Top CDs Today – March 31, 2025 – Lock in 5% for 18 months or 4.65% for 5 to 7. Months

Takeaways

• Mountain America Credit Union offers the nation’s leading rate of 5.00% Annual Percentage Yield (APY), which is available with a 18-month guarantee.
• Customers who are looking for a shorter rate lock can choose from three options that offer 4.65% on terms ranging between 5 and 7 months.
• Skyla Credit Union’s top 2-year offer is 4.50%. Genisys Credit Union offers 4.32% on a 3-year deal.
• Want an even longer warranty? Consider a 4.40% interest rate from Vibrant Credit Union, for 4 years, or Transportation Federal Credit Union, for 5 years.
• The Fed kept interest rates unchanged at its meeting in March, adopting a wait-and-see approach for future rate cuts. In an uncertain economy, you should grab the best CD rates available today while you can.

Below you'll find featured rates available from our partners, followed by details from our ranking of the best CDs available nationwide.

Rates of 4.50% – 5.00% that you can guarantee as long as December 2026

Mountain America Credit Union will continue to offer you a 5.00% Annual Percentage Yield for another 18 months. This CD will lock in the rate until October 2026.

The next-best rate, 4.65% APY is available from three competing offers which extend their rate promises into 2025.

Abound Credit Union has recently announced a 4.60% rate with a 10-month guarantee. Vibrant Credit Union offers the same APY over a period of 13 months. Both of these will ensure your rate until next year.

Skyla Credit Union extends its offer to 21 months at 4.50%. Your return would be locked in until Christmas 2026.

All Institutions Federally Insured Are Equally Protection

You’re protected if the institution fails. Not only that, but the coverage is identical—deposits are insured up to $250,000 per person and per institution—no matter the size of the bank or credit union.

Consider CDs With Longer Terms To Secure Your Rate in the Future

USAlliance Financial pays 4.40% for a rate-lock that extends until 2027. Genisys Credit Union offers 4.32% over a three-year period.

Vibrant Credit Union offers a 4-year certificate that offers 4.40%. CD shoppers looking for a longer warranty may prefer this option. Meanwhile, Transportation Federal Credit Union is also offering 4.40% APY, but on a slightly longer 5-year certificate—ensuring you’ll earn well above 4% all the way until 2030.

Given the possibility of Fed rate reductions in 2025 and 2020, multi-year CDs may be a smart investment right now. The central bank has already lowered the federal fund rate by one percentage point. This year, there could be further cuts. The Fed’s interest rate reductions will lower bank APYs, but a CD rate that you secure today will remain yours until it matures.

Today's Best CDs Still Pay Historically High Returns

It's true that CD rates are no longer at their peak. The best CDs are still offering a great return, despite the decline. The best CD rates in October 2023 were above 6%. However, the leading rate has dropped to 5%. Compare this to early 2022 before the Federal Reserve began its rapid rate-hike campaign. The best CDs offered a range of 0.50% to 1.7% APY depending on the term.

Jumbo CDs top regular CDs over a 3-year period

Jumbo CDs require much larger deposits and sometimes pay premium rates—but not always. In fact the best jumbo CDs rates are lower than the standard CD rates for all terms except one. Hughes Federal Credit Union offers 4.34% jumbo CD rates for the 3-year term compared to 4.32% standard rates.

When CD shopping, it is wise to check out both types of offers. If your best option is to buy a standard CD, you can open it by paying a large deposit.

Where will CD rates be heading in 2025

In December, the Federal Reserve announced its third rate cut in as many meetings. It was a reduction of a full percentage since September. In both January and march, central bankers refused to lower the benchmark interest rate further.

The Fed’s three 2024 rate cuts represented a pivot from the central bank’s historic 2022–2023 rate-hike campaign, in which the committee aggressively raised interest rates to combat decades-high inflation. At its 2023 peak, the federal funds rate climbed to its highest level since 2001—and remained there for nearly 14 months.

Fed rate movements are important to savers as they lower the rates that banks, credit unions and consumers are willing to pay for their deposits. The fed funds rate is reflected in both CD rates and savings accounts.

Time will tell what exactly will happen to the federal funds rate in 2025 and 2026—and economic policies from the new Trump administration have the potential to alter the Fed's course. But with three Fed rate cuts already in the books, today's CD rates could be the best you'll see for some time. Now is a good time to lock in a rate that fits your financial timeline.

Daily Rankings for the Best CDs & Savings Accounts

These rankings are updated every business day so that you can get the best possible deposit rates.

• Best 3-Month Rates
• Best 6-Month Cd Rates
• Best 1-Year CD rates
• Best 18-Month CD rates
• Best 2-Year CD rates
• Best 3-Year CD rates
• Best 4-Year CD rates
• Best 5-Year CD rates
• Best High-Yielding Savings Accounts
• Best Money Market accounts

You can also read about the importance of this in

Note that the "top rates" quoted here are the highest nationally available rates Investopedia has identified in its daily rate research on hundreds of banks and credit unions. This is different from the national average that includes all banks that offer a CD in that term. Many large banks pay a pittance of interest. The national averages are usually quite low while the best rates are often five, ten, or even fifteen times higher.

How to Find the Best CD Rates

Investopedia tracks rates for more than 200 banks nationwide that offer CDs, and calculates daily rankings to determine the best-paying certificates by term. To qualify for our lists, the institution must be federally insured (FDIC for banks, NCUA for credit unions), the CD’s minimum initial deposit must not exceed $25,000, and any specified maximum deposit cannot be under $5,000.

Banks must be located in at least forty states. Some credit unions may require you to donate to an association or charity to become a part of their organization if you do not meet other criteria (e.g. you don’t work in a particular area or you don’t live in that area), but we exclude credit unions with a donation requirement of $40 or more. To learn more about our methodology, please read the full article.

Article Sources Investopedia asks writers to use primary resources to support their writing. White papers, government data and original reporting are some of the sources. Where appropriate, we also reference original research by other reputable publishers. Our website contains more information about the standards that we use to produce accurate, unbiased content. Editorial Policy

1. Federal Reserve Board. "Open Market Operations."

2. Federal Reserve Board. "Federal Reserve Issues FOMC Statement, Jan. 29, 2025."

3. Federal Reserve Board. "Federal Reserve Issues FOMC Statement, March 19, 2025."