CD Rates in California for September 2026
Updated September 19, 2026
Written by
- • Certified Financial Education Instructor (CFEI®)
- • Personal finance
- • Savings accounts
Edited by
- • NACCC Certified Credit Counselor™ (2025)
- • Consumer loans
- • Banking
Given California has one of the highest costs of living in the U.S., a secure way to save may be among your financial strategies. Certificates of deposit (CDs) provide guaranteed returns. To get the best CD rates, you'll need to know how to compare your options.
At Bankrate we strive to help you make smarter financial decisions. While we adhere to strict editorial integrity, this post may contain references to products from our partners. Here’s an explanation for how we make money. Learn more about who we are and our promise to guide you through life’s financial journey.
Advertiser Disclosure
There are products on this page provided by financial institutions from which Bankrate earns a fixed fee. Here’s what that means for you — and what it doesn’t.
Home lending. Mortgage and home equity products are ranked by lowest cost to you where lenders bid to win your business with better rates. Live offers are immediately actionable — represented by the blue button on each offer — and we earn a fixed fee when you select that you would like to be contacted by a lender.
Deposits. Live offers for banking products are immediately actionable — represented by the blue button on each offer — and we earn a fixed fee from the institution when you click to start their application process. Only institutions in the top 10% of rates qualify and our toggles filter your live offers, after which our fee may affect how, where, and in what order products appear.
Credit cards. Live offers for card products are immediately actionable — represented by the blue button on each offer — and we earn a fixed fee from the issuer you select when your application is approved or account is opened. Our toggles filter your live offers, after which our fee may affect how, where, and in what order products appear.
Other products. For home and auto insurance, financial advisor matching, personal and student loans, small business loans, and most auto loans, we utilize specialized third-parties to bring you live offers from financial institutions. We earn a share of the fees these third-parties earn from financial institutions as you move through the application process. For investing and certain auto loans, we connect you directly with live offers and earn a fixed fee as you move through the application process. Our fee may affect how, where, and in what order products appear.
What’s not for sale. Bankrate’s editorial team operates independently from our commercial operations and their assessments are the genuine, data-driven judgments of our staff. Financial institutions don’t pay for ratings, reviews, or recommendations.
Not exhaustive. We survey 850+ institutions to ensure the offers you’re comparing are highly competitive. That said, Bankrate doesn’t display every financial institution or available financial product.
How to compare the best CD rates in California
-
Term
You'll typically find terms from three months to five years. You may find CDs that are shorter or longer, but it will depend on the bank or credit union.
-
Yield
The annual percentage yield (APY) is the amount of interest earned each year.
-
Minimum deposit
Typical minimum deposits range from $500 to $1,000. You may run into significantly lower or higher requirements.
-
Fees and penalties
You may face an early withdrawal penalty if you take out your funds before the term is up. This can be as little as a month of interest, up to the entire amount you would have earned.
Don't forget about credit unions
You may be able to find better yields with online banks and credit unions than you will with a traditional bank. As nonprofit organizations, credit unions cater to their members rather than shareholders, and pass profits along to them through benefits like higher yields.
To find California-based credit unions, you can use the official search tool provided by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) or search online. The three largest credit unions in California as of the fourth quarter of 2025 are:
Keep in mind: Some credit unions call their CDs certificates or share certificates.
How to decide whether you want a long- or short-term CD
When deciding between term lengths, it's important to know that there are sometimes large divides in the yield you'll get. Right now, terms less than six months will typically come with lower yields. Longer terms may net you higher APYs and let you grow your savings longer — just make sure you can afford not to make an early withdrawal.
Next steps to take out a CD in California
Compare CD rates
Find and compare nationally available CDs using Bankrate's best list.
Consider additional credit unions
You may find credit unions that offer membership to those outside California.
Calculate how much you'll earn
Use Bankrate's CD calculator to crunch the numbers.
Learn about CD ladders
A CD ladder can help you keep building your savings over time.
Research methodology
Since 1976, Bankrate has been a leading publisher of rates and personal finance articles. We help our readers make smarter financial decisions, adhering to strict principles of editorial integrity and transparency.
Part of Bankrate’s editorial team is made up of a group of banking experts. These experts have collectively researched over 100 banks and review current details at least monthly to make sure readers stay up to date on the latest rates and bank products. If you see a star rating next to a product, that has been established by one of our banking experts, and is not influenced by partner status.
Note: Bankrate doesn’t include callable CDs or brokered CDs on this page and compares regular CDs and no-penalty CDs separately.
-
Banks shown on page are a combination of partners and a selection of banks monitored by Bankrate. Sorting is based on the highest APYs with a $25,000 balance. Minimum balance requirements and then alphabetical order help break ties between banks and credit unions. Here's how we make money and here is our advertiser disclosure.
-
Accordia Bank, Alliant Credit Union, Ally Bank, Alto, America First Credit Union, American Express National Bank, Axos Bank, Banesco USA, Bank of America, Bank5 Connect, BankUnited Direct, Barclays Bank, Bask Bank, BMO Bank, Boeing Employees’ Credit Union, Bread Savings, BrioDirect, BTG Pactual, Capital One, Cash App, CFG Bank, Charles Schwab Bank, Chase Bank, CIBC Bank USA, CIT Bank, Citibank, Citizens Access, Citizens Bank, Colorado Federal Savings Bank, Connexus Credit Union, Credit One Bank, Customers Bank, Discover Bank, E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley, Emigrant Bank, EverBank, Fifth Third Bank, First Citizens Bank, First Internet Bank, First National Bank of America, First Tech Credit Union, FNBO Direct, Forbright Bank, FourLeaf Federal Credit Union, Golden 1 Credit Union, Happen Bank, Huntington National Bank, Jenius Bank, KeyBank, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Live Oak Bank, M&T Bank, Marcus by Goldman Sachs, Mountain America Credit Union, MySavingsDirect, Navy Federal Credit Union, NBKC Bank, North American Savings Bank, Openbank, Patelco Credit Union, Peak Bank, Pentagon Federal Credit Union, PNC Bank, Popular Direct, Quontic Bank, Quorum Federal Credit Union, Regions Bank, Rising Bank, Salem Five Direct, Sallie Mae Bank, Santander Bank, SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union, Security Service Federal Credit Union, SoFi, State Employees' Credit Union, Suncoast Credit Union, Synchrony Bank, TAB Bank, TD Bank, Texas Capital Bank, The Federal Savings Bank, Third Federal Savings and Loan, Truist Bank, UFB Direct, US Bank, USAA Bank, Valley Bank, Varo Bank, Vio Bank, Wells Fargo, Western State Bank, Zions Bank, ZYNLO Bank