Here Are the Top CD Rates of October 2022

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The best CD rates for October 2022

Best rates for a 1-year term

Best rates for a 2-year term

Best rates for a 3-year term

Best rates for a 4-year term

Best rates for a 5-year term

Best rates for a no-penalty CD

Best rates for no opening deposit

CD rates at the largest US banks

CDs are an ideal option if you’d like to grow your money but don’t want to deal with fluctuations of the stock market.

Since you’re locking in an interest rate, it’s smart to look for the highest one. However, if you don’t have a lot of money to deposit or are unsure of how long you’d like to keep your money in one place, you might also want to pay attention to minimum deposit requirements and penalties for early withdrawals.

Below you’ll find our picks for the best CD rates right now. There’s no CD that will work for everyone, but we combed through offerings at around a dozen national banks to find the strongest options available right now.

Learn more about our top picks

On Marcus by Goldman Sachs’s website

Details

Annual Percentage Yield (APY)

3.00% to 3.90% APY

Minimum Deposit Amount

$500

Pros & Cons

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Competitive APY

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Variety of term lengths

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$500 initial deposit

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Easy-to-use mobile app

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Standard early withdrawal penalties

No physical branch locations

Highlights

• Terms ranging from 6 months to 6 years
• 90 days interest early withdrawal penalty for a CD term of under 12 months, 270 days interest penalty for a CD term of 12 months to 5 years, 365 days interest penalty for a CD term of more than 5 years
• Compounding interest to maximize your earnings
• No monthly maintenance fees
• FDIC insured

Additional Reading

Read our review

Why it stands out: Marcus by Goldman Sachs offers a variety of CDs, including High-Yield CDs and No-Penalty CDs. The bank pays some of the highest rates in the industry, and its mandatory $500 minimum deposit is lower than most competitors’ required deposits.

Term options: High-Yield CD terms range from 6 months to 6 years, and No-Penalty CDs come with 7-month, 11-month, and 13-month options.

Penalties: Marcus charges standard penalties for early withdrawals of your principal balance, as follows:

• 90 days interest penalty for a CD term of under 12 months
• 270 days interest penalty for a CD term of 12 months to 5 years
• 365 days interest penalty for a CD term of more than 5 years

Keep an eye out for: Minimum opening deposit. You need at least $500 to open a CD with Marcus.

Why it stands out: Ally has more options for CDs than any other online bank, including an 11-month, no-penalty CD with various interest rates for different balance tiers and a variable-rate CD.

Term options: Ally offers a total of 11 different CD term lengths ranging from 3 months to 5 years.

Penalties: Ally charges standard penalties for early withdrawals of your principal balance, as follows:

• 60 days interest penalty for a CD term of 24 months or less
• 90 days interest penalty for a CD term of 25 months to 36 months
• 120 days interest penalty for a CD term of 37 months to 48 months
• 150 days interest penalty for a CD term of 49 months or more

Keep an eye out for: Ally offers three types of CDs: High Yield CDs, Raise Your Rate CDs, and No Penalty CDs.

Unlike regular High Yield CDs, Raise Your Rate accounts offer 2-year and 4-year terms. APRs on these accounts start lower than High Yield CDs rates, but you can increase your APR once over 2 years or twice over 4 years.

No Penalty CDs do not penalize you for early withdrawal, but the only term available is 11 months.

Why it stands out: Synchrony pays high rates. It also offers a variety of term length options, including 13-month, 14-month, and 15-month CDs.

Term options: Terms range from 3 months to 5 years.

Penalties: Synchrony’s early withdrawal penalty rules are pretty standard, as follows:

• 90 days interest penalty for a term of 12 months or less
• 180 days interest penalty for a term over 12 months but under 48 months
• 365 days interest for a term of 48 months or more

Keep an eye out for: Although Synchrony has a variety of term lengths overall, you can find ones longer than 5 years elsewhere. 

Why it stands out: CIT Bank pays a competitive rate on its no-penalty CD.

Term options: 11 months

What to look out for: The main downside is that the CIT Bank No-Penalty CD just isn’t as competitive as some of our other top picks. You can find a slightly better rate and lower minimum deposits elsewhere. But if you already bank with CIT Bank, it could be worthwhile to use the bank for a no-penalty CD, too.

