2025-11-23

Earn up to 4.20% APY with the best CD rates available Nov. 26, 2025

You’ve still got time to earn solid returns in a certificate of deposit, but don’t delay. The Federal Reserve cut interest rates three times in 2024, and made two long-awaited cuts in 2025 at its September and October meetings, which means average CD yields are well off their past record highs.

Currently, the best CD rates offer up to 4.20% annual percentage yield. If you fund a certificate of deposit today, you could lock in a higher rate for years, depending on what term length best fits your financial objectives.

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Best CD rates Nov. 26, 2025: Earn up to 4.20%

The highest CD rate of 4.20% is offered by Newtek Bank on its six-month CD.Fortunepartners with Curinos to monitor the top rates offered by leading U.S. financial institutions—helping readers obtain the best returns for their CD investments. Here are the highest CD rates on the market:

Pro tip

Looking for the best CD to fit your investment needs? See rates from top institutions:
–Wells Fargo
–Capital One
–Chase
–Bank of America
–Discover Bank
–Northern Bank Direct
–Ally Bank
–Newtek Bank
–Popular Direct
–Citibank
–Sallie Mae Bank

Compare CD rates at top national banks

If you’re unfamiliar with some or all of the institutions on the list above, that’s no accident. Big banks—Chase, PNC, and U.S. Bank, for example—are more focused on products like loans and credit cards rather than certificates of deposit. Consequently, they tend to offer CD rates that can suffer in comparison to smaller regional institutions or online banks.

CD rates news 2025

CD investors should understand that market rates are closely tied to Federal Reserve policy decisions, more specifically changes to the fed funds rate. Staying informed about fed interest rate policy is vital for anyone investing in certificates of deposit.

The Fed cut rates three times in 2024, with the final rate reduction in December fixing fed funds at 4.25%-4.50%. The central bank cut rates to support the economy as inflation finally began to subside after its pandemic surge. As a consequence, CD rates came off their recent highs.

At its Sept. 16-17, 2025 meeting, the Fed initiated the first rate cut of the year, and followed up with another cut when it met Oct. 28-29. Now, the federal funds rate stands at 3.75%-4.00%. Some CD offerings dipped around the time these cuts rolled out.

There’s one more Fed meeting on the calendar this year, with the next one set for Dec. 9-10. CD rates could well dip further if banks anticipate the Fed will enact another cut.

The strong average CD yields of 2022 and 2023 were a direct result of the Fed’s post-pandemic rate hike campaign. From March 2022 through July 2023, the FOMC hiked interest rates eleven times, taking fed funds from zero to 5.25%-5.50%. The central bank took action as inflation grew at higher rates than at any time since the 1980s.

Remember, current CD rates aren’t far off their recent highs. Investors have an opportunity to secure attractive rates on both short-term and long-term certificates. By placing a larger lump sum into your CD account, you can earn substantial interest.

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Historical CD rates

In the early 1980s, CD rates surged into double digits, starkly contrasting with today’s lower rates. By 2019, however, the APY for a 5-year CD had slightly exceeded 3.00%.

Throughout the early 2020s, top rates typically remained below 1.00% APY. In recent years, rates saw a significant increase, with the best offerings surpassing 5.00% APY in 2024. In 2025, however, we’ve seen many rates just under or just above the 4.00% mark.

How to get a good CD rate

Determining what constitutes a good CD rate involves striking a balance between the highest rate available and your willingness to lock your money up for a specified term.

For instance, investing a large sum in a five-year CD yielding 5.00% may not be a good choice if you need the money sooner or if you believe interest rates could start rising again. But generally speaking, rates that exceed the national average are considered worthwhile.

Key factors to consider when comparing CDs include:

Term length:Ensure it aligns with your savings goals and timeline.
APY:Higher rates typically are offered for longer terms.
Minimum deposit:Make sure you can meet the required initial balance.
Penalties:Understand the costs associated with withdrawing funds before maturity.
Deposit insurance:Verify that the bank is Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC)- or National Credit Union Administration (NCUA)-insured for deposit protection.

Note that online banks typically offer better CD yields—just be mindful of any minimum balance requirements and associated fees. Choosing a bank over a broker can sometimes help avoid unnecessary fees.

Look into offerings from online banks

Online banks and fintech companies generally offer more competitive rates than big national banks. Large financial institutions primarily earn revenue from interest on loans, fees, and investments in securities.

In contrast, smaller banks and online fintech companies attract customers with competitive APYs on deposit accounts. Moreover, online banks typically operate with lower overhead costs, allowing them to pass better rates on to their clients.

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Best CD Rates for December 9, 2025

ZIP Code Deposit Amount $Min. Term Length 6 months

1 months
6 months
1 year
18 months
2 years
3 years

Max. Term Length 3 years

6 months
1 year
18 months
2 years
3 years
4 years
5 years
6 years

FEATURED OFFERSAPYTERMMIN. DEPOSITEST. EARNINGSLoading...

4.25 %
December 9, 2025
2yr$ 1000$ 1063
Over 1 Year
2 years cd AccountUnited Fidelity BankMember FDIC
QUICK LOOK
4.20 %
December 2, 2025
6mo$ 1000$ 1050
Over 1 Year
6 Mo CD cd AccountLimelightBankMember FDICOFFER DETAILS
QUICK LOOK
Limelight Bank is the online division of Capital Community Bank. It offers competitive yields on CDs, but it doesn’t offer any other types of bank accounts.
READ BANK REVIEW
4.15 %
December 2, 2025
9mo$ 500$ 1038
Over 1 Year
9 Mo CD cd AccountM.Y. Safra BankMember FDICOFFER DETAILS
QUICK LOOK
M.Y. Safra Bank is an FDIC-insured institution with just one branch in New York City and also offers strictly online accounts. It provides a full range of personal and business deposit products as well as loans and lines of credit. Its online-only CDs offer the most attractive rates the bank has to offer, but its savings and money market accounts also offer decent yields.
READ BANK REVIEW

Set up a CD ladder

CD ladders are perfect for savers who are hesitant to commit funds for extended periods of time. By diversifying savings across CDs with different maturity dates, you can benefit from both short-term accessibility and higher long-term interest rates.

For instance, say you invest $3,000 in three staggered CDs (1-year, 2-year, and 3-year). As each CD matures, you can reinvest the funds into a new 3-year CD. This approach allows annual access to your money along with the accrued interest.

Series on daily CD rates created by former Fortune editor Cassie Bottorff. This edition has been updated by Editor, Evergreen Content Glen Luke Flanagan.

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