Top CD Rates Today, May 18

See how today's top nationwide rate is trending for every CD term

By
Yasmin Ghahremani
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Full Bio
Yasmin Ghahremani has over two decades of journalism experience and is an expert on personal finance topics, including credit cards, insurance, and loans. She is an Associate Editorial Director for Investopedia, providing strategy and operations leadership around educational content designed to help consumers make the best financial choices for their needs.
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Updated May 18, 2023
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The top rates for certificates of deposit (CDs) held onto modest gains made in the past couple of weeks, with 5.50% continuing to be the most you can earn across the whole range of CD terms. You can get that rate on terms of 9, 15, and 17 months.

In addition to those, there are another dozen options across our lists of the best nationwide CDs that earn at least 5.25% APY—including one that lets you hang onto that rate for two years.

There was more movement in the jumbo CD ranks today. The best rate for a 3-month jumbo CD jumped from 4.35% to 5.01%. This comes on top of a rate increase to 5.35% for the best 1-year jumbo CDs yesterday. Like most jumbo CDs, these both require a $100,000 minimum deposit. But note that you can do a little bit better by just putting that money into one of the standard CDs that pays a higher rate.

Key Takeaways

  • The top rate available for 3-month jumbo CDs is now 5.01%, but you can earn 5.10% APY with a standard 3-month certificate.
  • The highest nationally-available CD rate remains 5.50% APY, offered on terms of 9, 15, and 17 months.
  • Fifteen CDs in our daily rankings pay at least 5.25% APY.
  • You can earn at least 5.10% in every CD term from 3 months to 2 years, with the best 2-year rate remaining at 5.25% APY.
  • CD yields may be at or near a peak, making this a particularly good time to take advantage of record-high CD rates.
CD Term  Yesterday's Top National Rate  Today's Top National Rate Day's Change (percentage points)
3 months 5.10% APY 5.10% APY No change
6 months  5.50% APY 5.50% APY No change
1 year 5.25% APY  5.25% APY No change
18 months 5.50% APY 5.50% APY No change
2 years  5.25% APY 5.25% APY No change
3 years  4.85% APY  4.85% APY No change
4 years 4.73% APY 4.73% APY No change
5 years  4.68% APY  4.68% APY No change
To view the top 15–20 nationwide rates in any term, click on the desired term length in the left column above.
 CD Term Today's Top National Bank Rate Today's Top National Credit Union Rate Today's Top National Jumbo Rate
3 months  5.10% APY 4.75% APY  5.01% APY 
6 months  5.11% APY 5.50% APY  5.15% APY 
1 year  5.25% APY  5.25% APY 5.35% APY 
18 months  5.50% APY  5.50% APY  5.27% APY 
2 years  5.00% APY  5.25% APY  5.04% APY 
3 years  4.76% APY  4.85% APY  4.99% APY 
4 years  4.54% APY  4.73% APY  4.89% APY 
5 years  4.52% APY  4.68% APY  4.84% APY 
To view our lists of the top-paying CDs across terms for bank, credit union, and jumbo certificates, click on the column headers above.

Despite the suggestion that a larger deposit should earn you a higher return, rates on jumbo certificates often pay less than standard CDs. Today's best jumbo offers, which typically require a deposit of $100,000 or more, only beat the best standard rates in four CD terms, while you can do better with standard CDs in the other four terms. So remember to shop every CD type before making a final choice.

Where Are CD Rates Headed This Year?

The CD rate heyday could be nearing an end. Here's why.

Rates on certificates of deposit generally mirror the trend of the federal funds rate, and the quarter-point increase by the Federal Reserve on May 3 nudged CD rates slightly higher last week. But there are signs the Fed's aggressive federal funds rate hikes aimed at taming decades-high inflation may be winding down. After increases in 2022 that totaled 4.25%, this year's Fed increases have been more subdued, which has considerably slowed the growth in CD rates.

The Fed's latest announcement included a notable change in language from prior announcements, indicating that the Fed may pause its hikes at a June 13-14 meeting. This, plus other economic factors, have futures traders betting that the last increase in May will be the Fed's last hike of its campaign, while over 40% feel we could see yet another bump.

Lorie Logan, the head of the Dallas Fed, today said that current data doesn't justify pausing rate hikes just yet. And on Monday, Atlanta Fed president Raphael Bostic said that he doesn't see rates declining this year. Nevertheless, about a quarter of Fed watchers currently predict rates could fall as early as September, with a majority predicting a decrease in November or later.

In any case, CD rates are at their highest levels since at least 2007, the last time we saw the federal funds rate this high. With rate decreases potentially on the near horizon, it's a smart time to lock in one of the nation-leading rates in our CD rankings, guaranteeing you an excellent rate even after the Fed ultimately hits reverse.

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 than 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 five, 10, or even 15 times higher.

Rate Collection Methodology Disclosure

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), and the CD's minimum initial deposit must not exceed $25,000.

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.

Article Sources
Investopedia requires writers to use primary sources to support their work. These include white papers, government data, original reporting, and interviews with industry experts. We also reference original research from other reputable publishers where appropriate. You can learn more about the standards we follow in producing accurate, unbiased content in our editorial policy.

  1. Federal Reserve. "Open Market Operations."

  2. Federal Reserve. "May 3, 2023: Federal Reserve Issues FOMC Statement."

  3. CME Group. "CME FedWatch Tool."

  4. Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. "Remarks on Liquidity Provision and on the Economic Outlook and Monetary Policy."