Best CD rates in 2026
Certificates of deposit ranked by the APY on each bank's own page, with the term, the minimum and the early-withdrawal penalty beside every rate.
FinanceRadar tracks 15 published certificates of deposit. The average APY is 4.24% and the top rate is 4.75% (rates read September to October 2026). The picks are ranked by the APY of the term we list for each bank, among CDs read on the bank's own page in the 14 days before this review, ties broken by the lower minimum. Bread Savings Certificate of Deposit (18 Month CD) leads at 4.75% for 18 months, $1,500 to open, 180 days of simple interest to leave early. Popular Direct CD pays 4.65% for 18 months but needs $10,000 and charges 270 days of simple interest. Happen Bank Certificate of Deposit (2 Year CD) pays 4.60% for 24 months at $500; Happen does not publish the penalty, and principal comes out early only at the bank's discretion. Barclays Online CD (12 Month) is 4.50% for 12 months, no minimum to open, 90-day penalty. Sallie Mae Bank Certificate of Deposit (36 Month CD) is 4.45% for 36 months at $2,500. American Express National Bank CD (4.40%, 10 months) and Marcus by Goldman Sachs High-Yield CD (4.40%, 18 months) tie on APY; Amex ranks first on its lower minimum. EverBank Performance CD is 4.35% for 24 months at $1,000, penalty not published. Quontic Bank CD was last read Sep 17, 2026 and sits outside the ranking. BMO Alto's 60-month CD, at 3.35%, is the lowest APY we list.
FinanceRadar data: our CD catalog holds 15 published certificates of deposit. The average APY is 4.24% and the median is 4.35% (rates read September to October 2026; 161 dated rate checks logged since August 2026). A CD locks the rate for a term. You know what you will earn if you leave the money alone. You also know what it costs to leave early, except when the bank does not publish the penalty. The CD statistics and the CD directory are the first-party companions to this guide.
How the picks are ranked: by the APY of the one term we list for each bank, among CDs whose rate was read on the bank's own page in the 14 days before this review, with ties broken by the lower minimum deposit, then by name. At this review (14 October 2026) every CD in the table was read that day except Quontic Bank CD, last read Sep 17, 2026, which stays in the table and out of the ranking. The rule ranks the term we list, not each bank's whole rate sheet. Some banks pay more on terms we do not list: Popular Direct pays more on every term past 18 months, and Barclays pays more on its 24- and 60-month CDs. A few banks also date their own rate tables earlier than the day we read them; the table footnote lists them.
The top of this list is a year and a half, not five years. Bread Savings Certificate of Deposit (18 Month CD) at 4.75% and Popular Direct CD at 4.65% are both 18 months. Happen Bank Certificate of Deposit (2 Year CD) at 4.60% is 24 months. The one 60-month CD we list, BMO Alto Online Certificate of Deposit at 3.35%, has the lowest APY in the set, which is why it is not a pick.
If you are still deciding whether to lock the money at all, the HYSA statistics and the APY catch report cover the savings side.
Top Picks
Each figure is what the provider's own page states, with the date we read it.
| Product | Lead figure | Best for | Read on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bread Savings Certificate of Deposit (18 Month CD) | 4.75% APY | A lump sum of at least $1,500 that you will leave alone for a year and a half. | |
| Popular Direct CD | 4.65% APY | A lump sum of $10,000 or more that you will not touch for a year and a half. | |
| Happen Bank Certificate of Deposit (2 Year CD) | 4.60% APY | Money you are certain to leave for the full two years, once Happen states its early-withdrawal terms in writing. | |
| Barclays Online CD (12 Month) | 4.50% APY | Money with a date about a year out, when you do not want a minimum in the way. | |
| Sallie Mae Bank Certificate of Deposit (36 Month CD) | 4.45% APY | A three-year date and at least $2,500 you will not need before then. | |
| American Express National Bank CD | 4.40% APY | Money with a date about 10 months out. | |
| Marcus by Goldman Sachs High-Yield CD | 4.40% APY | People who want one bank paying the same High-Yield CD rate from 12 months to 6 years, with a no-penalty CD on the same menu. | |
| EverBank Performance CD | 4.35% APY | A two-year lock, funded only after EverBank states the penalty. |
A lump sum of at least $1,500 that you will leave alone for a year and a half.
