Top CDs Today: Leading Rate Drops Under 6% for First Time Since September

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Just two weeks ago, we could boast five nationwide CDs paying 6% or better. But one by one, they've been taken off the market—with the final casualty coming today.

Bayer Heritage Federal Credit Union was the last 6% CD still standing, paying 6.18% on a 1-year term. With its expiration, our leading nationwide rate slips to 5.80% APY, but you have two choices at that rate. Credit Human is paying that industry-leading rate on a take-your-pick term of 12-17 months, while Seattle Bank will let you extend your 5.80% return for 18 months.

Key Takeaways

  • The top nationwide CD rate dropped today, from 6.18% APY down to 5.80% APY.
  • The leading rate is available on terms ranging from 12 to 18 months
  • 12 additional offers in our daily ranking of the best CDs pay at least 5.75%.
  • The top rate on a jumbo CD is 5.85% on a 1-year certificate from either State Bank of Texas or All In Credit Union.
  • Based on encouraging inflation data released Tuesday, markets anticipate the Fed will maintain current interest rates rather than raise them, suggesting CD rates may not climb higher than current levels.

Below you'll find featured rates available from our partners, followed by details from our complete ranking of the best CDs available nationwide.

If you're looking for a nationwide CD paying a top rate of at least 5.75%, the longest term available is 18 months. But if you want to secure one of today's historically high rates for longer, you can lock in 5.60% APY for 2 years, or 5.50% APY for 3 years. Still not long enough? You can get a 4-year CD with a rate of 5.20% or a 5-year CD that pays 5.25% APY.

If you have enough to make a jumbo deposit of at least $100,000, you can stretch your rate by at least 5 basis points in the 1-year term—earning 5.85% from two different contenders—and the 2-year term, with a top rate of 5.68% APY.

When asked if they were choosing more or less of certain investments during recent market events in November, 28% of Investopedia readers said they were choosing CDs. This is slightly down from what readers told us in October, when 29% of investors said they were choosing CDs over stocks. CDs and money market funds were at the top of their list, followed by government bonds, ETFs, and stocks. However, only 14% of readers said they would open a CD if they had an extra $10,000 to invest.

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 5.76% APY 5.76% APY No change TotalDirectBank
1 year 6.18% APY 5.80% APY - 0.38 Credit Human
18 months 5.80% APY 5.80% APY No change Credit Human and Seattle Bank
2 years 5.60% APY 5.60% APY No change Newtek Bank
3 years 5.50% APY 5.50% APY No change Workers Credit Union
4 years 5.20% APY 5.20% APY No change BMO Alto
5 years 5.25% APY 5.25% APY No change BMO Alto and Workers Credit Union
To view the top 15–20 nationwide rates in any term, click on the desired term length in the left column above.
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* 5.75% APY 5.77% APY*
1 year 5.67% APY 5.80% APY 5.85% APY*
18 months 5.80% APY* 5.80% APY* 5.75% APY
2 years 5.60% APY 5.50% APY 5.68% APY*
3 years 5.37% APY 5.50% APY 5.52% APY*
4 years 5.20% APY* 5.13% APY 4.86% APY
5 years 5.25% APY* 5.25% APY* 4.92% APY
*Indicates the highest APY offered in each term. To view our lists of the top-paying CDs across terms for bank, credit union, and jumbo certificates, click on the column headers above.

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 four 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 on Nov. 1, 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 right now 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," Powell said. "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."

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."

However, monthly inflation data released Tuesday was encouraging, coming in below expectations. As a result, financial markets now overwhelmingly predict that the Fed will not make any further rate increases, with odds pushed below 5% for an increase at the committee's Dec. 13 or Jan. 31 meetings, according to the CME Group's FedWatch Tool.

As we always caution, trying to predict the Fed's future rate moves is an unreliable exercise. But for now, it seems CD rates could roughly stabilize at their current historic levels.

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.

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Investopedia / Alice Morgan & Sabrina Jiang

Article Sources
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  1. Federal Reserve Board. "Federal Reserve Issues FOMC Statement, Nov. 1, 2023."

  2. Federal Reserve Board. "Transcript of Chair Powell’s Press Conference Opening Statement: November 1, 2023," Page 2.

  3. C-SPAN. “Federal Reserve Chair News Conference." Nov. 1, 2023. (Video.)

  4. CME Group. "CME FedWatch Tool."