Best CD rates today are still strong, but the window to grab them may be closing.
Key Points
After a powerful run-up in yields during 2022 and 2023, average certificate of deposit returns slipped in 2024 as the Federal Reserve began cutting interest rates. CD yields steadied in early 2025 when the Fed paused, but more recent rate cuts in September, October, and December have pushed returns modestly lower again.
Even so, savers can still find the best CD rates today offering up to 4.18% APY, giving cautious investors a chance to lock in relatively high income before the central bank’s next moves. With the Fed signaling the possibility of additional cuts in 2026, CDs remain a timely tool for anyone looking to secure guaranteed yields.
Best CD Rates Today, December 15, 2025
For December 15, the best CD rates today top out at 4.18% APY, available on a three‑month CD from Citibank. That short-term offer highlights how some banks are still willing to pay aggressive yields to attract deposits, even as overall rates drift lower from recent peaks.
Alongside Citibank’s top rate, a number of other institutions are advertising competitive offers across a range of terms:
- Marcus by Goldman Sachs is paying 4.10% APY on a 14‑month CD, with a minimum deposit of $500.
- Flagstar Bank offers 3.90% APY on a six‑month CD, requiring at least $2,500.
- NexBank lists 3.96% APY on a one‑year CD for deposits of $25,000.
- Barclays is paying 3.50% APY on a six‑month CD with no minimum balance.
- Quontic Bank offers 3.75% APY on a six‑month CD with a $500 minimum.
Beyond those headline deals, a long list of regional and online banks is clustered around the 4.00% mark. Recent data show several institutions, including Citibank, E‑Trade Bank, Synchrony Bank, Bread Savings, Newtek Bank, Sallie Mae Bank, Marcus by Goldman Sachs, Zynlo Bank, UMB Bank, Salem Five Direct, CIBC USA, Northern Bank Direct, Bask Bank and Live Oak Banking Company, offering 4.00% APY or more on terms ranging from three to eighteen months, often with minimum deposits of $500 or less.
These numbers illustrate how the best CD rates today are still meaningfully higher than traditional offerings at many large brick‑and‑mortar banks, especially for savers who are comfortable using online platforms or smaller regional institutions.
How Fed Policy Is Shaping The Best CD Rates Today
The path of the Federal Reserve’s benchmark rate is the single biggest influence on the best CD rates today. Banks and credit unions adjust what they pay on deposits based on how much they can earn by lending or investing those funds, which in turn depends heavily on the federal funds rate.
Right now, the fed funds range stands at 3.50%–3.75%. That is down from 4.25%–4.50% at the end of 2024, after the Fed cut rates three times last year to support a cooling economy and easing inflation.
In 2025, policymakers resumed easing with quarter‑point cuts in September, October and December. Those steps helped push CD yields off their two‑decade highs, though the best CD rates today still exceed what savers could earn for most of the 2010s and early 2020s.
The next meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee is scheduled for Jan. 30–31, 2026. If the central bank follows through with additional cuts later in 2026, as some observers expect, the best CD rates today could look even more attractive in hindsight. That is why many experts suggest locking in yields that fit your time horizon now, rather than waiting for clarity that may come alongside lower returns.
Why Today’s CD Yields Still Stand Out Historically
To understand the opportunity in the best CD rates today, it helps to look at the bigger picture.
In the early 1980s, runaway inflation and aggressive Fed tightening pushed CD rates into the double‑digit range. Those levels, however, have not been seen in decades. By 2019, the average APY on a five‑year CD hovered just above 3.00%.
For most of the period leading up to the pandemic and its aftermath, top CD rates often stayed below 1.00% APY, offering little real return after inflation. That changed dramatically starting in 2022, when the Fed launched an 11‑step rate‑hike cycle that took the fed funds range from near zero to 5.25%–5.50% by July 2023. One‑year CDs briefly topped 5.00% APY, the highest in roughly 20 years.
Since then, yields have slipped as the Fed shifted to cuts. Still, with the best CD rates today around 4.18% APY, savers are earning far more than they did in the pre‑2022 era and still have a chance to lock in comparatively rich yields before they potentially move lower.
How To Capture The Best CD Rates Today
What counts as a “good” CD rate depends on your goals, your time frame and the broader rate environment. With the best CD rates today offering up to 4.18% APY, savers have several strategic choices to consider.