A lump sum of $10,000 or more that you will not touch for a year and a half.
Money you are certain to leave for the full two years, once Happen states its early-withdrawal terms in writing.
Money with a date about a year out, when you do not want a minimum in the way.
A three-year date and at least $2,500 you will not need before then.
Money with a date about 10 months out.
People who want one bank paying the same High-Yield CD rate from 12 months to 6 years, with a no-penalty CD on the same menu.
A two-year lock, funded only after EverBank states the penalty.
More CD Rates in the catalog
Other products in this category that we track. Open one to see its figures and the date we read them.
What a CD is, and what the penalty actually does
A certificate of deposit is a time deposit. You agree to leave a lump sum with the bank for a stated term. The bank agrees to a fixed APY. If you take the money out early, the bank keeps some of the interest. That penalty is the product. Everything else is a rate chart.
In this list the penalties are not similar. On the terms we list, Ally's 18-month CD takes 60 days of interest. American Express National Bank CD (10 months) takes 90 days of interest on the amount withdrawn, and Barclays Online CD (12 Month) takes 90 days of simple interest. Capital One's 12-month 360 CD takes 3 months of interest. Bread Savings Certificate of Deposit (18 Month CD), Marcus by Goldman Sachs High-Yield CD (18 months), Sallie Mae Bank Certificate of Deposit (36 Month CD), Synchrony's 16-month CD and First Internet Bank's 12-month CD take 180 days. Popular Direct CD takes 270 days of simple interest on its 18-month term. Quontic Bank CD takes all the interest the full term would have earned on terms up to 12 months (read Sep 17, 2026). Four banks do not publish the amount: Happen Bank Certificate of Deposit (2 Year CD) allows early withdrawal of principal only at the bank's discretion, EverBank Performance CD and CIT Bank Term CD state no penalty amount on their CD pages, and BMO Alto says penalties may apply without stating them. We will not invent those numbers.
The penalty can also outgrow the interest. Barclays and Sallie Mae both say any shortfall is deducted from principal, so an early exit soon after funding can cost you money, not just interest. First Internet Bank's own table charges 180 days of interest on its 6-month CD, about the whole term. And the same APY can carry a different penalty at the same bank: Amex pays the same rate on its 10-month and 22-month CDs, but the 22-month falls in its 270-day band (12 to under 48 months), against 90 days on the 10-month.
When a CD is the right boring choice
A savings APY is variable: the bank can change it any day. A CD in this list will still pay the APY on the certificate if you hold to term. That is the whole case for buying one.
It is a good case when the money has a date. A tax bill in 10 months is an American Express National Bank CD problem (4.40%, 10 months, no minimum to open, 90 days of interest to leave early). A date about a year out with nothing to spare for a minimum points to Barclays Online CD (12 Month) (4.50%, no minimum to open, 90-day penalty). A goal a year and a half out is a Bread Savings Certificate of Deposit (18 Month CD) problem (4.75%, $1,500 to open, 180-day penalty), or a Popular Direct CD problem if you have $10,000 and can live with 270 days. Emergency cash you might spend in March is not a CD problem. That cash belongs in a high-yield savings account from the no-fee guide.
The wrong reason to buy a CD is "5 years must pay more." Here it depends entirely on the bank. The 60-month CD we list, BMO Alto at 3.35% (read Oct 14, 2026), is the lowest APY in the set, below the 10-month Amex CD at 4.40% (read Oct 18, 2026). In the banks' own rate tables read for this review, the 5-year CD paid more than the term we list at Popular Direct, Barclays, Sallie Mae and Synchrony, the same at Marcus and First Internet Bank, and less at Ally, Amex, Bread Savings, Capital One, CIT, EverBank and Happen Bank. Longer terms also sit in longer penalty bands: 730 days of interest at 60 months or more at Popular Direct, 540 days at Amex. Pick the length you need, then check what that bank pays for it.
