The Best CDs for Keeping a High Rate Locked Until 2026, 2027, or Even Longer
Key Takeaways
- With the Fed expected to continue lowering interest rates this year and next, now is a smart time to open CDs and lock in today’s high returns for the future.
- Below we lay out 23 excellent CDs to consider for locking in a rate until 2026, 2027, or much longer—with returns as high as 4.65%. You can also secure a 5.05% rate that will last until the final days of 2025.
- Unlike savings accounts, CD rates are guaranteed until their term ends. The bank or credit union can’t reduce the APY on your existing CD.
- The top CDs still offer historically high returns, despite slipping from last fall’s 20-year peak.
- Can’t commit your funds through 2026? Our rankings can also point you to the best high-yield savings accounts and shorter-term CDs.
The full article continues below these offers from our partners.
Why It’s So Smart Right Now to Open a CD
Thanks to the Federal Reserve’s historic rate-hike campaign between 2022 and 2023 aimed at taming post-pandemic inflation, rates on certificates of deposit (CDs) surged to 20-year highs last fall—reaching above 6%. But now, inflation has cooled, and the Fed has shifted to a rate-cutting phase. As a result, CD rates have been declining, with the top nationwide rate recently slipping to 5.50%.
Unfortunately for savers, the Fed is expected to follow up its September rate cut with one or two additional cuts still this year, and likely multiple reductions in 2025. The Fed could even keep cutting rates into 2026, as you can see from Fed members’ forecasts in the chart below.
This potentially long rate slide is precisely why today’s top CDs—especially multi-year certificates—are such a smart move right now. By locking in one of today’s rates, your return on those funds will be insulated from whatever moves the Fed makes in the next year or two—whether that’s one rate cut or ten.
Also in your favor is that rates on the best nationwide CDs continue to be attractive. Though returns have softened a bit from their peak, the top CDs are still paying historically high returns. Just compare today’s rates below to the rates on a CD opened in early 2022.
Today’s Best CDs With Rate Guarantees Until 2026–2029
Our daily ranking of the best CD rates always provides you with a list of the highest nationally available offers. Right now, the top returns are available on shorter-term CDs. But since odds are high that interest rates could enter a two- to three-year decline, it’s smart to lock in a rate today that’s guaranteed for two years—or even longer if you feel confident that you can live without access to the cash.
Here are our roundups of today’s hottest rates that will guarantee your annual percentage yield (APY) into 2026, 2027, or even through 2028–2029. For further details on any of these CDs, click the link to our list of the best offers in that term.
You have one additional option to (almost) get you to a 2026 rate guarantee. The top APY among 1-year CDs is actually offered for 14 months. Paying 5.05%, this CD from Spectra Credit Union would lock your rate until late December 2025 if you snag it soon.
The Nation’s Best Long-Term CDs – Oct. 24, 2024
Best 18-Month CDs | APY | Term (Months) | Minimum |
FedChoice Federal Credit Union | 4.65% | 15 | $500 |
Apple Federal Credit Union | 4.65% | 18 | $500 |
NASA Federal Credit Union | 4.54% | 15 | $10,000 |
State Department Federal Credit Union | 4.52% | 15 | $500 |
Best 2-Year CDs | APY | Term (Months) | Minimum |
Vibrant Credit Union | 4.50% | 23 | $5 |
Bayer Heritage Federal Credit Union | 4.50% | 24 | $100 |
First National Bank of America | 4.29% | 24 | $1,000 |
Genisys Credit Union | 4.27% | 25 | $500 |
Best 3-Year CDs | APY | Term (Months) | Minimum |
EFCU Financial | 4.25% | 30 | $500 |
Customers Bank | 4.10% | 36 | $500 |
Heartland Credit Union | 4.10% | 36 | $25,000 |
All In Credit Union | 4.07% | 36 | $1,000 |
Signature Federal Credit Union | 4.05% | 36 | $500 |
Best 4-Year CDs | APY | Term (Months) | Minimum |
NASA Federal Credit Union | 4.09% | 49 | $10,000 |
All In Credit Union | 4.02% | 48 | $1,000 |
USAlliance Financial | 4.00% | 48 | $500 |
Signature Federal Credit Union | 4.00% | 48 | $500 |
SecurityPlus Federal Credit Union | 4.00% | 48 | $1,000 |
Best 5-Year CDs | APY | Term (Months) | Minimum |
BMO Alto | 4.00% | 60 | Any amount |
Synchrony Bank | 4.00% | 60 | Any amount |
USAlliance Financial | 4.00% | 60 | $500 |
Signature Federal Credit Union | 4.00% | 60 | $500 |
SecurityPlus Federal Credit Union | 4.00% | 60 | $1,000 |
Whatever CD decision you land on, don’t delay! Another Fed rate cut is possible on Nov. 7, so time is of the essence. Any given CD offer can evaporate overnight, so once you’ve decided on opening a CD, lock in your guaranteed rate as soon as possible.
Can’t Commit Until 2026? Here Are Your Next-Best Options
If you’re not able or willing to lock up any savings for 15 months or more, you can still benefit from today’s historically high rates. One way is by putting money in a shorter-term CD, depending on your timeline:
As you can see, some of these CDs pay higher rates than you’ll find with the longer-term CDs. While that makes them near-term winners, you’ll lose when your short-rate guarantee runs out.
For money that you need to keep fully accessible and can’t commit to a CD, consider a high-yield savings account. Our daily ranking of the best savings account rates reaches up to 5.50% APY, with more than a dozen additional offers paying 5.00% or more.
Savings account rates are variable, meaning they can change at any time. Right now, the top high-yield savings account rate is just below a 20-year high. But with more Fed rate cuts imminent, savings account rates will drop.
How We Find the Best Savings and CD Rates
Every business day, Investopedia tracks the rate data of more than 200 banks and credit unions that offer CDs and savings accounts to customers nationwide and determines daily rankings of the top-paying accounts. To qualify for our lists, the institution must be federally insured (FDIC for banks, NCUA for credit unions), and the account’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.