Top CD rates today: February 18, 2025 | Lock in your rate now
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Key takeaways
- Today's highest CD rate across terms is 4.50 percent APY, offered on three- and nine-month CDs.
- When shopping around, you can sometimes find rates three times the national averages.
- Competitive CD APYs may decrease if the Federal Reserve cuts rates in 2025. Savers could benefit from locking in high yields at this time.
A certificate of deposit (CD) can be a useful tool for earning interest on your funds as you save for your financial goals. Things to consider before opening a CD include the annual percentage yield (APY), how much money you wish to deposit, and whether you’re able to lock in the funds for the duration of the CD’s term.
The Federal Reserve's decision to maintain rates resulted in little movement in the CD landscape. Although rates have remained mostly unchanged, there have been some declines. Popular Direct's two-year CD, for example, recently declined from 4.20 percent APY to 4.15 percent APY. No other reductions were seen today among the banks we monitor in this category.
The leading APY across CD terms is 4.50 percent, and it’s offered on a three-month term from Quontic Bank and a nine-month term from Bask Bank. The required minimum deposits are $500 and $1,000 respectively. You’ll find that many shorter terms are earning higher yields than longer ones in the current rate environment.
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
| CD term | Institution offering top APY | Highest APY | National average APY | Estimated earnings on $5,000 with top APY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3-month | Quontic Bank | 4.50% | 1.31% | $55 |
| 6-month | Bask Bank | 4.45% | 1.75% | $110 |
| 9-month | Bask Bank | 4.50% | N/A | $168 |
| 1-year | Bask Bank | 4.40% | 1.85% | $220 |
| 18-month | TAB Bank | 4.16% | 2.11% | $315 |
| 2-year | Popular Direct | 4.15% | 1.61% | $424 |
| 3-year | America First Credit Union | 4.15% | 1.53% | $649 |
| 4-year | America First Credit Union | 4.20% | 1.70% | $894 |
| 5-year | America First Credit Union | 4.25% | 1.53% | $1,157 |
Note: Annual percentage yields (APYs) shown are as of February 18, 2025. 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.
How to take advantage of current CD rates
Many shorter-term CDs are offering yields comparable to high-yield savings accounts. Many shorter-term CDs are currently earning higher APYs than longer ones, yet one way to get the best of both worlds is through a CD ladder. This involves opening multiple CDs of varying term lengths. This way, some of your money will earn the top short-term rates, while the remainder will benefit from a guaranteed rate for a longer timeframe.
"Consider CD laddering if you want to thread the needle between locking up the money for too long and also taking advantage of higher interest rates right now," says Anna N’Jie-Konte, CFP, CEO of Poder Wealth Advisors.
Recent trends in top CD rates
Competitive CD APYs are stable so far in 2025. However, there have been declines, particularly toward the end of 2024. For example, the highest one-year CD APY at the start of January 2024 was 5.66 percent, whereas it is 4.50 percent on Feb. 18, 2025. Among the popular terms Bankrate monitors for this page, all rates saw steeper declines in the second half of 2024, as compared to the first half.
CD glossary
Here are some terms you’ll likely come across when choosing a CD.
- Add-on CD: An add-on CD 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.