What to look for
Fixed for the certificate if you hold to maturity, unlike a savings rate the bank can change any day. The top rate among the CDs we list is 4.75%. Average 4.24%.
The CDs we list run from 3 months (Quontic) to 60 months (BMO Alto). The top three by APY are 18, 18 and 24 months. The one 60-month CD we list has the lowest APY, though some banks pay more on their own 5-year CDs.
On the terms we list: 60 days (Ally), 90 days (Amex, Barclays), 3 months (Capital One), 180 days (Bread Savings, Marcus, Sallie Mae, Synchrony, First Internet Bank), 270 days (Popular Direct), all interest for the full term (Quontic, read Sep 17, 2026). Not published: Happen Bank, EverBank, CIT, BMO Alto.
Barclays Online CD (12 Month): no minimum. American Express National Bank CD: no minimum. Happen Bank Certificate of Deposit (2 Year CD): $500. Marcus by Goldman Sachs High-Yield CD: $500. EverBank Performance CD: $1,000. Bread Savings Certificate of Deposit (18 Month CD): $1,500, in a single transaction. Sallie Mae Bank Certificate of Deposit (36 Month CD): $2,500, to open and to keep earning interest. Popular Direct CD: $10,000.
Barclays and Sallie Mae deduct any penalty shortfall from principal. First Internet Bank's table charges 180 days of interest on its 6-month CD. Quontic takes all the interest the full term would have earned on terms up to 12 months.
Happen Bank, EverBank, CIT and BMO Alto do not publish penalty amounts on the pages we read. We will not fill those in from memory.
None of the 15 CDs we list is a no-penalty CD. Ally, CIT, Marcus and Synchrony each list an 11-month no-penalty CD in their own tables (Marcus also lists 7- and 13-month versions), and each pays less than that bank's best-paying term. CIT and Marcus let you withdraw from 7 days after funding.
Before you lock the money
Match the term to a date you actually have, not to the highest APY. Bread Savings Certificate of Deposit (18 Month CD) and Popular Direct CD are both 18 months. If you need the cash in 11 months, the 180-day or 270-day penalty is the story.
Match the minimum to cash you already have. Popular Direct needs $10,000, Sallie Mae $2,500, Bread Savings $1,500. Barclays (no minimum) and Amex (no minimum) are the low bar among the picks. Do not drain a savings account to hit a minimum.
Read the penalty in days of interest, then convert it to dollars on your balance. 90 days on Barclays or Amex is a different haircut than 270 days on Popular Direct.
If the penalty is not published (Happen Bank, EverBank, CIT, BMO Alto), get it from the bank in writing before you send the money. At Happen Bank, also ask whether you can take principal out early at all: its page says that is at the bank's discretion.
If you might need the money, stop. The HYSA guide is the product for that cash.
Evaluation Checklist
Write the date you will need the money. Buy the CD whose term ends near that date, not the one with the highest APY.
Confirm the minimum. Popular Direct $10,000, Sallie Mae $2,500, Bread Savings $1,500, EverBank $1,000, Happen Bank $500, Marcus $500, Barclays no minimum, Amex no minimum.
Convert the penalty to dollars on your balance for the term you pick: 90 days (Amex 10-month, Barclays 12-month), 180 days (Bread Savings 18-month, Marcus 18-month, Sallie Mae 36-month), 270 days (Popular Direct 18-month).
If the penalty is not published (Happen Bank, EverBank, CIT, BMO Alto), get it from the bank before you send money.
Check the term you are actually opening. Amex pays the same APY on 10 and 22 months with different penalties; Happen headlines its 11-month CD, not the 2-year.
