How much interest will a $10,000 CD account earn in 2026?

With tax season fully underway and expectations over larger tax refunds for millions of Americans this spring, many may be wondering about where they should store that money – or any money they’ve been able to save – this year. As usual, there are a variety of options to choose from, ranging from investments to traditional savings accounts to money market and high-yield savings. All have serious pros and cons to consider, of which a variable rate in today’s cooling interest rate landscape is one of the most important.

But that’s not a concern with certificates of deposit (CD) accounts, as rates here are both fixed and just as high as those associated with the top high-yield savings and money market accounts. And as long as savers are able to keep their money in the account up until the maturity date, the interest earnings will be predictable and guaranteed, even if the Federal Reserve cuts rates during the CD term. In other words, this could be an ideal account to deposit $10,000 into in 2026. Not only will savers earn a sizable return, but they won’t have to forego access to their money for an extended period, as there are multiple CD accounts that will mature before the end of the year.

To better understand the value of a CD now, it helps to know how much interest savers can actually earn with a $10,000 deposit this year. Below, we’ll crunch the numbers.

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How much interest will a $10,000 CD account earn in 2026?

Sure, CD interest rates over 6% are largely gone now. But savers can still earn a competitive return on their money with one of these accounts. Here’s how much they’d earn exactly, calculated against today’s available rates, three terms and the assumption that no early withdrawal penalties or fees are levied against the account:

• 3-month CD at 3.90%: $96.11 upon maturity
• 6-month CD at 4.05%: $200.49 upon maturity
• 9-month CD at 4.00%: $298.52 upon maturity

So savers can potentially earn around $100 or hundreds of dollars more, with an account of this size, before year’s end. And, if they’re willing to extend the term to the 1-year mark, they can potentially earn $400 with an account that matures next February. 

At the same time, the longer your CD term, the bigger the potential early withdrawal fee, so be sure of your ability to keep the money frozen in the account before getting started. Otherwise, a fee here could easily negate most or all of the interest you’ve earned to that point.

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The bottom line

A $10,000 CD account can earn savers between $100 and $300 in 2026 if the account is opened now, at the start of the year. So this could be one of the safest and most lucrative homes for your money right now. Wherever you ultimately decide to keep this money or your incoming tax refund, do your best to avoid traditional savings accounts. Those come with rates under 0.50% now, meaning that not only will you not be keeping pace with inflation, but you’ll technically be losing money by not utilizing your high-interest earning alternatives instead.