Best CD rates today, December 9, 2025: Lock in up to 4.1% APY today

Core Insights - Deposit account rates are declining, but competitive returns on certificates of deposit (CDs) can still be locked in, with the best CDs offering rates above 4% [1] Group 1: Current CD Rates - The best short-term CDs (six to 12 months) currently offer rates around 4% to 4.5% APY, with the highest rate at 4.1% APY from various institutions [2] - Institutions offering the highest CD rates include Sallie Mae, Marcus by Goldman Sachs, Synchrony Bank, and LendingClub [2] Group 2: Historical CD Rate Trends - CD rates were relatively high in the early 2000s but began to decline due to economic slowdowns and Federal Reserve rate cuts, with average one-year CDs at around 1% APY by 2009 [4] - The trend of falling CD rates continued into the 2010s, with average rates on 6-month CDs dropping to about 0.1% APY by 2013 [5] - Between 2015 and 2018, CD rates improved slightly as the Fed increased rates, but the COVID-19 pandemic led to emergency rate cuts, causing new record lows [6] - Following the pandemic, the Fed raised rates 11 times between March 2022 and July 2023, resulting in higher APYs on savings products, including CDs [7] Group 3: Understanding Today's CD Rates - Traditionally, longer-term CDs offered higher interest rates, but currently, the highest average CD rate is for a 12-month term, indicating a flattening or inversion of the yield curve [8][9] - Factors to consider when choosing a CD include goals for locking away funds, type of financial institution, account terms, and inflation [10]