The good news train keeps delivering for CD shoppers, especially if you can stretch to a mini-sized jumbo deposit. Two new jumbo CDs requiring a lower $50,000 deposit were unveiled today at a near-record rate of 5.80% APY, both from Finworth and offering a term as long as 18 months.
We also welcome another entry to our elite tier of standard CDs paying at least 5.50% APY, giving you almost 40 options in that group. The highest nationwide rate on a standard CD continues to be 5.75% APY, offered by three different institutions: BluPeak Credit Union for 9 months, Abound Credit Union for 10 months, and MapleMark Bank for 12 months.
Key Takeaways
- Our list of CDs paying at least 5.50% APY climbed to 39 today, up from 15 at the start of August.
- The leading rate among the best nationwide CDs is still 5.75%, available on three different options ranging from terms of nine to 12 months.
- If you can manage a jumbo CD deposit of at least $100,000, the highest nationwide CD rate is 5.85% APY, or 5.80% APY with a $50,000 deposit.
- It’s still possible CD rates could go even higher this year, as the Fed could raise its benchmark interest rate again if inflation does not cool down enough in the coming months.
To help you earn as much as possible, here are the top CD rates available from our partners, followed by more information on the best-paying CDs that are available to U.S. customers everywhere.
Looking to secure one of today’s record rates for longer than two years? You can score 5.13% APY from the leader of our best 3-year CDs ranking, or 5.00% from one of four other contenders in that term.
If you can swing a jumbo-sized deposit, you can lock in the highest nationwide rate across all terms and all CD types. One American Bank is paying 5.85% APY with a deposit of at least $100,000—but the term is a little under six months. If you want a longer term, you can stretch to four years with a 5.12% APY jumbo certificate.
Beware
Despite the suggestion that a larger deposit entitles you to a higher return, that’s not always the case for jumbo certificate rates, which often pay less than standard CDs. Though today’s best jumbo offers, which typically require a deposit of $100,000 or more, beat the best standard rates in six CD terms, you can do just as well or better in the other two terms with a standard CD. So always be sure to shop every certificate type before making a final decision.
Will CD Rates Go Up This Year?
This year has already seen CD rates hit record levels, but it’s possible they could climb even higher. That’s because some banks and credit unions are still reacting to the central bank bumping the federal funds rate higher at its July 26 meeting. Also important is that the Federal Reserve has notably kept the door open to further 2023 increases.
The Fed has been aggressively combating decades-high inflation since March of last year, with fast-and-furious hikes in 2022 that eased to more moderate increases in 2023. Last month’s bump took the cumulative increase to 5.25%, raising the fed funds rate to its highest level since 2001. That’s created historic conditions for CD shoppers, as well as for anyone holding cash in a high-yield savings or money market account.
The Fed’s official July announcement provided no strong indications on whether it will raise its benchmark rate even higher this year. The written statement simply reiterated the Fed’s commitment to bring inflation back down to its target level of 2%.
In a speech at the Jackson Hole Economic Symposium Friday, Fed Chair Jerome Powell said more rate increases were on the table if inflation doesn’t come down enough in the coming months or if economic growth is too fast (which would put upward pressure on inflation.) He said that the Fed could also keep its rate steady, and noted that raising it too much would hurt the economy unnecessarily. The Fed’s next meeting is scheduled for September 19-20. Recent public remarks from other Fed members, meanwhile, indicate they may be divided on the issue.
Currently, more than 85% of traders are betting the Fed will hold interest rates steady at its September meeting, according to the fed funds futures probabilities published by the CME Group. It’s more likely that the Fed could hike its benchmark rate at its November meeting, where markets are pricing in an approximately 50% chance of another rate hike announcement.
Another increase by the Fed would certainly add a little more fuel to the fire for CD rates. But if the September decision is a rate hold, markets—and CD shoppers—could be left guessing if that’s a temporary or permanent pause. When it finally seems the Fed is ready to end its rate-hiking campaign for good, that will signal that CD rates have likely peaked.
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.
Investopedia / Alice Morgan & Sabrina Jiang