Check what happens at maturity. Bread Savings renews at its base rate then in effect after a 10 calendar day grace period; EverBank's 7-, 13- and 25-month CDs renew into 6-, 12- and 24-month CDs.
If the cash is emergency money, stop. Open a HYSA instead. See /guides/best-high-yield-savings.
Rates and fees overview
Bread Savings Certificate of Deposit (18 Month CD) (18 months, $1,500, 180-day penalty). Popular Direct CD (18 months, $10,000, 270-day penalty). Happen Bank Certificate of Deposit (2 Year CD) (24 months, $500, penalty not published).
Barclays Online CD (12 Month) (12 months, no minimum, 90-day penalty). Sallie Mae Bank Certificate of Deposit (36 Month CD) (36 months, $2,500, 180-day penalty). American Express National Bank CD (10 months, no minimum, 90-day penalty). Marcus by Goldman Sachs High-Yield CD (18 months, $500, 180-day penalty). EverBank Performance CD (24 months, $1,000, penalty not published).
Synchrony (16 months), Ally (18 months), Capital One 360 (12 months), CIT (1 year), First Internet Bank (12 months) and BMO Alto (60 months), all read for this review. Quontic (3 months) was last read Sep 17, 2026 and is outside the ranking.
Pricing Comparison
| CD | APY | Term | Min deposit | Early withdrawal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bread Savings Certificate of Deposit (18 Month CD) | 4.75% | 18 months | $1,500 | 180 days of simple interest |
| Popular Direct CD | 4.65% | 18 months | $10,000 | 270 days of simple interest |
| Happen Bank Certificate of Deposit (2 Year CD) | 4.60% | 24 months | $500 | Not published; principal only at the bank's discretion |
| Barclays Online CD (12 Month) | 4.50% | 12 months | no minimum | 90 days of simple interest |
| Sallie Mae Bank Certificate of Deposit (36 Month CD) | 4.45% | 36 months | $2,500 | 180 days of simple interest |
| American Express National Bank CD | 4.40% | 10 months | no minimum | 90 days of interest |
| Marcus by Goldman Sachs High-Yield CD | 4.40% | 18 months | $500 | 180 days of interest |
| EverBank Performance CD | 4.35% | 24 months | $1,000 | Not published on the CD page |
| Synchrony Bank Certificate of Deposit (16 Month CD) | 4.30% | 16 months | no minimum | 180 days of simple interest |
| Ally Bank High Yield CD (18 Month) | 4.25% | 18 months | no minimum | 60 days of interest |
| Capital One 360 CD (12 Month) | 4.00% | 12 months | no minimum | 3 months of interest |
| CIT Bank Term CD | 4.00% | 1 year | $1,000 | Not published on the CD page |
| First Internet Bank CD | 4.00% | 12 months | $1,000 | 180 days of interest |
| BMO Alto Online Certificate of Deposit | 3.35% | 60 months | no minimum | Not published; no withdrawals for 15 days after funding |
| Quontic Bank CD | 3.60% (read Sep 17, 2026) | 3 months | $500 | All interest for the full term (terms up to 12 months) |
15 published CDs, average APY 4.24%, top rate 4.75% (read September to October 2026). Rows follow the ranking: APY of the term listed, ties broken by the lower minimum, then by name. At this review (14 October 2026) every rate was read on the bank's own page that day except Quontic Bank CD, last read Sep 17, 2026, which sits outside the ranking. Some banks date their own rate tables earlier than our read: CIT July 1, First Internet Bank October 2, Popular Direct October 5, Barclays October 7, EverBank October 9 and Happen Bank October 13, 2026. Penalties are for the term listed; we did not invent the ones a bank does not publish. Full table: CD statistics.
Mistakes to Avoid
- ×
Buying Popular Direct for the 4.65% without having $10,000, then stretching a savings account thin to hit the minimum.
