Top CD rates today: February 26, 2025 | Highest APYs range from 4.15%-4.50%

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.

Currently, the leading annual percentage yield (APY) across CD terms remains 4.50 percent, which is available on three- and nine-month terms from Bask Bank. While top longer-term CD APYs are slightly lower than this, consider that you'll ultimately earn more money in one of these accounts because your funds have more time to accrue interest.

The table below shows top CD rates for the most common terms, as well as national averages and the amount you can earn in interest with a $5,000 deposit.

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	Bask Bank	4.50%	1.31%	$55
6-month	Bask Bank	4.45%	1.77%	$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%	1.62%	$424
3-year	America First Credit Union	4.15%	1.54%	$649
4-year	America First Credit Union	4.20%	1.68%	$894
5-year	America First Credit Union	4.25%	1.54%	$1,157

Note: Annual percentage yields (APYs) shown are as of February 26, 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.

What to do about falling CD rates

Last year, many banks lowered their CD rates leading up to the September Fed rate cut, and various top rates have been decreasing since then. In total the federal funds rate was reduced three times in 2024, while policymakers chose to hold the benchmark rate steady at their most recent meeting in January.

Even though we’ve seen top CD rates fall for months, competitive CDs are still earning historically high yields. In fact, these rates continue to outpace the rate of inflation. This means your money in a high-yielding CD isn’t losing purchasing power at this time. Opening a fixed-rate CD now ensures you’ll earn the same APY until the CD matures.

How inflation impacts monetary policy

After holding its key benchmark rate steady since July 2023 to combat high inflation, officials cut the federal funds rate by a combined total of one percentage point, or 100 basis points, in three recent rate-setting meetings. The rate cuts came at a time when the consumer price index (CPI), a measure of inflation, had been decreasing significantly from its decades-high annual rate of 9.1 percent in June 2022. However, in recent months, inflation has been ticking back up, and it's currently at 3.0 percent.

Policymakers decided to hold the federal funds rate steady in January.

"Inflation has moved much closer to our 2 percent longer-run goal, though it remains somewhat elevated," Fed Chair Jerome Powell said in remarks following the Federal Open Market Committee meeting on Jan. 29.

The current rate of inflation is a significant factor that affects what the Fed decides to do with rates. A decrease in the federal funds rate, say close to or below the current inflation rate of 3.0 percent, can be bad for savers. Namely, it can translate to lower APYs on many CDs and savings accounts. Meanwhile, a fed rate cut can be good for borrowers as interest rates tend to decrease on loans.

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.

• 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.