The top nationwide certificate of deposit rate held steady at 4.50% today, even as the best 18 month offer slipped from 4.50% to 4.40% after Quorum Federal Credit Union took over that term's lead. Savers still have nine separate ways to capture the top overall rate.
What Changed and What Did Not
Nothing moved at the short end. PonceBankDirect still offers 4.50% on a 3 month certificate, and six different institutions match that rate on 6 month terms. Greenwood Credit Union and Elements Financial both pay 4.50% on a 1 year CD, and Elements Financial extends that same 4.50% out to 13 months, locking a rate until roughly June 2026.
The only real shift came in the 18 month category. Yesterday a 4.50% offer existed there too, but it disappeared overnight, leaving Quorum Federal Credit Union in front at 4.40%. Two year certificates held at 4.40% through PenAir Credit Union, three year rates stayed at 4.32% via Genisys Credit Union, and both four and five year terms remained anchored at 4.28% through Lafayette Federal Credit Union.
Locking In a Rate for Longer
For savers who want a guarantee stretching closer to two years, PenAir Credit Union pays 4.40% on a 21 month term, which holds that rate until February 2027. Genisys Credit Union offers a slightly lower 4.32% but extends the lock to 30 months.
Lafayette Federal Credit Union stands out for consistency rather than the highest headline number. It pays 4.28% across every term from 7 months through 5 years, meaning a saver could fix that same rate as far out as 2030. Whether that consistency beats chasing a marginally higher short term rate depends entirely on how confident someone is about where rates go from here.
Why the Fed's Next Move Still Matters
The Federal Reserve cut its benchmark rate three times last year, trimming a full percentage point off the federal funds rate between September and December. Since then, the central bank has held rates steady at each of its three 2025 meetings so far, leaving CD shoppers in a holding pattern of their own.
Tariff policy from the Trump administration has added uncertainty to that outlook, and policymakers appear to be waiting for cleaner economic data before committing to another move. If the Fed does resume cutting later this year or into 2026, banks and credit unions will likely follow by trimming the yields they offer on both CDs and savings accounts. That dynamic is exactly why locking a multiyear CD now, before any cuts materialize, appeals to savers who want certainty over chasing marginal gains later.
Jumbo CDs Are Not Always Worth the Bigger Deposit
Jumbo CDs require a larger minimum deposit and, in theory, reward that commitment with a better rate. In practice, the premium only shows up in four of the eight terms tracked. Hughes Federal Credit Union and Quorum Federal Credit Union both pay 4.50% on 17 to 18 month jumbo certificates, beating the standard 18 month rate of 4.40%. Hughes also offers 4.34% on a 3 year jumbo CD versus 4.32% for the best standard rate, while Lafayette Federal Credit Union pays 4.33% on a 4 year jumbo versus 4.28% standard. GTE Financial and Lafayette both offer 4.33% on 5 year jumbo CDs against a 4.28% standard ceiling.
In the 6 month and 1 year terms, standard and jumbo rates are identical at 4.50%. That means a saver should never assume a jumbo deposit automatically buys a better yield. Checking both categories before committing money is simply good practice, and if the standard rate wins, there is nothing stopping a saver from opening that account with a jumbo sized deposit anyway.
| CD Term | Top National Bank Rate | Top National Credit Union Rate | Top National Jumbo Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 months | 4.50%* | 4.40% | 4.11% |
| 6 months | 4.50%* | 4.50%* | 4.50%* |
| 1 year | 4.40% | 4.50%* | 4.50%* |
| 18 months | 4.35% | 4.40% | 4.50%* |
| 2 years | 4.25% | 4.40%* | 4.33% |
| 3 years | 4.10% | 4.32% | 4.34%* |
| 4 years | 4.10% | 4.28% | 4.33%* |
| 5 years | 4.15% | 4.28% | 4.33%* |
How Today's CD Rates Stack Up Historically
Current yields look modest next to October 2023, when the very best CDs briefly touched 6%. But measured against early 2022, before the Fed's aggressive hiking campaign began, today's rates look generous. Back then the top certificates in the country paid between just 0.50% and 1.70% APY depending on term, a fraction of what is available now.
Eligibility and Protection Basics Worth Checking
Every rate mentioned here comes from an institution insured by either the FDIC for banks or the NCUA for credit unions. That coverage protects deposits up to $250,000 per person, per institution, regardless of the bank's size or reputation. A smaller, lesser known credit union carries the same government backed protection as a national bank, so chasing the highest rate does not mean sacrificing safety, provided the institution carries proper federal insurance.
Credit unions sometimes require membership through a donation to a specific organization if a saver does not otherwise qualify by location or employer. Anyone comparing these offers should confirm eligibility requirements and minimum deposit thresholds before applying, since some institutions cap the minimum at levels that exclude smaller savers or set maximums that push people toward jumbo tiers unintentionally.
Is Now the Right Moment to Lock In a Rate?
The honest answer depends on how much a saver trusts the Fed to hold steady rather than cut. Rates near 4.50% are historically strong, but they are not guaranteed to last if policymakers resume trimming the federal funds rate later this year. Anyone weighing a CD right now should match the term length to their own timeline rather than reacting to a single day's rate movement.