- ×
Opening Amex's 22-month CD for the same APY as the 10-month and missing that its penalty is 270 days, not 90.
- ×
Funding Happen Bank, EverBank or CIT before the early-withdrawal terms are in writing.
- ×
Letting Bread Savings roll over at its base rate because the 10 calendar day grace period went by.
- ×
Buying BMO Alto's 60-month CD because 'longer must pay more.' At 3.35% it is the lowest APY we list.
- ×
Locking emergency cash in any of these and then paying a penalty to get it back.
Tips
- →
If your date is 18 months out, Bread Savings Certificate of Deposit (18 Month CD) at 4.75% needs $1,500 and Popular Direct CD at 4.65% needs $10,000. Take the higher APY you can fund without touching emergency cash.
- →
If your date is about a year out, Barclays Online CD (12 Month) at 4.50% with no minimum to open and a 90-day penalty is the one I would actually buy. At 10 months, American Express National Bank CD is the same idea.
- →
Ladder only with terms you understand. A 10-month Amex plus an 18-month Bread Savings plus a 36-month Sallie Mae is a ladder. Five copies of the 60-month BMO Alto CD is not.
- →
Price the savings alternative. A high-yield savings account you can withdraw from beats a CD you are not sure you will hold.
- →
When rates move, re-read /statistics/cd-rates. This guide was reviewed on 14 October 2026; each rate shows the day it was read, and a CD rate can change any day before you fund.
Red Flags to Watch For
- !
This is not financial advice. A CD you break can cost more than the interest it earned: Barclays and Sallie Mae deduct any shortfall from principal, and First Internet Bank's table charges 180 days of interest on its 6-month CD.
- !
An unpublished penalty (Happen Bank, EverBank, CIT, BMO Alto in our file) is not a 'standard penalty.' It is a missing number. Do not fund the CD until you have it.
- !
Happen Bank allows early withdrawal of principal only at its discretion. That is closer to 'you cannot leave' than to a penalty.
- !
Popular Direct's 4.65% looks best until you do not have $10,000 or you need the money in month 14. The 270-day penalty is the price of that rate.
- !
A 'limited time' rate with no end date, like Capital One's 11-month 360 CD, can be gone before you fund. Read the rate on the day you open.
- !
A 60-month CD at 3.35% (BMO Alto, in the table, not a pick) locks you below every pick for five years. Long is not automatically better.
- !
Do not buy a CD with money you might spend. That is what the savings accounts are for.
The Bottom Line
15 published CDs, average APY 4.24% (read September to October 2026), ranked by the APY of the term we list among CDs read on the bank's own page in the 14 days before this review. Bread Savings Certificate of Deposit (18 Month CD) at 4.75% for 18 months is the top rate if you have $1,500 and can live with a 180-day penalty. Popular Direct CD at 4.65% for 18 months needs $10,000 and charges 270 days. Happen Bank Certificate of Deposit (2 Year CD) pays 4.60% for 24 months, but principal comes out early only at the bank's discretion. Barclays Online CD (12 Month) at 4.50% is the top rate with no minimum to open (90-day penalty). Sallie Mae Bank Certificate of Deposit (36 Month CD) pays 4.45% for three years at $2,500. American Express National Bank CD (4.40%, 10 months, 90-day penalty) and Marcus by Goldman Sachs High-Yield CD (4.40%, 18 months, 180-day penalty) tie on APY; Amex ranks first on its lower minimum. EverBank Performance CD pays 4.35% for 24 months; its penalty is not published. BMO Alto at 3.35% for 60 months stayed in the table and out of the picks, and Quontic, last read Sep 17, 2026, sits outside the ranking until it is read again.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the highest CD rate in FinanceRadar's catalog?
