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Best credit union CD rates for May 2026

Written by
Pippin Wilbers
Edited by
Yuliya Goldshteyn
Reviewed by
Allyson Johnson
Verified Badge IconExpert verified

Updated May 16, 2026

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You can often find highly competitive yields on share certificates, also called certificates of deposit (CDs), at credit unions — as good as what you can find at online banks, which tend to pay the highest rates. But you need to read up on a credit union’s membership policies to see if you’re eligible to join and open a CD. Here, you’ll find the top CD rates at credit unions that Bankrate reviews, including some whose membership is open to anyone.

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Table of contents

Bankrate’s picks for top credit union CD rates

Bankrate only includes credit unions that are insured by the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund (NCUSIF).

Mountain America Credit Union_logo

Mountain America Credit Union

Rating: 4.4 stars out of 5
4.4 Bankrate CD score

  • Annual percentage yield

    3.75% – 4.20%

  • Min. deposit to open

    $500

  • Term

    6 months - 5 years

Why Mountain America Credit Union?

Mountain America Credit Union offers competitive yields on all of its CDs, which range from six months to five years — its two-year CD rate stands out at a stellar 4.20%. The minimum deposit to open a certificate is $500, which is pretty standard. Or you can open an add-on Growth CD with only $5. They earn the same APY as the standard CDs but require you to add money monthly (at least $10 every month). It’s rare that you can add money to a CD, so this is a great option if you want a CD's guaranteed rate but don’t have a lot saved. Membership to this credit union is restricted. One way to join is to be a resident of certain Utah counties. For the full list membership eligibility, visit the credit union’s website.

America First FCU_logo

America First FCU

Rating: 5 stars out of 5
5.0 Bankrate CD score

  • Annual percentage yield

    3.90% – 4.10%

  • Min. deposit to open

    $500

  • Term

    3 months - 5 years

Why America First FCU?

America First Credit Union's share certificate terms range from three months to five years — and yields on all of them beat inflation, a rare achievement these days. There’s an industry-typical minimum deposit of $500. You can also open individual retirement account (IRA) CDs and bump-rate CDs. The last have slightly lower rates than their standard CDs, but you can adjust the rate once if offered rates rise. Membership to this credit union is mostly restricted to those who live in Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah and Washington. There are a few other ways to join that you can check on the credit union’s website.

SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union_logo

SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union

Rating: 4.7 stars out of 5
4.7 Bankrate CD score

  • Annual percentage yield

    2.95% – 3.90%

  • Min. deposit to open

    $500

  • Term

    1 month - 5 years

Why SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union?

SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union offers tiered rates for its CDs: The more money you put in, the higher the APY. With a minimum deposit of $500, you’ll earn 3.90% APY on a 5-year CD but with $50,000, you’ll earn 4.00%. The credit union provides a wide variety of CD terms, from as short as 30 days to as long as five years. Most of the rates, even at the lowest deposit tier, are strong. The field of membership is restricted mostly to employees or those affiliated in certain ways with California schools.

Alliant Credit Union_logo

Alliant Credit Union

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
4.5 Bankrate CD score

  • Annual percentage yield

    3.10% – 3.90%

  • Min. deposit to open

    $1,000

  • Term

    3 months - 5 years

Why Alliant Credit Union?

Alliant Credit Union offers CDs that range from three months to five years, with strong rates across the board. If you’ve got a lot to invest, you can look into the credit unions’ jumbo CD offerings, which pay slightly higher rates on deposits of $75,000 or more. Unlike most of the credit unions on this list, anyone can join Alliant Credit Union; membership is not restricted.

Suncoast Credit Union_logo

Suncoast Credit Union

Rating: 4.7 stars out of 5
4.7 Bankrate CD score

  • Annual percentage yield

    3.70% – 3.75%

  • Min. deposit to open

    $500

  • Term

    6 months - 5 years

Why Suncoast Credit Union?

