Below you'll find featured rates available from our partners, followed by details from our ranking of the best CDs available nationwide.
CD rates have been declining due to the Federal Reserve cutting its benchmark interest rate twice in the past two months. However, you can still lock in a very high rate, including the nation-leading offer of 5.50% from Nuvision Credit Union. However, according to Nuvision's website, its CD offer will only be available through this Saturday. If you manage to get your hands on the 8-month CD, it offers a rate guarantee until almost August, but it does stipulate a maximum deposit of $5,000.
Want to sock away more than $5,000? Then a runner-up CD may be a better choice for you. Three offers in our ranking of the best nationwide CDs pay the next-best rate of 5.00%, with the longest option being Apple Federal Credit Union's 12-month CD. That would guarantee your 5% return until about December next year.
| CD Terms | Wednesday's Top National Rate | Today's Top National Rate | Day's Change (percentage points) | Top Rate Provider |
| 3 months | 4.85% | 4.85% | No change | PonceBankDirect |
| 6 months | 5.50% | 5.50% | No change | Nuvision Credit Union |
| 1 year | 5.00% | 5.00% | No change | Apple Federal Credit Union |
| 18 months | 4.65% | 4.65% | No change | FedChoice Federal Credit Union |
| 2 years | 4.30% | 4.30% | No change | Dow Credit Union |
| 3 years | 4.25% | 4.25% | No change | Credit Human |
| 4 years | 4.20% | 4.20% | No change | Merrick Bank |
| 5 years | 4.20% | 4.20% | No change | Merrick Bank |
Among CDs that will lock your rate into 2026, the highest APY you can earn is 4.65%. That's available for 15 months from FedChoice Federal Credit Union. Meanwhile, the top APY on a 2-year certificate is 4.30%, available from Dow Credit Union.
If you'd like to extend your rate lock further, the top 3-year return is 4.25%, offered by Credit Human. Want to stretch your rate as far as 2028 or 2029? With Merrick Bank, you can earn a guaranteed 4.20% for either 4 or 5 years.
Multi-year CDs are very smart right now, given the prospect of continued Fed rate cuts. The central bank lowered the federal funds rate another quarter-point this month, and a further reduction is possible in December, with additional cuts likely in 2025. While any future reductions from the Fed will push CD rates lower, a CD rate you secure now will be yours to enjoy until it matures.
It's true that CD rates are no longer at their peak. But despite the pullback, the best CDs still offer a stellar return. Last October saw the best CD rates push above 6%, while today the leading rate is down to 5.50%. A total of four nationwide CDs still offer rates of 5.00% or better.
Compare that to early 2022, before the Federal Reserve embarked on its fast-and-furious rate-hike campaign. The most you could earn from the very best CDs in the country ranged from just 0.50% to 1.70% APY, depending on the term.
Jumbo CDs require much larger deposits, but they don't always offer higher rates. Right now, the best jumbo CDs lead in just one of the eight terms we track. Among 2-year CDs, you can eke out a higher 4.35% with a jumbo CD from Quorum Federal Credit Union vs. the top standard rate of 4.30%.
| CD Term | Today's Top National Bank Rate | Today's Top National Credit Union Rate | Today's Top National Jumbo Rate |
| 3 months | 4.85%* | 4.80% | 4.11% |
| 6 months | 5.00% | 5.50%* | 5.00% |
| 1 year | 4.55% | 5.00%* | 4.85% |
| 18 months | 4.35% | 4.65%* | 4.59% |
| 2 years | 4.29% | 4.30% | 4.35%* |
| 3 years | 4.15% | 4.25%* | 4.15% |
| 4 years | 4.20%* | 4.11% | 4.07% |
| 5 years | 4.20%* | 4.11% | 4.00% |
Almost three weeks ago, the Federal Reserve announced a cut to the federal funds rate, reducing it by 0.25 percentage points. That follows a bolder 0.50-point decrease in September, which kicked off the central bank's new phase of rate reductions.
All of this represents a pivot from the Fed's historic 2022-2023 rate-hike campaign, in which the committee aggressively raised interest rates to combat decades-high inflation. At its 2023 peak, the federal funds rate climbed to its highest level since 2001—and remained there for 14 months.
Now that inflation has cooled, and if the trend continues, it's expected the Fed will continue to lower interest rates. According to the CME Group's FedWatch Tool, around two-thirds of interest rate traders currently predict the central bank will reduce rates by another quarter point at its December meeting.
Fed rate moves are significant to savers, as reductions to the fed funds rate push down what banks and credit unions are willing to pay consumers for their deposits. As a result, it currently seems likely that CD rates, as well as savings account rates, are in for a slow decline into 2025—and perhaps beyond.
Time will tell what exactly happens to the federal funds rate in the coming year. But with a couple of Fed rate cuts already in the books, the CD rates available now are probably the best you'll see for some time. That makes now a smart time to lock in the best rate that suits your financial timeline.
We update these rankings every business day to give you the best deposit rates available:
Best 3-Month CD Rates
Best 6-Month CD Rates
Best 1-Year CD Rates
Best 18-Month CD Rates
Best 2-Year CD Rates
Best 3-Year CD Rates
Best 4-year CD Rates
Best 5-Year CD Rates
Best High-Yield Savings Accounts
Best Money Market Accounts
Note that the "top rates" quoted here are the highest nationally available rates Investopedia has identified in its daily rate research on hundreds of banks and credit unions. This is much different than the national average, which includes all banks offering a CD with that term, including many large banks that pay a pittance in interest. Thus, the national averages are always quite low, while the top rates you can unearth by shopping around are often 5, 10, or even 15 times higher.
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), the CD's minimum initial deposit must not exceed $25,000, and any specified maximum deposit cannot be under $5,000.
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.
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