Match Term Length To Your Savings Goals
Before chasing the very best CD rates today, decide how long you can afford to lock up your cash. Longer terms usually come with higher APYs, but they also reduce flexibility. If you expect to need your funds sooner—or think market rates might rise again—choosing a shorter term may make more sense, even at a slightly lower yield.
Typical terms range from three months to five years. Current data show particularly competitive offers in the three‑month to eighteen‑month window, which may appeal to savers who want both yield and reasonable access to their money.
Look Beyond Big‑Name Banks
Many household‑name banks—such as Chase, PNC and U.S. Bank—focus on more profitable lines of business like loans and credit cards. As a result, they often pay relatively low APYs on CDs unless customers also open additional accounts or commit very large balances.
By contrast, smaller institutions and online banks frequently use the best CD rates today as a way to attract new customers. Because they often have lower overhead and rely heavily on digital channels, they can afford to pass more of the Fed’s rate environment on to depositors.
Recent top‑rate lists feature institutions such as Wells Fargo, Capital One, Chase, Bank of America, Discover Bank, Northern Bank Direct, Ally Bank, Newtek Bank, Popular Direct, Citibank and Sallie Mae Bank, making it easy for savers to compare options side by side.
Compare Key CD Features
When hunting for the best CD rates today, APY is only one part of the picture. Savers should also weigh:
- Minimum deposit requirements: Some top offers require as little as $0 or $500, while others call for $2,500 or more.
- Early withdrawal penalties: Breaking a CD before maturity can cost several months’ worth of interest, or more, depending on the institution and term.
- Fees: Most CDs have few ongoing charges, but brokered accounts or specialty products may carry extra costs.
- Deposit insurance: Confirm that the bank or credit union is covered by the FDIC or NCUA, so balances up to the insurance limit are protected.
Ideally, the best CD rates today will come from institutions that offer competitive APYs, manageable minimums and clear penalty policies.
Use A CD Ladder To Balance Yield And Flexibility
For savers hesitant to lock a large sum into a single maturity, building a CD ladder can be a smart way to take advantage of the best CD rates today while keeping some liquidity.
In a simple three‑step ladder, for example, an investor might divide $3,000 into:
- $1,000 in a one‑year CD
- $1,000 in a two‑year CD
- $1,000 in a three‑year CD
As each CD matures, the money—and the interest earned—can be rolled into a new three‑year CD at the then‑current rate. Over time, the saver ends up with one CD maturing every year, providing regular access to funds while maintaining exposure to longer‑term yields.
This approach can be adapted with larger deposits or more rungs, using the best CD rates today across different maturities to align with cash‑flow needs.
Choose The Right Type Of CD For Your Situation
Traditional fixed‑rate CDs are the most common vehicle for capturing the best CD rates today, but several variations may be useful depending on your priorities:
- Brokered CDs: Purchased through brokerage accounts, these are issued by banks but sold by investment firms. They may offer higher APYs but can involve additional market and liquidity risks.
- Callable CDs: Allow the issuing bank to redeem the CD early, returning principal and accrued interest. These often pay a premium rate to compensate for the call risk.
- Bump‑up CDs: Let you request a higher APY if rates rise during your term, typically once or twice. They can provide a hedge if you are worried about locking in just as yields move higher.
- No‑penalty CDs: Permit early withdrawals without the usual interest penalty, offering more flexibility, though APYs are often lower than comparable traditional CDs.
- Jumbo CDs: Require large minimum deposits, often $100,000 or more, but may deliver slightly better yields.
- Variable‑rate CDs: Tie their APYs to a benchmark rate, meaning returns can move up or down over time. These carry more uncertainty than fixed‑rate CDs if interest rates fall.
Understanding these options can help savers decide whether to stick with straightforward fixed offerings or mix in specialized products while still aiming for the best CD rates today.
What Comes Next For CD Savers
As 2025 draws to a close, the story for depositors is mixed. The Fed’s inflation‑fighting campaign of 2022 and 2023 produced the highest CD yields in roughly two decades. Subsequent rate cuts in 2024 and 2025 have nudged returns lower, but the best CD rates today—topping out at 4.18% APY—remain appealing by historical standards.
Looking ahead, much depends on how the economy evolves and what the Fed does in 2026. More cuts could push average yields down, making today’s rates look especially favorable. On the other hand, if conditions shift unexpectedly, savers may want to keep some flexibility through shorter terms or ladder strategies.
For now, the message is straightforward: if a CD’s term and conditions match your financial goals, the best CD rates today still offer a chance to earn solid, predictable income in an uncertain interest‑rate environment.
Sources: Fortune