Suncoast Credit Union offers CD terms ranging from six months to five years, all with good rates and a reasonable $500 minimum deposit. If you have $100,000 to deposit, you can get higher yields on all of the CDs. Membership is restricted to those who attend school, live, work or worship in a county in Florida that Suncoast Credit Union serves.

Navy Federal Credit Union_logo

Navy Federal Credit Union

Rating: 4.4 stars out of 5
4.4 Bankrate CD score

  • Annual percentage yield

    1.25% – 3.70%

  • Min. deposit to open

    $1,000

  • Term

    3 months - 5 years

Why Navy Federal Credit Union?

Navy Federal offers share certificates ranging from three months to seven years with a minimum deposit of $1,000. You’ll get a slightly higher APY if you deposit $100,000. The credit union also offers what it calls “EasyStart” certificates that you can open with $50, but they pay lower yields than their standard counterparts. Membership at Navy Federal Credit Union is mostly restricted to active duty and veteran members of the military and to employees of the Department of Defense, plus their families.

Quorum Federal Credit Union_logo

Quorum Federal Credit Union

Rating: 3.8 stars out of 5
3.8 Bankrate CD score

  • Annual percentage yield

    1.75% – 3.50%

  • Min. deposit to open

    $100

  • Term

    3 months - 5 years

Why Quorum Federal Credit Union?

You can open a certificate at Quorum Federal Credit Union with as little as $100, which is a lower requirement than many of the CDs on this list. The best rates here belong to its longer CD terms, though you earn 0.10% more on deposits of $100,000 or more. The early withdrawal penalty here works differently than at most institutions. Instead of days’ worth of interest, you’ll be charged a percentage of the amount withdrawn. Anyone can join Quorum by becoming a member of the American Consumer Council (ACC), which you can do during the application process for Quorum.

Patelco Credit Union_logo

Patelco Credit Union

Rating: 4.3 stars out of 5
4.3 Bankrate CD score

  • Annual percentage yield

    3.00% – 3.50%

  • Min. deposit to open

    $250

  • Term

    3 months - 5 years

Why Patelco Credit Union?

Patelco Credit Union offers certificates ranging from three months to five years, many of which earn strong rates, especially the longer-term ones. And the minimum to open a certificate is approachable at $250. You can also open all these CDs as IRA certificates. Anyone can join Patelco by becoming a member of the Financial Fitness Association (FFA); Patelco will pay your membership FFA fee for the first year.

First Tech Federal Credit Union_logo

First Tech Federal Credit Union

Rating: 4 stars out of 5
4.0 Bankrate CD score

  • Annual percentage yield

    2.90% – 3.50%

  • Min. deposit to open

    $500

  • Term

    6 months - 5 years

Why First Tech Federal Credit Union?

First Tech Federal Credit Union’s CDs come in three varieties: promotional certificates (which require new-to-the-credit-union money); bump-up certificates (which let you add more money to the certificate every year) and standard certificates. All of these come with a 10-day rate guarantee (if the rate goes up 10 days after you open one, you’re eligible for the higher rate). Anyone can join the credit union if they also become a member of one of their affiliated organizations, which also allow anyone to join.

Connexus Credit Union_logo

Connexus Credit Union

Rating: 3.4 stars out of 5
3.4 Bankrate CD score

  • Annual percentage yield

    2.00% – 3.50%

  • Min. deposit to open

    $5,000

  • Term

    6 months - 5 years

Why Connexus Credit Union?

Connexus has terms from six months to five years, plus bump-up certificates that let you add money. Rates aren't stellar, but are above the national average. However, its 17-month special certificate has a rate of 4.30% — higher than anything on our list of best 18-month CDs. You'll need a minimum deposit of $5,000 to open any of these, which is on the high end. Anyone can join Connexus by making a one-time $5 donation to the Connexus Association.

