CD Rates in Washington for September 2026
Updated September 26, 2026
Written by
- • Consumer banking
- • Savings accounts
Edited by
- • Certified Financial Education Instructor (CFEI®)
- • Personal finance
- • Savings accounts
If you’re a Washington resident looking to stash your savings and watch them grow, consider a certificate of deposit (CD). Banks and credit unions are still offering historically high yields on CDs for the current rate cycle. You just need to find the institution and the CD that meets your financial goals — and be willing to lock away your money for the length of the term.
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How to compare the best CD rates in Washington
When comparing CDs, consider the following four factors.
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Term length: This is how long you’ll lock your money away for. The most common CD terms range from six months to five years but you can find shorter and longer terms. The term that’s right for you will be the one that matches your financial goals. In general, shorter-term CDs offer flexibility but longer-term CDs offer bigger gains.
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Yield: Your CD’s annual percentage yield (APY) is how much interest you’ll earn. And it stays locked in for the whole term for traditional CDs. The higher the yield, the more interest you’ll earn. You’ll often find the highest yields at online banks and credit unions.
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Minimum deposit: Many institutions will require $500 or $1,000 as a minimum deposit for a CD but you can find banks that allow you to open a CD with any amount. This minimum is especially important if you want to open multiple CDs or make a CD ladder.
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Early withdrawal penalty: The early withdrawal penalty is what you’ll pay if you pull your money out before the term is up. This penalty will be different at each bank, and sometimes for each term. You might have to forfeit six months' worth of interest for withdrawing from a one-year CD early or 18 months’ worth of interest from a five-year CD. Generally, the longer the term, the bigger the penalty.
Look into a no-penalty CD if you can’t commit to locking away your funds. These CDs allow you to withdraw your full balance after an initial holding period, typically seven days, without paying a penalty. The downside is that they often pay a lower rate than their traditional CD counterpart.
Credit unions could be a great option for you
Though you can usually find the highest rates at online banks — because they don’t pay for physical branches, they can afford to pay out higher rates — you’ll also often find competitive rates at credit unions. Credit unions are nonprofit institutions. They pass on profits to their members, not shareholders, in the form of higher savings rates.
The National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) has a credit union finder tool you can use to locate credit unions in your area, along with more general online searches. Most credit unions have specific membership requirements, usually based on where you live, study or work, so you’ll need to check the membership rules and make sure you qualify. And don’t be concerned if you don’t see “certificates of deposit” in the product list. Many credit unions call their CDs share certificates or just certificates.
There are simply too many local credit unions for Bankrate to be able to review them all, so you’ll have to do some of your own searching. To get you started, here are the three biggest credit unions in Washington, by membership size, as of the fourth quarter of 2025:
How to decide whether you want a long- or short-term CD
If you can live without some of your savings for a while, a long-term CD is a good option since they lock in a high yield even if banks slash rates down the road. And the longer you can leave your money deposited, the more interest you’ll earn, even if the rate offered on a long-term CD is lower than what’s available on a short-term CD.
But with a short-term CD, you’ll have more flexibility with your funds if you need to make purchases or look into other investment options. Plus, the early withdrawal penalty is likely to be lower.
Before choosing a CD, check your financial goals and timeline and do the math with Bankrate’s CD calculator to see what you can earn with different terms and rates.
Next steps to take out a CD in Georgia
Compare Bankrate’s best CD rates
See the best nationally available rates
Check out CD rates at credit unions
Compare the best CD rates at credit unions that Bankrate reviews and check if you’re eligible to join
Calculate your potential earnings
Check what you can earn with different deposits, rates and terms
Have a CD strategy
Learn how to invest in CDs
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.
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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.
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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