Skip to Main Content

Best 3-year CD rates - September 2023

Best available rates across different account types for Saturday, September 30, 2023

Bankrate logo The Bankrate promise

At Bankrate we strive to help you make smarter financial decisions. While we adhere to strict , this post may contain references to products from our partners. Here’s an explanation for . Learn more about who we are and our promise to guide you through life’s financial journey.

On This Page

Bankrate's picks for the top 3-year CD rates

Bread Savings

Bread Savings_logo
Rating: 4.3 stars out of 5
4.3

Overview

Bread Financial, formerly Comenity Direct, is an online bank that offers a high-yield savings account and five terms of CDs ranging from one year to five years.

Bread Financial is part of Comenity Capital Bank, which is a unit of Bread Financial.
Invest Rate
4.85% APY
Loan
$1,500 minimum deposit

First Internet Bank of Indiana

First Internet Bank of Indiana_logo
Rating: 4.6 stars out of 5
4.6

Overview

First Internet Bank of Indiana is an FDIC-insured financial institution that operates online and has no branches. It opened in 1999 and offers products in all 50 states.

First Internet Bank offers eight terms of CDs, a money market savings account with a competitive yield, a savings account and two checking accounts.
Invest Rate
4.75% APY
Loan
$1,000 minimum deposit

Popular Direct

Popular Direct_logo
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
4.0

Overview

Popular Direct CDs require a minimum $10,000 deposit, making them best suited to established savers. The CDs come in terms ranging from 30 days to six years.

Popular Direct’s High-Rise savings account offers a competitive yield and requires a $5,000 minimum deposit.
Invest Rate
4.75% APY
Loan
$10,000 minimum deposit

Barclays Bank

Barclays Bank_logo
Rating: 4.8 stars out of 5
4.8

Overview

Barclays was founded in London more than 300 years ago. Barclays has no minimum balance requirements to open an online CD. It offers six CD terms ranging from one year to five years. A savings account is also available.
Invest Rate
4.50% APY
Loan
$0 minimum deposit

Alliant Credit Union

Alliant Credit Union_logo
Rating: 4.7 stars out of 5
4.7

Overview

Alliant Credit Union was founded in 1935 as the United Airlines Employees’ Credit Union. It is one of the largest credit unions in Illinois and has 600,000 members nationwide.

Alliant offers six terms of CDs with competitive APYs and a reasonable minimum deposit requirement. It also offers IRA CDs, a high-yield savings account and a high-yield checking account.
Invest Rate
4.45% APY
Loan
$1,000 minimum deposit

Quontic Bank

Quontic Bank_logo
Rating: 3.8 stars out of 5
3.8

Overview

Quontic Bank was established in 2005 and is based in New York. It offers five terms of CDs, ranging from six months to five years, which can be opened with as little as $500.

In addition to its CDs, Quontic Bank also offers money market, high-yield savings and checking accounts.
Invest Rate
4.40% APY
Loan
$500 minimum deposit

SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union

SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union_logo
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
4.0

Overview

SchoolsFirst serves the education community in California. Certain school employees, certain retired school employees and immediate family members of SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union members are eligible to join.

SchoolsFirst offers CDs ranging from 30 days to five years. To open a CD, a $500 minimum deposit is required. If you put in more money you may be rewarded with a higher APY, as SchoolsFirst has four rate tiers: $500, $20,000, $50,000 and $100,000.
Invest Rate
4.35% APY
Loan
$500 minimum deposit

Capital One

Capital One_logo
Rating: 4.9 stars out of 5
4.9

Overview

Capital One is an online bank that also has a brick-and-mortar presence, with around 300 branches and about 50 Capital One cafes.

It offers nine competitive terms of regular CDs. Capital One CDs and its 360 Performance Savings account don’t have minimum balance requirements. Capital One is based in McLean, Virginia.
Invest Rate
4.30% APY
Loan
$0 minimum deposit

Synchrony Bank

Synchrony Bank_logo
Rating: 4.9 stars out of 5
4.9

Overview

Synchrony Bank offers competitive CD yields across 14 terms, including 10 terms that are less than two years. An 11-month no-penalty CD and a two-year bump-up CD are also available.

