Best CD Rates Today – Lock in a High APY While You Can, August 26, 2024

The Federal Reserve confirmed Friday that “the time has come” for a rate hike. While he did not specify when the rate cuts would begin, Chairman Jerome Powell’s comments at the Fed’s economic symposium bolstered expectations of a cut as soon as the next Federal Open Market Committee meeting in September.

If you want to maximize your Certificate of Deposit earnings, now is the time to take action.

Today’s best CDs offer annual percentage yields, or APYs, as high as 5.25%. But APYs have been falling for months, and they’ve fallen faster since the Fed announced a rate cut in September at its July FOMC meeting. So the longer you wait to open a CD, the lower the APY you may be able to lock in.

Here you can score one of the highest CD interest rates today.

Today’s Best CD Rates

Here are some of the highest rates currently available on the best CDs and how much you can earn by depositing $5,000 now:

Experts recommend comparing rates before opening a CD account to get the best possible APY. Enter your information below to get the best rate from CNET’s partners for your area.

Why You Shouldn’t Wait to Open a CD

CD rates are significantly affected by the Fed’s decisions. The Fed regularly adjusts the federal funds rate to stabilize the economy, and since this rate determines how much it costs banks to lend and borrow money to each other, they tend to follow the Fed’s lead.

The Fed raised rates 11 times starting in March 2022 to combat skyrocketing inflation, and CD APYs skyrocketed. As inflation began to show signs of cooling, the Fed kept rates flat eight times starting in September 2023, and APYs also remained largely flat.

APYs have been fluctuating in recent months as banks anticipate a rate cut, which Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said “could be on the table at the September meeting.” After the Consumer Price Index Report showed that inflation continued to cool, this cut seemed even more likely and the latest statements from the Fed support this. As a result, we have seen more and more banks cut APYs across CD terms.

Here’s where CD rates stand compared to last week:

“This trend will continue as the market continues to price in falling interest rates in 2024 and 2025,” said Noah Damsky, CFA, Principal of Marina Wealth Advisors“The market expects interest rates to continue to fall, but if that trend accelerates and rates are expected to fall further than current expectations, then CD rates will fall faster.”

In other words, the sooner you secure a high APY, the greater your earning potential can be.

What to look for when choosing a CD

A competitive APY is important, but there are other things to consider when comparing CDs to find the best product for your needs:

• When you need your money: Early withdrawal penalties can eat into your interest earnings, so choose a term that fits your savings timeline. You can also opt for a penalty-free CD, although the APY may not be as high as a traditional CD with the same term.
• Minimum deposit requirement: Some CDs require a minimum amount to open an account — typically $500 to $1,000. Others don’t. How much money you need to put aside can help narrow down your options.
• Costs: Maintenance and other fees can eat into your earnings. Many online banks don’t charge fees because they have lower overhead costs than brick-and-mortar banks. However, read the fine print for any account you evaluate.
• Federal deposit guarantee: Make sure any bank or credit union you consider is a member of the FDIC or NCUA so your money is protected if the bank goes bankrupt.
• Customer ratings and reviews: Visit sites like Trustpilot to see what customers are saying about the bank. You want a bank that is responsive, professional and easy to work with.

Methodology

CNET rates CD rates based on the latest APY information from issuer websites. We evaluated CD rates from more than 50 banks, credit unions and financial companies. We evaluate CDs based on APYs, product offerings, accessibility and customer service.

The current banks included in CNET’s weekly CD averages are: Alliant Credit Union, Ally Bank, American Express National Bank, Barclays, Bask Bank, Bread Savings, Capital One, CFG Bank, CIT, Fulbright, Marcus by Goldman Sachs, MYSB Direct, Quontic, Rising Bank, Synchrony, EverBank, Popular Bank, First Internet Bank of Indiana, America First Federal Credit Union, CommunityWide Federal Credit Union, Discover, Bethpage, BMO Alto, Limelight Bank, First National Bank of America, and Connexus Credit Union.