What's a good short-term CD account interest rate in 2026?
Interest rates available on certificates of deposit (CDs) in recent years have been exponentially higher than where they started the decade. In 2020, for example, they hovered around or below 1%. But as recently as 2024, savers were able to find rates as high as 6% for their money. And while many lenders aren't still offering rates that competitive, they remain far from the barely noticeable returns most savers were otherwise being offered in the recent past, too.
And these interest rates are fixed, giving savers security and predictability in what has otherwise been a cooling interest rate climate. Unlike the interest rate norms of the past, however, rates here often remain higher for short-term CDs (which mature in under 12 months) versus long-term CDs (which have terms lasting multiple years).
To better understand the value of securing a short-term option, it helps to know what a good short-term CD account interest rate is actually considered to be now, at the start of 2026. And it may not necessarily be what's being offered at your local bank branch. Below, we'll break down what you need to know before getting started.
See how much interest you could still be earning with a short-term CD account here.
What's a good short-term CD account interest rate in 2026?
Shopping around for CDs is critical for those who want to earn as much interest as possible. And that will often mean the use of an online bank, which has fewer expenses than those institutions with physical branches, and is therefore better able to pass on those savings to savers via higher interest rates.
Here, then, is what can be considered a good rate for four different short-term CD accounts now:
- 3-month CDs: 3.90%
- 6-month CDs: 4.10%
- 9-month CDs: 4.00%
- 1-year CDs: 4.10%
These rates are approximate, however, so you may find ones slightly lower or slightly higher once you start shopping around. That said, you should use these as a baseline and shouldn't be willing to open accounts with rates that are materially lower when these are still available now.
That said, interest rates are expected to continue their gradual decline throughout the remainder of 2026, so if you know you want to lock in a high CD rate, don't want to lock your funds away for longer than a year and are confident in your ability to circumvent any potential early withdrawal penalties, this could be the smart time to make a move.
Get started with a short-term CD account online today.
What about long-term CD accounts?
Long-term CD accounts offer savers a viable way to earn extended interest on their money, but they'll need to be confident in their ability to keep the money frozen for the full term, or the penalty they're hit with for withdrawing it before the maturity date could be painful. That said, here's what can be considered "good" long-term CD account rates now, at the start of the year:
- 18-month CD accounts: 4.00%
- 2-year CD accounts: 3.95%
- 3-year CD accounts: 3.95%
- 5-year CD accounts: 4.00%
- 10-year CD accounts: 3.90%
Rates here, then, also remain competitive. If you're unsure which account type makes the most sense for your needs, consider "laddering" your funds in multiple accounts with different maturity dates. This will allow you to maintain a baseline level of liquidity while still earning the competitive rates both short-term and long-term CD accounts are still offering.
The bottom line
A "good" short-term CD account interest rate at the beginning of 2026 can be considered to be between 3.90% and 4.10%, depending on the term. And while these aren't quite as beneficial as they were in 2023 or 2024, they're still competitive and worth exploring for savers now. Just be sure to understand the early withdrawal penalties and any maintenance fees before getting started, as both could easily eat away at the interest rate you should otherwise be earning.
