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Top CD Rates July 25, 2025 – 4.50%+ Offers
- 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.
How to Find the Best CD Rates
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Certificates of Deposit (CDs) are a popular savings tool for their predictable returns and safety, backed by federal insurance. However, not all CDs are created equal. The interest rates offered can vary dramatically between financial institutions, making it crucial to know how to find the best CD rates to maximize your savings.
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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 much different then the national average, which includes all banks offering a CD with that term, including many large banks that pay a pittance in interest. Thus, the national averages are always quite low, while the top rates you can unearth by shopping around are often 5, 10, or even 15 times higher.
How We Find the Best CD Rates
Every business day, Investopedia tracks the rate data of more than 200 banks and credit unions that offer CDs to customers nationwide and determines daily rankings of the top-paying certificates in every major 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 available in at least 40 states. and while some credit unions require you to donate to a specific charity or association to become a member if you don’t meet other eligibility criteria (e.g., you don’t live in a certain area or work in a certain kind of job), we exclude credit unions whose donation requirement is $40 or more. For more about how we choose the best rates,read our full methodology.
Understanding CD Rate Variations
The difference between the national average CD rate and the top available rates can be staggering. While large, well-known banks might offer rates that barely keep pace with inflation, smaller banks and credit unions often compete for your deposits by offering considerably higher Annual Percentage Yields (APYs). This means that by simply shopping around,you could potentially earn 5,10,or even 15 times more interest on your savings.
Our Research Methodology
Investopedia’s commitment to providing you with the most accurate and up-to-date details on CD rates is reflected in our rigorous research process. We meticulously analyze data from a broad spectrum of financial institutions daily. Our criteria ensure that the rates we highlight are not only competitive but also come from secure and accessible sources.
Key Qualification Criteria:
Federal Insurance: All featured institutions must be federally insured. This means deposits at banks are protected by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and deposits at credit unions are protected by the National Credit Union Management (NCUA). This insurance provides a critical layer of safety for your money, typically up to $250,000 per depositor, per insured bank, for each account ownership category.
Deposit limits: To ensure broad accessibility, we set limits on minimum and maximum deposit requirements. The minimum initial deposit for a CD must not exceed $25,000, and any specified maximum deposit cannot be under $5,000. This allows us to include a wide range of CDs suitable for different savings goals.
Geographic Availability: For banks, we require them to be available in at least 40 states.This ensures that a significant portion of the U.S. population has access to these competitive rates.
Credit Union Membership: We understand that credit unions often offer excellent rates. However, we also want to make membership as straightforward as possible.Therefore, we exclude credit unions whose membership