Best 5-year CD rates - December 2023

Savers looking for the best CD rates probably want to venture online. Even if a bank is relatively small or not well known, as long as it’s a member of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), you can rest easy knowing each depositor (that’s you) is protected up to at least $250,000 per insured bank. At a National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) institution, the standard insurance amount is up to $250,000 per share owner (depositor), per insured credit union, for each ownership category (account type).

One thing to look for, though: ease of use. Banks that make it difficult or time-consuming to deposit and withdraw funds may waste so much of your time that the benefit of a few extra basis points of interest on your savings is lost. (A basis point is 0.01 percent, so 1 percent has 100 basis points.)

For those with a longer financial horizon and no need to access funds at a moment’s notice, a five-year CD can be a great choice. Because they earn a guaranteed rate for the whole term, five-year CDs are suitable for those who want to grow some of their savings over a half-decade, without the volatility associated with stocks or mutual funds. 

CDs typically come with penalties for early withdrawal, so they’re best for those who are confident they won’t need to access their funds in the interim. If there’s a chance you’ll need the money for unexpected expenses or opportunities, it might be wise to explore more liquid savings accounts. 

Alternatively, you could invest some money in a five-year CD and some in shorter-term CDs to build a CD ladder, ensuring that a portion of your savings will be accessible in the shorter term. A CD ladder staggers maturities and APYs, giving you the opportunity to earn a higher yield and still have access to some cash at set intervals.

What an inverted yield curve means for CDs

Traditionally, longer-term CD rates have been higher than shorter-term ones. This isn’t always the case, however. A yield-curve inversion is what happens when short-term rates are actually higher than long-term ones. Whether it applies to Treasurys or CDs, when yield curves invert, it’s an indicator that investors are expecting a downturn in the economy.

Currently, a yield-curve inversion is in place when it comes to average CD yields, which are as follows, based on Bankrate data for Dec. 07, 2023:

• 1-year CD average: 1.75 percent APY
• 2-year CD average: 1.52 percent APY
• 5-year CD average: 1.44 percent APY

When you’re in the market for a new CD and a yield curve inversion is in place, it’s important to look at all CD terms instead of assuming longer terms will earn more favorable APYs than shorter ones.

Research methodology

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: annual percentage yield (APY), the minimum needed to earn that APY (or to open the CD) and whether or not it is broadly available. All of the accounts on this page are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. or the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund.

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.