Why it stands out: America First Credit Union gives you more flexibility with deposits and withdrawals than most banks. Unlike other institutions, America First lets you continue depositing money into your CD after you’ve opened it, up to $10,000 per month. Many banks make you take out all your funds if you need to make an early withdrawal, but America First lets you make partial withdrawals.

Term options: 12 months

What to look out for: Like most credit unions, America First compounds your interest monthly rather than daily, which will limit how much you earn over time.

Why it stands out: Capital One offers competitive rates, and unlike most banks, you don’t need any money for an initial deposit.

Term options: Capital One offers CD term lengths ranging from 6 months to 5 years.

Penalties: The penalties for early withdrawals are as follows: 

• 3 months interest penalty for a CD term of 1 year or less
• 6 months interest penalty for a CD term greater than 1 year

Keep an eye out for: Capital One is a good choice for people who don’t want to place an initial deposit, but you can find slightly higher rates elsewhere.

Why it stands out: American Express doesn’t have a minimum opening deposit requirement. Most banks and credit unions require at least $1,000 for an initial deposit on a CD.

Term options: American Express has CD terms ranging from 6 months to 5 years.

Penalties: The early withdrawal penalties are as follows:

• 90 days interest penalty for a term under 12 months
• 270 days interest penalty for a term between 12 and 47 months
• 365 days interest penalty for a term between 48 and 59 months
• 540 days interest penalty for a term of 60 months or more

Keep an eye out for: American Express’ fees for withdrawing funds before the CD maturity date are higher than most. If you’re worried about early withdrawal penalties, you may want to consider one of the other options from our list.

Why it stands out: Barclays is one of the few banks that doesn’t have a required minimum deposit for CDs. Its early withdrawal penalties are also lower than what you’ll pay with many institutions.

Term options: Term lengths range from 3 months to 5 years.

Penalties: Barclays has standard early withdrawal penalty terms, as follows:

• 90 days interest penalty for a term of 24 months or less
• 180 days interest penalty for a term over 24 months

Keep an eye out for: The Barclays app has good ratings in the Google Play store, but not in the Apple store.

Why it stands out: Crescent Bank offers a competitive interest rate on a variety of terms. 

Term options: Term lengths range from 3 months to 5 years.

Penalties: Crescent Bank has early withdrawal penalty terms, as follows:

• 90 days interest penalty for a 1-year term
• 180 days interest penalty for terms between 18 months and 5 years

Keep an eye out for: Crescent Bank has a $1,000 minimum opening deposit. Some of our other top picks let you open an a CD with less money upfront.

Other CDs that didn’t make the cut and why

We looked at the following CDs as well. These CDs ultimately weren’t chosen among our top picks because they may have lower rates than our winners, higher minimum opening deposits, or more substantial early withdrawal penalties. You might find some of these options appealing though, depending on your preferences.

• TIAA Basic Certificate of Deposit: TIAA offers solid CD rates, but our top picks offer even higher rates right now.
• HSBC Direct CD(Member FDIC): HSBC’s CD rates were relatively high, but they’ve recently dropped.
• PurePoint Financial(Member FDIC): PurePoint’s rates are on par with the best CDs on our list, but its $10,000 minimum deposit could be a major drawback for more modest savers.
• Chase CD(Member FDIC): While Chase has some truly excellent rewards credit cards, the rates on its CDs do not compete with any of the banks on our list.
• USAA Bank CD (Member FDIC) : USAA Bank offers a wide range of CD options for military members and families, but rates are mediocre and you’ll need at least $1,000 to open an account.
• NBKC CD (Member FDIC): NBKC pays good rates. But unlike most CDs, NBKC CDs pay variable rates, so rates can go up or down after you’ve opened the account.
• Sallie Mae CD (Member FDIC): Sallie Mae pays competitive rates on short terms, but you’ll need $2,500 to open a CD.
• Charles Schwab Bank Certificate of Deposit: Charles Schwab has brokered CDs, meaning Charles Schwab doesn’t actually own the CD. Instead, Charles Schwab acts as the middleman for you and the bank that owns the CD. Depending on how your bank, you may prefer open a CD directly with the financial institution.