If you don’t see a credit union on this list that you can — or want to — join, don’t despair. There are over 4,500 federally insured credit unions in the U.S. Look around your town and you may find a local credit union that not only pays you a great rate, but also supports your community in meaningful ways.
Bankrate logo Yuliya Goldshteyn, deposits editor

Rate trends for credit union CD rates

Rates on competitive CDs tend to follow moves that the Federal Reserve makes with the federal funds rate. So far, the Fed has held that rate steady in 2026, but competitive rates are inching slowly downwards anyway. 

For CDs, the top online bank and the top credit union have similar APYs.

When comparing average yields across products, credit unions tend to have an edge over traditional banks. However, when looking at the highest-yielding products available nationally, online-only banks most often offer the top rates. It is not solely about yield, however. Regardless of what a single product pays, the financial institution you choose should offer services that fit your financial life.
Bankrate logo Stephen Kates, Bankrate financial analyst

How to shop for a CD or share certificate

  1. Choose the right term

    Pick a CD term that matches when you'll need the funds. For example, if it's spring and you're going on vacation in the summer, a three-month term could make sense.

  2. Decide on a deposit

    Know how much money you can afford to lock away at once.

  3. Research rates

    This page is a great place to start, but many credit unions restrict membership to specific states or counties. Search for "open" credit unions (which let anyone join) and credit unions near you, then compare APYs. Community credit unions might not have the best search engine optimization, so you might need to dig deeper into your search results to find them.

  4. Read Bankrate’s reviews

    When you've narrowed your list, check out our credit union reviews. Bankrate reads the fine print and tracks industry data so we can point out both unusual perks and possible downsides, and we've reviewed many larger credit unions.

  5. Make a choice

    Of the credit unions with minimum deposits within your budget, pick the one that offers the best rate with no deal-breaking catches. If you plan on doing all of your banking with the credit union, make sure their other services meet your needs, too.

Learn more: Use a CD calculator to see what you can earn

Pros and cons of credit union CDs

Pros

  • Checkmark Icon

    Member ownership means better rates: Unlike banks, credit unions are owned by the people who bank there. The credit union’s "surplus" (profit) is returned as higher rates on deposits and lower rates on loans.

  • Checkmark Icon

    Community focus: Most credit unions restrict membership to certain counties or states, which means that your deposits stay local and go to supporting small businesses and neighbors. For example, the San Diego Credit Union supports over 75 non-profit organizations in its geographic service region.

Cons

  • Membership is often restricted: Some credit unions are open to everyone. But you won't qualify for many of the great rates on this page because many credit unions restrict membership to specific populations.

  • Can't open just a CD: You become a credit union member by purchasing at least one “share” of the institution, often for $5, that you deposit into a savings account. You don't have to use this as your main savings account, but make sure to read the accounts' terms for any fees.

Alternatives to credit union CDs

Next steps

Calculate your savings

Learn what you'll earn at different terms.

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Think bigger

Many credit unions show up on our list of best jumbo CDs.

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Choose a credit union

Get extra guidance if you're used to big banks.

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Build a CD ladder

Earn more with multiple accounts.

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Meet our Bankrate experts

Pippin Wilbers
Written by
Pippin Wilbers Pippin Wilbers Arrow Right Icon
Editor 2
Read more from Pippin
Pippin Wilbers, CCC™, is a Bankrate editor specializing in banking and loans. Pippin is passionate helping borrowers stay up-to-date and feel empowered in a changing and challenging borrower environment.
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Credentials
  • NACCC Certified Credit Counselor™ (2025)
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Expertise
  • Consumer loans
  • Banking
Yuliya Goldshteyn
Edited by
Yuliya Goldshteyn
Editor, Deposits
Allyson Johnson
Reviewed by
Allyson Johnson
Head of investor relations, Gateway Partners

Research methodology

Bankrate researches over 100 banks and credit unions, including some of the largest financial institutions, online-only banks, regional banks and credit unions with both open and restrictive membership policies.

To find the best CD rates at credit unions, we regularly survey CD offerings from the credit unions we monitor and review.

The credit unions on this page are selected based on their current highest APY for a CD they offer and their minimum deposit requirements. Learn more about how we choose the best banking products and our methodology for reviewing banks.