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Top CD rates today: August 12, 2024 | Leading APY drops to 5.25%

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Key takeaways

  • Today's highest CD rate across terms is 5.25% APY, offered on terms of three, six and nine months.
  • The most competitive APYs are often found at online-only banks.
  • Highest CD rates on most terms are at least triple the national averages.

A certificate of deposit (CD) is a bank account that earns a fixed rate of return in exchange for locking in your funds for the entire term. CD terms often range from three months to five years, although it’s possible to find ones with terms shorter or longer than that. A CD can be a good place to stash money for savings goals, such as a down payment on a house or a new car. When choosing the best CD term, consider when you’ll need access to the money.

Today, we see drops in leading rates for six-month and one-year CDs, while last week we also saw decreases in four additional top rates. The new leading APY across terms is 5.25 percent, which you can find on terms of three, six and nine months. Various banks are lowering their rates in anticipation of an impending Federal Reserve rate cut. The Fed is tasked with steering the economy toward price stability and maximum employment, and it adjusts rates in an attempt to achieve these goals.

Bankrate monitors CD rates every weekday, and today’s top rates are listed in the table below, along with national average rates and the amount you’ll earn with $5,000 in a high-yield CD.

Today's top CD rates by term

CD term Institution offering top APY Highest APY National average APY Estimated earnings on $5,000 with top APY
3-month America First Credit Union 5.25% 1.26% $64
6-month America First Credit Union 5.25% 1.77% $130
9-month America First Credit Union 5.25% N/A $196
1-year Limelight Bank 5.15% 1.84% $258
18-month LendingClub 5.00% 1.90% $380
2-year Bask Bank 4.75% 1.56% $486
3-year Popular Direct 4.50% 1.45% $706
4-year First Internet Bank of Indiana 4.29% 1.48% $915
5-year Schools First Federal Credit Union 4.35% 1.45% $1,186

Note: Annual percentage yields (APYs) shown are as of August 12, 2024. APYs for some products may vary by region.

N/A: Not available; Bankrate doesn’t track national averages for the 9-month CD term due to limited available data. Estimated earnings are based on the highest APYs and assume interest is compounded annually.

 

What to look for in a CD

In addition to a CD’s APY, look for a CD that has a minimum deposit requirement with which you’re comfortable. Depending on the bank, you may be required to deposit between $0 and $10,000 or more. Another factor to consider is the amount you’d be charged for an early withdrawal. While you should only commit funds to a CD that you can afford to part with until the CD matures, it’s still helpful to be familiar with the terms of its early withdrawal penalty.

What the current rate environment means for CDs

Recent federal funds rate changes: To combat high inflation, the Federal Reserve raised its benchmark interest rate 11 times in 2022 and 2023, before leaving rates unchanged for eight straight meetings. Before the string of rate hikes began in March 2022, the target range was at 0-0.25 percent, and it currently stands at a 23-year high of 5.25-5.50 percent.

What this means for deposit accounts such as CDs: Yields on competitive savings accounts and CDs tend to move in lockstep with the Fed’s interest rate moves. As such, many banks increase their yields when the Fed raises rates, and they lower yields when the federal funds rate drops. While the Fed has held rates steady since July 2023, top CD APYs ended up peaking in late 2023 and have since been decreasing gradually, as illustrated below.

How inflation factors in

The Fed has held its key benchmark rate steady since July 2023, due to inflation not slowing as quickly as it has in the past. Fed officials’ goal is to bring the annual inflation rate down to 2 percent. While the consumer price index (CPI), a measure of inflation, has decreased significantly from its decades-high annual rate of 9 percent in June 2022, it’s currently at 3 percent.

“The Committee does not expect it will be appropriate to reduce the target range until it has gained greater confidence that inflation is moving sustainably toward 2 percent,” Fed Chair Jerome Powell said in remarks following the Fed’s latest decision not to change rates on July 31.

The current rate of inflation is a significant factor that affects what the Fed decides to do with rates. An increase in the federal funds rate can be good for savers — translating to higher APYs on many CD and savings accounts — while it can be bad for borrowers as interest rates tend to increase on loans.

Is now still a good time to open a new CD?

As of late, top CD rates are declining due, in part, to strong signals from the Fed that it plans to cut interest rates in September, if not sooner, and fears arising from recent market downturns. It's best to take advantage of still-high CD rates now while you still can.

"Now is the time to lock in attractive returns on CDs as the Federal Reserve is poised to begin cutting interest rates,” says Greg McBride, CFA, Bankrate’s chief financial analyst. “The top-yielding CDs currently earn in excess of the inflation rate and savers have the ability to lock in that inflation-beating return for multiple years. If you have money you won’t need to touch for a period of time, now is a great time to consider a CD."

CD FAQs

Research methodology

Bankrate calculates and reports the national average APYs for various CD terms. Factored into national average rates are the competitive APYs commonly offered by online banks, along with the very low rates often found at large brick-and-mortar banks.

In June 2023, Bankrate updated its methodology that determines the national average CD rates. For the process, more than 500 banks and credit unions are now surveyed each week to generate the national averages. Among these institutions are those that are broadly available and offer high yields, as well as some of the nation’s largest banks.