Current CD Rates: May 2024 - NerdWallet (2024)

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What are CD rates expected to do in 2024? ›

CD Rates Forecast 2024

The CME FedWatch Tool, which measures market expectations for federal funds rate changes, shows that most experts expect rates to sit between 4.50% and 5.25% by December 2024.

*Promo Plus Certificate of Deposit: The Promotional APY (Annual Percentage Yield) of 5.35% for a term of 6 months, 5.25% for a term of 12 months are accurate as of 5/6/2024.

You can find 6% CD rates at a few financial institutions, but chances are those rates are only available on CDs with maturities of 12 months or less. Financial institutions offer high rates to compete for business, but they don't want to pay customers ultra-high rates over many years.

Unlike traditional or high-yield savings accounts, which have variable APYs, most CDs lock your money into a fixed interest rate the day you open the account. That's why if you suspect that interest rates will soon drop, it can be a good idea to put money in a CD to preserve the high APY you would earn.

The average APY on savings accounts in 2024 (0.45%) is nearly seven times higher than the average rate in 2022. Since the federal funds rate is unchanged, the APY on savings accounts is unlikely to change for now, and rates should remain steady. However, rates may go down later in the year and into 2025.

Why Trust Us? As of June 2024, no banks are offering 7% interest rates on savings accounts. Two credit unions have high-interest checking accounts: Landmark Credit Union Premium Checking with 7.50% APY and OnPath Credit Union High Yield Checking with 7.00% APY.

What is the best CD rate at Chase Bank? ›

Chase's best certificate of deposit (CD) rates are for featured CDs with relationship rates, which have an annual percentage yield (APY) ranging from 3.00% to 4.75% APY. You can earn higher relationship rates with a linked Chase checking account, otherwise you'll get the same low 0.01% APY for every CD term.

Currently, national average rates for a 1-year CD sit at 1.86% APY, up from 0.15% APY in April 2022. But with no change to rates since December 2023, it doesn't appear rates will continue to go up, at least significantly.

Can You Get a 7% CD Account? There was a lot of excitement in August 2023 about a few credit unions offering 7% APYs on certificates. But those rates were offered for a limited time only and are no longer available. However, the nation's best CD rates are still well above 5%, with some pushing toward 6%.

Key takeaways

The national average rate for one-year CD rates will be at 1.15 percent APY by the end of 2024, McBride forecasts, while predicting top-yielding one-year CDs to pay a significantly higher rate of 4.25 percent APY at that time.

Those with $100,000 or more may want to consider depositing their money into a jumbo certificate of deposit (CD) that's insured through a bank insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) or a credit union insured by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA).

Similarly, the Fed's interest rate cuts are not expected to be overly drastic, but rather, gradual. What this means is that come this time next year, you may not be able to sign a 1-year CD at 5% (or slightly more) like you can today. But it's possible that you'll be able to lock in a 1-year CD at 4.5%, or 4.25%.

That means those cushy 5% rates on money market funds will go lower. With the outlook for bonds looking better, strategists say investors should look to fixed income to lock in higher yields and protect their portfolios against market volatility in the second half of 2024.

New Outlook On Monetary Policy

The median projection for the benchmark federal funds rate is 5.1% by the end of 2024, implying just over one quarter-point cut. Through 2025, the FOMC now expects five total cuts, down from six in March, which would leave the federal funds rate at 4.1% by the end of next year.