The bank also offers a savings account and a money market account. The savings account features a competitive APY and has no minimum balance requirement.
Invest Rate
4.30% APY
Loan
$0 minimum deposit

Discover Bank

Discover Bank_logo
Rating: 4.3 stars out of 5
4.3

Overview

Few well-known banks offer 10-year CDs. One exception is Discover Bank, which offers CDs across all standard terms. The bank’s yields for its five-, seven- and 10-year CDs are the same, and they’re higher than the rates tied to the rest of its accounts.

Discover is an online bank headquartered in Greenwood, Delaware. Until August 2000, it was known as the Greenwood Trust Co., which was incorporated in 1911.
Invest Rate
4.30% APY
Loan
$2,500 minimum deposit

What is a 3-year CD?

A three-year CD is a deposit account in which you agree to keep the money in the account for three years. Yields on three-year CDs are often higher than money market account and savings account yields.

Bankrate’s calculator can help you determine how much interest you could earn when your CD matures. Your principal is protected, so you won’t have to worry about fluctuations in value like you might when investing in the stock market. Plus, with a CD, your interest rate is locked in, so you also don’t have to worry about your yield decreasing.

How to find the best 3-year CD rates

Include online banks, credit unions and other banks in your search to find the best three-year CD rates. Many savers tend to stick with the same bank that provides their checking account. But that can be a mistake, especially at large national banks, where deposit rates tend to fall well short of what some smaller institutions offer.

Opening a three-year CD might make sense for people who don’t need access to their money for at least three years. As a result, these accounts are ideal for midterm goals, like setting aside money for a car down payment. Getting a three-year CD could also be a good idea if you’re planning to build a CD ladder.

Search for the best three-year CD rates online and compare your options. If you’re looking for a higher yield, consider some of the lesser-known institutions willing to offer good interest rates to attract depositors.

3-year CD FAQs

Methodology for Bankrate’s Best CD Rates

At Bankrate, we strive to help you make smarter financial decisions. We follow strict guidelines to ensure that our editorial content is unbiased and not influenced by advertisers. Our editorial team receives no direct compensation from advertisers and our content is thoroughly fact-checked to ensure accuracy.

Bankrate regularly surveys around 70 widely available financial institutions, made up of the biggest banks and credit unions, as well as a number of popular online banks.

To find the best CDs, our editorial team analyzes various factors, such as: APY, the minimum deposit needed to earn that APY (or to open the CD) and whether it is broadly available. All of the accounts on this page are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) or the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA).

When selecting the best CD for you, consider the purpose of the money and when you’ll need access to these funds to help you avoid early withdrawal penalties.

Banks we monitor

These financial institutions are featured in our CD rate research: Alliant Credit Union, Ally Bank, Amerant Bank, America First Credit Union, American Express National Bank, Axos Bank, Bank5 Connect, Bank of America, Barclays, Bask Bank, BECU (Boeing Employees Credit Union), Bethpage Federal Credit Union, BMO, Bread Financial (formerly Comenity Direct), BrioDirect, Capital One Bank, Chase Bank, CIBC USA, CIT Bank, Citibank, Citizens, Citizens Bank (Rhode Island), Comerica Bank, Customers Bank, Delta Community Credit Union, Discover Bank, Emigrant Direct, Fifth Third Bank, First Citizens Bank, First Internet Bank, First Technology Federal Credit Union, FNBO Direct, Golden 1 Credit Union, Marcus by Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley Private Bank, Huntington National Bank, Investors Bank, Investors eAccess, KeyBank, Limelight Bank, Live Oak Bank, M&T Bank, MySavingsDirect, Navy Federal Credit Union, NBKC Bank, PenFed Credit Union, PNC Bank, Popular Direct, PurePoint Financial, Quontic Bank, Randolph-Brooks Federal Credit Union, Regions Bank, Sallie Mae Bank, Santander Bank, SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union, Security Service Federal Credit Union, State Employees’ Credit Union, Suncoast Credit Union, Synchrony Bank, TD Bank, TIAA Bank, Truist Bank, UFB Direct, U.S. Bank, USAA Bank, Vio Bank, VyStar Credit Union, Wells Fargo and Zions Bank.