The leading nationwide rate in every CD term held its ground today. That keeps the top CD rate at 5.75% APY, offered by on a 7-month term. For a slightly longer duration of 9 months, you can score an almost-as-high 5.70% APY from . Another great option is 15-month offer at 5.65% APY.

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

CD Rates Are Below Their Peak but Remain High

CD rates have been grinding downward since climbing to a historic peak of 6.50% in October. Since September, we've been counting the number of nationwide CDs paying at least 5.75% APY. On Nov. 3, the number surged to a historic peak of 18. This week we're down to just one CD paying a rate that high.

The softening is not unexpected given the likelihood that the Federal Reserve is not only finished raising interest rates but could even begin reducing rates sometime this year. But it's important to remember that, while CDs may no longer be paying the peak rates we saw in the fall, the returns you can lock in for months or years down the road are still very high.

After the 5.75% leader, another three offers pay 5.65% to 5.70% APY, on terms ranging from 3 to 15 months. And in every term, you have multiple options for earning a return in the upper-4% to mid-5% range.

Long-term CDs can also be a smart choice right now, as we face the prospect of declining interest rates in 2024 and beyond. The top-paying 2-year certificate offers 5.39% APY, while you can secure 5.23% for a 3-year term. The best rates for 4-year and 5-year CDs are below the 5% mark, but you can still lock in a long-lasting rate as high as 4.89% APY.

While the yields on these longer certificates are lower than certificates with shorter terms, securing one of these returns today means you'll be able to enjoy it until 2026—or even as long as 2029—when rates on other options will have likely fallen.

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
6 months	5.75% APY	5.75% APY	No change
1 year	5.64% APY	5.64% APY	No change
18 months	5.65% APY	5.65% APY	No change
2 years	5.39% APY	5.39% APY	No change
3 years	5.23% APY	5.23% APY	No change
4 years	4.82% APY	4.82% APY	No change
5 years	4.89% APY	4.89% APY	No change

You May (or May Not) Earn More with a Jumbo CD

For anyone with a jumbo-sized deposit, you can eke out a bit more with the leading rate on 3-year, 4-year, or 5-year jumbo CDs. But while the best jumbo CD rate is now 5.65% APY on 17 months, available from , you can earn that same rate with a standard 15-month CD.

In fact, it's not uncommon for jumbo CD rates to not 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 five of the eight terms below, so it's smart to shop both certificate types before making a final decision.

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*	5.55% APY	5.20% APY
6 months	5.75% APY*	5.70% APY	5.60% APY
1 year	5.55% APY	5.64% APY*	5.61% APY
18 months	5.65% APY*	5.51% APY	5.65% APY*
2 years	5.01% APY	5.39% APY*	5.30% APY
3 years	5.00% APY	5.23% APY	5.28% APY*
4 years	4.65% APY	4.82% APY	4.86% APY*
5 years	4.65% APY	4.89% APY	4.92% APY*

Where Are CD Rates Headed This Year?

The Federal Reserve opted to hold rates steady at a 22-year high last month, the third meeting in a row it's done so. The Fed has been aggressively combating decades-high inflation since March 2022, raising the federal funds rate with fast and furious hikes that year 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.

Though inflation has cooled significantly from its peak, Fed Chair Powell has made it clear that the rate-setting committee has not taken future rate hikes off the table—and won't do so until they feel assured inflation is moving sustainably lower. Still, the Fed's Dec. 13 dot plot showed a median prediction among committee members of three rate cuts in 2024, for a total reduction of 0.75%.

However, the minutes released last week from the Fed's Dec. 13 meeting revealed that there is much uncertainty among Fed members on the right timing for lowering rates. And that has been further complicated with two releases of new data. First, Friday's jobs report showed a hotter-than-expected labor market. Then, yesterday's inflation report showed an unwelcome acceleration in December. Both of these developments could make it harder for the Fed to pull the trigger on a first rate cut.

The Fed's decisions on the federal funds rates have significant implications for CD shoppers and other savers, as banks and credit unions base their deposit rate decisions on the Fed's benchmark rate. As we always caution, trying to predict the Fed's future moves is an uncertain exercise. But for the time being, it seems CD rates are likely to continue inching down from their record peaks.

How We Find the Best CD Rates

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.