Among the CDs we list, Bread Savings Certificate of Deposit (18 Month CD) pays 4.75% APY on 18 months (read Oct 14, 2026), with $1,500 to open and 180 days of simple interest if you exit early. Popular Direct CD is next at 4.65% on 18 months (read Oct 19, 2026), with $10,000 to open and a 270-day penalty. The ranking uses the one term we list for each bank: Popular Direct's own table pays more on every term past 18 months, with longer penalties (365 days at 36 to under 60 months, 730 days at 60 months or more).
What is the average CD rate in FinanceRadar's catalog?
The 15 published certificates of deposit average 4.24% APY, with a median of 4.35% (rates read September to October 2026). The range runs from 3.35% (BMO Alto Online Certificate of Deposit, 60 months) to 4.75% (Bread Savings Certificate of Deposit, 18 months). The average covers the one term we list for each bank, not every term on each bank's rate sheet.
Which CDs have no minimum deposit?
6 of the 15 CDs we list open with no minimum: Barclays Online CD (12 Month) at 4.50%, American Express National Bank CD at 4.40% (10 months), Synchrony Bank Certificate of Deposit (16 Month CD) at 4.30%, Ally Bank High Yield CD (18 Month) at 4.25%, Capital One 360 CD (12 Month) at 4.00% and BMO Alto Online Certificate of Deposit at 3.35% (60 months). Barclays asks you to fund within 14 days of opening and BMO Alto within 10 days. Popular Direct CD requires $10,000.
What is the early-withdrawal penalty on these CDs?
For the term we list: Popular Direct CD, 270 days of simple interest; Bread Savings, Marcus, Sallie Mae, Synchrony and First Internet Bank, 180 days; American Express National Bank CD and Barclays, 90 days; Capital One 360, 3 months of interest; Ally, 60 days; Quontic Bank CD, all the interest the full term would have earned on terms up to 12 months (read Sep 17, 2026). Happen Bank allows early withdrawal of principal only at its discretion and does not publish a penalty amount; EverBank, CIT and BMO Alto do not publish one either. We did not invent the missing ones.
Can an early-withdrawal penalty cost more than the CD has earned?
Yes. Barclays and Sallie Mae both say any shortfall is deducted from principal, so breaking a CD soon after funding can take money you deposited. First Internet Bank's own table charges 180 days of interest on its 6-month CD, about the whole term. Quontic takes all the interest the full term would have earned on terms up to 12 months (read Sep 17, 2026). Only lock money you will hold to maturity; otherwise use a high-yield savings account.
Should I buy a 5-year CD for a higher rate?
Only if that bank actually pays more for it. The one 60-month CD we list, BMO Alto Online Certificate of Deposit, pays 3.35% (read Oct 14, 2026), the lowest APY in the set. In the banks' own rate tables read for this review, the 5-year CD paid more than the term we list at Popular Direct, Barclays, Sallie Mae and Synchrony, the same at Marcus and First Internet Bank, and less at Ally, Amex, Bread Savings, Capital One, CIT, EverBank and Happen Bank. Longer terms also carry longer penalties: 730 days of interest at 60 months or more at Popular Direct, 540 days at Amex, 365 days at four years and up at Bread Savings and Synchrony.
When should I use a CD instead of a high-yield savings account?
Use a CD when the money has a date and you can hold to term. A savings APY can change at any time; a CD's APY is fixed for the term if you stay. The CDs we list average 4.24% (read September to October 2026). Match the term to your date and read the penalty before you fund. Emergency cash belongs in a savings account you can withdraw from, not a CD.
Sources
Rates, fees and terms on this page were checked on each provider's own site:
- Bread Savings Certificate of Deposit (18 Month CD), checked
- Popular Direct CD, checked
- Happen Bank Certificate of Deposit (2 Year CD), checked
- Barclays Online CD (12 Month), checked
- Sallie Mae Bank Certificate of Deposit (36 Month CD), checked
- American Express National Bank CD, checked
- Marcus by Goldman Sachs High-Yield CD, checked
- EverBank Performance CD, checked
Related Guides
Ready to Choose?
See every product in this category ranked on one page, each with the date its figures were read.