The Federal Reserve may still be on pause with interest rates, but the CD hits keep coming anyway. Yesterday we welcomed a new top rate in the 1-year term, and today we've gained another elite contender: 6.14% APY on a 6-month option from Minnequa Works Credit Union. That now gives you six choices for a nationwide CD paying 6% or better.
Yesterday's newly crowned 1-year leader is Bayer Heritage Federal Credit Union, offering 6.18% APY on a 12-month certificate. And the overall industry-leading rate continues to be 6.50% APY for 8 months from Financial Partners Credit Union, if you're content to deposit no more than $5,000.
Key Takeaways
- A new offer above 6% joined our daily ranking of the best nationwide CDs today, paying 6.14% APY on a 6-month term.
- The leading rate across all terms remains 6.50% APY on an 8-month offer but for a maximum deposit of $5,000.
- For larger deposits, the top nationwide rate is 6.18% APY, offered for 12 months.
- A total of six nationwide CDs are paying 6% or better, with another 13 offering at least 5.75% APY.
- As expected, the Fed announced a rate hold yesterday but left the door open to a possible future increase.
Below you'll find featured rates available from our partners, followed by details from our complete ranking of the best CDs available nationwide.
Looking to lock in a great rate for a longer term? The top 2-year CD is paying 5.60% APY. If that's still not long enough, you can secure 5.37% APY for 30 months down the road, or 5.25% APY for 36 or 40 months. All three of those can be found in our daily ranking of the best 3-year CDs.
If you have the option to make a jumbo deposit of at least $100,000, you can boost your 2-year rate to 5.68% APY or your 30-month rate to 5.52% APY.
Note
When asked where they would put an unexpected $10,000 windfall, almost 1 in 5 recently surveyed Investopedia readers said they would choose a CD. Selected by 18% of readers, CDs were the most popular response, outpacing stocks, money market funds, and index funds.
CD Terms | Yesterday's Top National Rate | Today's Top National Rate | Day's Change (percentage points) | Top Rate Provider |
3 months | 5.66% APY | 5.66% APY | No change | TotalDirectBank |
6 months | 6.50% APY | 6.50% APY | No change | Financial Partners Credit Union |
1 year | 6.18% APY | 6.18% APY | No change | Bayer Heritage Federal Credit Union |
18 months | 6.00% APY | 6.00% APY | No change | Credit Human |
2 years | 5.60% APY | 5.60% APY | No change | Newtek Bank |
3 years | 5.37% APY | 5.37% APY | No change | Luana Savings Bank |
4 years | 5.13% APY | 5.13% APY | No change | Wellby Financial |
5 years | 5.00% APY | 5.00% APY | No change | Farmers Insurance Federal Credit Union |
CD Term | Today's Top National Bank Rate | Today's Top National Credit Union Rate | Today's Top National Jumbo Rate |
3 months | 5.66% APY* | 5.65% APY | 5.20% APY |
6 months | 5.76% APY | 6.50% APY* | 5.77% APY |
1 year | 5.67% APY | 6.18% APY* | 5.85% APY |
18 months | 5.80% APY | 6.00% APY* | 5.75% APY |
2 years | 5.60% APY | 5.50% APY | 5.68% APY* |
3 years | 5.37% APY | 5.25% APY | 5.52% APY* |
4 years | 4.80% APY | 5.13% APY* | 4.86% APY |
5 years | 4.90% APY | 5.00% APY* | 4.92% APY |
Note that jumbo CDs don't always pay a higher return than standard certificates. Sometimes you can do just as well—or better—with a standard CD. That's currently the case in six of the eight terms above, so it's smart to shop both certificate types before making a final decision.
How High Will CD Rates Go This Year?
The Federal Reserve has been aggressively combating decades-high inflation since March of last year, raising the federal funds rate with fast and furious hikes in 2022 and then more moderate increases in 2023. This has created historically favorable conditions for CD shoppers, as well as for anyone holding cash in a high-yield savings or money market account.
The Fed opted to hold rates steady yesterday, its second such move in a row. That maintains the central bank's benchmark rate at its highest level since 2001. But in his post-announcement press conference, Fed Chair Jerome Powell made it clear that holding rates in place today does not necessarily mean the committee is finished with increases.
"Inflation has moderated since the middle of last year and readings over the summer were quite favorable. But a few months of good data are only the beginning of what it will take to build confidence that inflation is moving down sustainably toward our goal," Powell said.
The Fed chair also reiterated what he has indicated in many past press conferences about the current announcement only representing a decision for today. "We haven't made any decisions about future meetings," Powell said. "We're going meeting by meeting."
In other words, the Fed is leaving the possibility of another rate hike on the table in case inflation does not come down far enough or the committee doesn't feel confident that inflation will reliably stay near its target level. The Fed will make its next rate announcement on Dec. 13.
As we always caution, trying to predict Fed rate moves is an unreliable exercise. For now, it seems CD rates will roughly stabilize at their elevated levels. But if it appears likely that the Fed will make another rate increase in December or January, we could still see CD rates inch a bit higher.
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 five, 10, or even 15 times higher.
Rate Collection Methodology Disclosure
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), and the CD's minimum initial deposit must not exceed $25,000.
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.