Why trust our recommendations?

Personal Finance Insider’s mission is to help smart people make the best decisions with their money. We understand that “best” is often subjective, so in addition to highlighting the clear benefits of a financial product or account — a high APY, for example — we outline the limitations, too. We spent hours comparing and contrasting the features and fine print of various products so you don’t have to.

Methodology: How did we choose the best CDs?

We reviewed CD offerings from around a dozen national banks. All banks included on our list are insured by the FDIC and do not impose monthly maintenance fees on CDs.

In the event two banks offered the same APY on a CD product, we considered minimum deposit requirements and penalties for early withdrawals.

For this list, we did not consider credit unions — though they tend to offer high interest rates on savings accounts and CDs, many limit membership to people who work in a specific industry or live in a designated area. 

Frequently asked questions

What is a CD?

A CD is basically a time-sensitive savings account that holds your money at a fixed interest rate for a specified period of time. You can open one at almost any bank or credit union.

If you don’t need immediate access to your savings, a CD can guarantee a return on your money since you lock in a fixed annual percentage yield (APY) for the term of the CD. During that period, you typically won’t be able to add additional money or access your original balance without paying a penalty.

You will, however, earn interest on the amount and have the option to collect those payments monthly or reinvest them into your CD. Most banks offer varying rates for different terms and deposit amounts — typically, the longer the term, the higher the rate.

At the CD’s maturity date, you’ll typically have a 10 to 14-day grace period in which you can withdraw your money and close the account or renew the term.

Are CDs safe?

CDs are safer than investing your money in the stock market but may be less liquid than a savings account. CDs are a good place to store and grow money that you will need at a predetermined future date. While your money doesn’t have the potential to earn as much as it would in the stock market, there is no risk.

Like savings accounts, CDs are insured by the FDIC for up to $250,000.

Are CDs a good investment?

Timing matters. CDs can be a good investment if interest rates are currently high and/or expected to fall. The biggest benefit of a CD is your ability to lock in a fixed interest rate. If interest rates fall during the term of your CD, the APY on your CD will not be affected. Conversely, if rates are expected to rise, then it may not be a good time to put money in a CD.

Can you lose money in CDs?

You cannot lose money in a CD if you leave it untouched for the full term length. It is like a locked savings account and the only way you can lose money is if you make an early withdrawal for which you are penalized.

Are CD rates going up?

Interest rates on CDs follow the federal funds rate, which is determined by the Federal Reserve. Thus far, the Federal Reserve has raised interest rates several times.

Experts’ advice on choosing the best CD

We consulted banking and financial planning experts to inform these picks and provide their advice on finding the best high-yield savings accounts to use for your money. You can read their insights at the bottom of this post.

To learn more about what makes a good CD and how to choose the best fit, four experts weighed in:

Here’s what they had to say about CDs. (Some text may be lightly edited for clarity.)

What makes a CD good or not good?

Mykail James, CFEI:

“You always want to look at how much money you need to start up. And then if you can continuously add money in. Also, check not just what the interest rate is, but how often they pay out interest, whether it’s monthly or quarterly.”

How should someone choose a CD term length?

Roger: Ma, CFP

“I would think about when you need the money and then compare that with what the prevailing CD rates are, and then what makes sense from a financial perspective, but also from your own personal timing perspective.”

Mykail James, CFEI:

“I believe in having a plan for whatever the funds are. If it’s supposed to be a house fund, and you want to wait for another two years to buy a house, that’s what you should be thinking of when you want to have this money.”

How should someone decide whether to put their money in a high-yield savings account, money market account, or CD?

Tania Brown, CFP:

“So I guess we’ll start off with how much money you want to put in and the level of transactions you want to have. If you want to have any transactions, that automatically takes out CDs. Then you’re stuck between the high-yield savings and the money market account.”

Laura Grace Tarpley, Personal Finance Insider:

“I would use a high-yield savings account or money market account for short-term goals or an emergency fund. You’ll probably want to choose whichever has a higher rate, but money market accounts can be good for emergency savings because they often come with a debit card or paper checks, making it easy to access money quickly. Then use CDs for longer-term goals, like buying a home in a few years.”

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