Certificate time deposit?
A certificate of deposit (CD) is a savings account that holds a fixed amount of money for a fixed period of time, such as six months, one year, or five years, and in exchange, the issuing bank pays interest. When you cash in or redeem your CD, you receive the money you originally invested plus any interest.
| Top Nationwide Rate (APY) | Total Earnings | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 year | 6.18% | $ 618 |
| 18 months | 5.80% | $ 887 |
| 2 year | 5.60% | $ 1,151 |
| 3 year | 5.50% | $ 1,742 |
No financial institutions currently offer 7% interest savings accounts. But some smaller banks and regional credit unions are currently paying more than 6.00% APY on savings accounts and up to 9.00% APY on checking accounts, though these accounts have restrictions and requirements.
Interest Rate Risk
When rates are high, your CDs will generally yield a better return. But when rates are low, money held in CDs won't grow as much. CDs carry interest rate risk in that it's possible to lock in savings at one rate, only to see rates climb.
At the very least, it's preferred over simply having the money in a checking account or cash under your mattress at home where it can't grow any interest. If you're looking for a low-risk option from a bank you trust, then a CD is better than nothing.
With such high interest rates, the earnings on CDs are impressive. You'll earn $850.50 for a total of $15,850.50 after one year when you open a $15,000 1-year CD with Popular Direct when calculating the returns at current rates.
If you put $10,000 into a 3-month CD with an interest rate of 5.10%, your total interest earned would be around $125. For a 6-month CD earning interest at 5.50%, you'd end up with around $270 in interest. Finally, if you put your money into a 1-year CD offering a rate of 5.66%, you'd earn around $566 in interest.
It will likely be difficult to find banks that offer APYs of 6% or higher on any CD term — but you can get close. For example, CIBC Bank USA offers a 5.66% APY on its 1-year CDs as of January 2, 2024. Both Lending Club and Popular Direct currently offer 1-year CDs with 5.55% APYs.
There are a couple of credit unions paying 6% APY on a CD, including (but not limited to) Financial Partners Credit Union, Resource One Credit Union, and CoastLife Credit Union.
| Bank | Term length | APY* |
|---|---|---|
| Ally Bank | 6 months | 5.05% |
| CFG Bank | 12 months | 5.25% |
| Quontic Bank | 12 months | 5.30% |
| Signature Federal Credit Union | 3 months | 5.55% |
How do I avoid tax on CD interest?
You can defer current taxes on CD earnings if you hold that CD in a traditional IRA or similar retirement account. Income and gains received on investments in traditional IRAs are not subject to tax until the IRA makes income distributions to the owner or—if the owner is deceased—to the owner's beneficiary.
Yes, CDs are generally still safe even if a stock market crash occurs. CDs are a type of bank account. Many accounts offer a set rate of return for a specific timeframe that won't fluctuate.
Unlike how the stock market or a Roth IRA can lose money, you typically cannot lose money in a CD. There is actually no risk the account owner incurs unless you withdraw money before the account reaches maturity.
The decision to open a CD now or wait depends on many factors, including interest rates, when you'll need to access the funds and the state of your emergency fund. In general, when rates are high — as they are now — opening a CD allows you to maximize your earnings even if rates go down in the future.
- Long-term corporate bond funds. ...
- Dividend stock funds. ...
- Value stock funds. ...
- Small-cap stock funds. ...
- REIT index funds. ...
- S&P 500 index funds. ...
- Nasdaq-100 index funds. ...
- Rental housing. Overview: Rental housing can be a great investment if you have the willingness to manage your own properties.
CD interest is subject to ordinary income tax, like other money that you earn. The IRS requires investors to pay taxes on CD interest income. The bank or financial institution that holds the CD is required to send you a Form 1099-INT by January 31.
In sum, yes, you can lose money on a CD. But as long as you don't withdraw too early, you'll be left with at least your principal. Keep your money in for the entire term, and you won't lose anything at all -- you'll have your principal, plus money earned on today's high APYs.
That said, here's how much you could expect to make by depositing $20,000 into a one-year CD now, broken down by four readily available interest rates (interest compounding annually): At 6.00%: $1,200 (for a total of $21,200 after one year) At 5.75%: $1,150 (for a total of $21,150 after one year)
| APY | 4.50% | 5.50% |
|---|---|---|
| End balance | $10,227.12 | $10,278.17 |
| Total interest | $227.12 | $278.17 |
Inflation erodes the purchasing power of your money over time, and if your CD's interest rate isn't keeping up with inflation, you're essentially losing money. For example, if your CD earns a 2% annualized return but inflation is running at 3%, you're actually losing 1% of your purchasing power every year.
How long should you keep money in a CD?
Traditionally, in your typical ladder, five-year CDs have a higher yield than one-year CDs. But these days, you're likely to see a CD with a term of around six months to 18 months will likely have the highest yield in your ladder.
Depending on the bank, a $5,000 CD deposit will make around $25 to $275 in interest after one year. Online banks and credit unions pay appealing CD rates, and you can earn more interest than at big brick-and-mortar banks. When choosing a CD, consider other factors beyond the interest rate of an account.
The national average rate for one-year CD rates started out at 1.07 percent in 2023, and it rose to 1.73 percent by the end of the year. At the start of 2023, the national average rate paid by five-year CDs was 1.16 percent, and it climbed to 1.43 percent by year's end.
CD rate forecast: 2024
The Fed kept its rate the same after its first meeting of 2024 on Jan. 30-31. Projections suggest that we may see no rate increases in 2024, and that the Fed might start dropping its rate as soon as March, according to the CME FedWatch Tool on Jan. 31.
The highest 1-year CD rate today is 5.64% APY from Financial Resources Federal Credit Union.
