Seven CDs worth a look in 2026 — picks from Marcus, Synchrony, Ally, Capital One 360, Discover, CIT Bank, and Bread Savings, ranked by term fit and APY. Verify current rates at each bank before opening.
A certificate of deposit (CD) locks your cash for a fixed term in exchange for a guaranteed APY — typically higher than a high-yield savings account for terms of 6 months or longer. Every CD on this list is FDIC-insured at an online bank. APYs shown were verified at each bank on June 3, 2026. Rates change — confirm at the bank before opening. ClearValue Lending is not the issuer of any CD listed here.
| # | Card | ClearValue Rating | Highlight | Apply |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marcus by Goldman Sachs High-Yield CD Goldman Sachs Bank USA | 4.2 / 5 | ~5.00% 1-year apy | Apply → |
| 2 | Synchrony Bank CD Synchrony Bank | 4.0 / 5 | ~4.80% 1-year apy | Apply → |
| 3 | Ally Bank CD Ally Bank | 4.2 / 5 | ~4.75% 1-year apy | Apply → |
| 4 | Capital One 360 CD Capital One Bank, N.A. | 4.0 / 5 | ~4.70% 1-year apy | Apply → |
| 5 | Discover CD Discover Bank | 4.0 / 5 | ~4.70% 1-year apy | Apply → |
| 6 | CIT Bank Term CD First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company | 4.0 / 5 | ~4.80% 1-year apy | Apply → |
| 7 | Bread Savings CD Comenity Capital Bank | 3.9 / 5 | ~5.00%+ 1-year apy | Apply → |
A certificate of deposit locks your cash for a fixed term in exchange for a guaranteed APY — typically higher than a high-yield savings account for terms of 6 months or longer. The tradeoff is liquidity: break the CD early and you pay an early-withdrawal penalty.
June 2026 update: APYs on the top 1-year CDs remain in the 4.70%–5.00%+ range as the Federal Reserve maintains current target rates. If the Fed cuts rates later in 2026, CD rates will come down — locking in a 1-year CD today means you keep today's rate for the full term regardless. Verify current rates at each bank before opening. All banks listed are FDIC-insured — verify at fdic.gov.
Three questions sharpen the choice:
1. How long can you lock the money? If you need access in under 6 months, an HYSA or a no-penalty CD is better than a standard CD. If you're comfortable with 12–18 months, standard CDs typically pay more.
2. Do you want rate-lock certainty or rate-bump flexibility? Standard CDs guarantee your APY for the full term. If you think rates might rise, Ally's Raise Your Rate CD or Synchrony's Bump-Up CD give you one chance to increase mid-term at a slightly lower starting APY.
3. How much are you depositing? Most picks open with $0–$1,500. Bread Savings requires $1,500; CIT Bank requires $1,000; Marcus requires $500. Ally, Synchrony, and Capital One 360 require $0.
If you have a larger lump sum (say $20,000), splitting it across 4–5 CDs at different maturity dates (1-year, 2-year, 3-year, 4-year, 5-year) creates a rolling ladder. Each CD matures on a different schedule, giving you regular access to a portion while keeping the rest earning the higher long-term rate. Banks with no minimums (Ally, Synchrony, Capital One) make laddering accessible at any savings level.
If liquidity is a concern but you want more than HYSA rates, no-penalty CDs are worth the tradeoff. Marcus, Ally, and CIT Bank each offer 11-month no-penalty CDs that let you withdraw principal + accrued interest after a short waiting period (6-7 days) without any penalty. The APY is typically slightly below standard CDs of comparable length, but the flexibility is meaningful.
APYs and CD terms were verified at each bank's own disclosure page on June 3, 2026. CD APYs are fixed at the time of opening — rates shown here may no longer be available when you read this. Confirm current rates at the bank before opening.
ClearValue Lending is not the issuer of any CD listed here. Each is operated by its respective bank — Goldman Sachs Bank USA (Marcus); Synchrony Bank; Ally Bank; Capital One Bank, N.A.; Discover Bank; First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company (CIT Bank); Comenity Capital Bank (Bread Savings). APYs, terms, penalties, eligibility, and FDIC coverage are determined solely by the issuing bank.
When bank affiliate programs are wired, application links may pay ClearValue Lending a referral commission at no cost to you. Editorial selection and ranking is independent of any commission — banks are ranked by the methodology above, not by who pays.
All FDIC coverage is provided through the issuing bank up to the standard $250,000 per depositor per ownership category. ClearValue Lending is a financial education and comparison platform — not a bank, financial advisor, or deposit broker.
A certificate of deposit (CD) is a FDIC-insured deposit account at a bank that pays a fixed APY for a fixed term — typically 3 months to 5 years. In exchange for locking your funds for the term, banks pay a higher APY than a standard savings account. If you withdraw early, the bank charges an early-withdrawal penalty (typically 60-180 days of interest depending on the term). The exception: no-penalty CDs allow early withdrawal without a fee after a short waiting period. Every CD on this list is at an FDIC-member bank — insured up to $250,000 per depositor per ownership category. Source: FDIC deposit insurance rules at fdic.gov.
Standard CDs lock in the APY at the time of opening for the full term — the rate does not change if market rates rise or fall during the term. This is both the strength and the limitation: you're guaranteed the rate you locked, but if rates rise after opening, you miss out (unless you have a Raise Your Rate or Bump-Up CD). Bump-Up / Raise Your Rate CDs (offered by Ally and Synchrony) allow one or two rate increases during the term if the bank raises its CD rates. APY for any new CD you open today is determined by the bank at the time of application — verify the current rate before funding.
An early-withdrawal penalty (EWP) is the fee charged if you close a standard CD before its maturity date. The penalty is typically expressed as a number of days of interest — for example, '150 days of interest' on a 1-year CD. The exact penalty schedule varies by bank and by term length; longer-term CDs carry larger penalties. If you need liquidity flexibility, a no-penalty CD (offered by Marcus, Ally, and CIT Bank) eliminates this risk — you can withdraw after a short initial period without any penalty. Compare the no-penalty APY vs. standard CD APY to assess the tradeoff.
CD laddering is a strategy where you split a lump sum across multiple CDs with different maturity dates — for example, four CDs maturing in 1, 2, 3, and 4 years. Each time a CD matures, you either spend the funds or roll them into a new long-term CD at current rates. The benefit: you get access to a portion of your funds regularly while keeping most of your money earning the higher long-term CD APY. Banks with $0 or low minimums (Ally, Synchrony, Capital One 360) make laddering practical at any savings level.
In the current 2026 rate environment, CD APYs for terms of 1 year or longer are often similar to or modestly above the top HYSA rates. Shorter-term CDs (3-6 months) sometimes pay less than the best HYSA. The key distinction: HYSA APYs are variable and can drop if the Federal Reserve cuts rates; CD APYs are fixed at opening. If you want rate certainty for 12+ months, a CD typically delivers it. If you need liquidity, an HYSA is more flexible. See our companion guide: Best high-yield savings accounts 2026.
Yes, when the bank is FDIC-insured. Every bank on this list carries FDIC insurance up to $250,000 per depositor per insured bank per ownership category — the same protection as a Chase or Bank of America CD. You can verify any bank's FDIC status at the FDIC BankFind tool at banks.data.fdic.gov. FDIC coverage is not affected by whether the bank has physical branches or not.
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Every pick gets a 1–5 ClearValue Rating computed from four weighted factors: Editorial confidence (30%), Cost (25%), Value (25%), and Accessibility (20%).
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