CDs attractive as an investment vehicle is not their rate of return but their risk-free nature. When you open a CD, you know upfront exactly what interest rate you will earn and for how long. Except for some specialty CDs, the rate on your certificate is guaranteed and locked for the full duration of the certificate, meaning your return is predictable and safe.Adding to their risk-free nature is the fact that CDs, like other bank and credit union deposit products, are federally insured against bank failures. Depending on the financial institution offering them, CDs are insured by either the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA).CD minimums can run as low as $250 or $500, and you'll find plenty of options with minimums up to $1,000. As for durations, the majority of CDs carry terms of six months to five years, though shorter and longer certificates exist at some banks. Larger deposits and longer terms typically earn higher interest rates, though promotional certificates often break that general rule. The interest rates available on the best-paying CDs are usually in line with the current inflation rate, so virtually any rate higher than that is a good deal. Often, online banks and credit unions offer the best CD rates.

Maximizing Your CD Rate of Return

The No. 1 strategy for earning as much as you can from a CD investment is to diligently shop around for the top rates. After that, the next most important strategy is to keep the funds invested for the CD's full term, so as to avoid incurring an early withdrawal penalty that will reduce your earnings. But unexpected things happen in life, and you may find yourself having no choice but to cash in a CD early. Because of that possibility, you'll be well-served by paying attention to the early withdrawal penalties of different CDs you're considering before you make your final commitment.

It's also useful when comparing two CDs that are fairly similar, to check their compounding periods. The advantage of having interest calculated and 伟民配资_在线配资炒股:compounded more frequently adds up over time, so look to avoid CDs that offer only annual compounding.

While CDs are traditionally a fixed-rate investment, variable-rate CDs do exist. If you think interest rates are likely to rise significantly, you can benefit from a certificate whose interest rate is adjusted during the term of the CD. These certificates are sometimes called "raise your rate" or "step up" CDs.

Meanwhile, indexed or structured CDs offer you the chance to earn a percentage of the return on a stock index or commodity index. This can result in a much higher return than a traditional CD's—but for a trade-off of much more risk.

Rate Collection Methodology Disclosure

Every business day, Investopedia tracks the rate data of more than 200 banks and credit unions that offer CDs to customers nationwide, and determines daily rankings of the top-paying certificates in every major term. To qualify for our lists, the institution must be federally insured (FDIC for banks, NCUA for credit unions), and the CD's minimum initial deposit must not exceed $25,000.

Banks must be available in at least 40 states. And while some credit unions require you to donate to a specific charity or association to become a member if you don't meet other eligibility criteria (e.g., you don't live in a certain area or work in a certain kind of job), we exclude credit unions whose donation requirement is $40 or more. For more about how we choose the best rates, read our full methodology.