Top CD rates today: December 27, 2024 | Lock in a high APY

As we close out the last full week of 2024, we've only seen a few changes in top certificate of deposit (CD) rates in recent weeks. While leading annual percentage yields (APYs) are down an average of around three-fourths of a percentage point, or 75 basis points, over December 2023, it's still not hard to find a CD rate that's above the current rate of inflation of 2.7 percent. For instance, the highest APY on a fixed-rate, one-year CD is 4.52 percent. That's the yield you're guaranteed to receive on such a CD until it matures in December 2025.

Not all CDs are created alike, especially when it comes to rates of return. A CD that earns a competitive annual APY can earn you hundreds, if not thousands, more in interest than one that merely earns the national average APY. As such, it’s worth shopping around for the best rate before committing your funds to a CD.

Check out Bankrate’s table below for the highest APY on CD terms from three months to five years, as well as how much $5,000 would earn for each term.

Today's CD rates by term

Note: Annual percentage yields (APYs) shown are as of December 27, 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 banks offer the highest-paying CDs?

As seen in our table above, all of the top-paying CDs are available from banks and credit unions that operate mostly or entirely online. Online-only financial institutions are known for offering higher yields than big brick-and-mortar banks. Common reasons for this are:

• Relatively new online-only banks may pay highly competitive yields as a way to attract customers. (Conversely, established brick-and-mortar banks that don’t have a strong need for new deposits generally don’t offer high APYs.)
• Financial institutions operating entirely online don’t bear the cost of maintaining branches, and some may pass along the savings to customers through higher yields.

Whether or not they maintain branches, credit unions are commonly a source of high yields. This is because they’re not-for-profit institutions, so profits are distributed to members through dividends.

What the current interest rate environment means for CDs

Recent federal funds rate changes: The Federal Reserve lowered its benchmark interest rate three times in recent months, and the federal funds rate currently stands at a target range of 4.25-4.5 percent. Prior to these rate cuts, the Fed had gradually raised rates 11 times in 2022 and 2023, and rates stood at a 23-year high leading up to the September cut.

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. The Fed’s recent December rate cut could spur further decreases in CD APYs.

Prior to the September 2024 rate cut, the Fed had held rates steady since July 2023. Meanwhile, top CD APYs peaked in late 2023 and have since been decreasing gradually, as illustrated below.

CD glossary

Here are some terms you’ll likely come across when choosing a CD.

• Add-on CD: A CD that enables you to make additional deposits after your initial investment. This feature affords more flexibility than traditional CDs, which only allow one deposit at the beginning of the term.
• Annual percentage yield (APY): A percentage that indicates how much interest a CD earns in one year, which takes into account the effect of compounding.
• Brokered CD: A type of CD issued by a bank but sold through a brokerage firm or other financial institution.
• CD ladder: An investment strategy that involves purchasing multiple CDs with varying maturity dates to provide liquidity and take advantage of higher rates.
• Early withdrawal penalty: A fee charged if funds are withdrawn from a CD before the maturity date. Penalties often range anywhere from 90 days to 365 days’ worth of interest.
• Grace period: A specific time after the maturity date during which an account holder can make changes to the CD without penalties. A grace period typically ranges from five to 14 days.
• IRA CD: A CD that’s held within an individual retirement account.
• Minimum opening deposit: The lowest amount of money required to open a CD account, which can vary by institution. Some institutions don’t have a minimum deposit requirement.
• No-penalty CD: A type of CD that allows you to withdraw your money without facing a penalty while providing a fixed APY.
• Promotional CD: Also known as a bonus or special CD, it’s a CD with an above average APY. These may be offered by banks and credit unions as a way to obtain new customers.
• Jumbo CD: A CD that has a high minimum balance requirement, typically $100,000, sometimes as low as $95,000. This type of CD tends to offer a higher interest rate than regular CDs with the same term.
• Bump-up CD: Also known as a “raise-your-rate CD,” a bump-up CD provides savers with the option to increase the CD’s APY without having to change its term. Generally, only one rate increase is allowed during its term.

• 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.