Best 5-year CD rates - September 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.)

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 Sept. 4, 2023:

• 1-year CD average: 1.76 percent APY
• 2-year CD average: 1.46 percent APY
• 5-year CD average: 1.42 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.

Bankrate’s methodology for choosing the 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: 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.

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 Harris Bank, 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, 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, Salem Five Direct, 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.