Why should I get an 18-month CD?

You should consider an 18-month CD if you want to lock in a competitive APY but you don't want the time commitment of a longer-term CD. 18-month CDs often offer higher APYs than savings accounts or longer-term CDs, and can be great options if you're worried about interest rates falling in the near future.

Is an 18-month CD worth it?

An 18-month CD can be worthwhile for your savings if you want to lock in a competitive APY for a year and a half, and are reasonably sure you aren't going to need access to your money for at least that long.

How does an 18-month CD work?

An 18-month CD starts by opening an account with a bank or credit union. You'll deposit an initial sum, which you won't touch for 1.5 years, then let it grow by your CD's interest rate. When your CD matures, you can renew your 18-month contract, open another CD with different terms, or transfer your money to another bank account.

Best 18-Month CD Rates for October 2024

18-month CD rates can be significantly higher than the rates you'll find from savings accounts and longer-term CDs. They can be an ideal choice for people who can commit to keeping their money deposited for more than a year, but who don't want the commitment involved with a 3-year or 5-year CD.

Here's a look at the best 18-month CD rates right now, as well as some things you should keep in mind before you decide which is the best choice for you.

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Our picks for the best 18-month CDs

LendingClub CD 1.5 Year: 4.40% APY
Alliant CD 1.5 Year: 4.25% APY
Sallie Mae CD 1.5 Year: 4.35% APY
Ally High Yield CD 1.5 Year: 4.10% APY
Discover® Bank CD 1.5 Year: 3.80% APY
Marcus by Goldman Sachs High Yield CD 1.5 Year: 4.25% APY
Synchrony Online CD 1.5 Year: 4.25% APY
Capital One 360 CD 1.5 Year: 3.90% APY
Barclays Online CD Barclays Online CD 1.5 Year: 3.25% APY

How to compare 18-month CDs

18-month CDs often have very attractive APYs, especially when compared to savings accounts.

However, it's important to mention that APY is only one thing you should consider when shopping for an 18-month CD. Here are some things you might want to take into consideration:

Minimum deposit: Some banks will allow you to open a CD with as little as $1, while others require $1,000 or more to get started.
Early withdrawal penalty: Unless it's specifically called a no-penalty CD, virtually all CDs have early withdrawal penalties. If there's even a small chance you'll need your money before the CD matures, it's important to be aware of the penalties, and to factor this into your comparison shopping.
Interest payments: Some CDs give you the option of having interest payments made directly to you, or being added to the CD balance. Others only allow you to have the money put into the account.
Automatic renewal: Most CDs automatically renew for another term of the same length unless you specify otherwise. You'll typically have a grace period, which can range from a few days to a few weeks around the maturity date, during which you can withdraw some or all of your money from the account.

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Rates as of Oct. 4, 2024

Best 18-month certificates of deposits (CDs) of October 2024 picks.
Bank & CD Offer	APY	Term	Min. Deposit	Next Steps
Discover® Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.80%	Term: 1.5 Year	Min. Deposit: $2,500	Open Account for Discover® Bank CD On Discover Bank's Secure Website.
Barclays Online CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.25%	Term: 1.5 Year	Min. Deposit: $0	Open Account for Barclays Online CD On Barclays' Secure Website.
LendingClub CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.40%	Term: 1.5 Year	Min. Deposit: $2,500	Open Account for LendingClub CD On LendingClub's Secure Website.
Sallie Mae CD	APY: 4.35%	Term: 1.5 Year	Min. Deposit: $2,500	Read Review
Capital One 360 CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.90%	Term: 1.5 Year	Min. Deposit: $0	Read Review
Alliant CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.25%	Term: 1.5 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
Ally High Yield CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.10%	Term: 1.5 Year	Min. Deposit: $0	Read Review
Marcus by Goldman Sachs High Yield CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.25%	Term: 1.5 Year	Min. Deposit: $500	Read Review
Synchrony Online CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.25%	Term: 1.5 Year	Min. Deposit: $0	Read Review
Banc of California High-Yield CD from Raisin	APY: 5.02%	Term: 1 Months	Min. Deposit: $1	Read Review
Freedom Bank High-Yield CDs from Raisin	APY: 4.45%	Term: 1 Months	Min. Deposit: $1	Read Review
Huntington Bank Standard CD Member FDIC.	APY: 0.05%	Term: 1 Months	Min. Deposit: $1,000
Charles Schwab CD Member FDIC.	APY: 5.51%	Term: 3 Months	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
Banc of California High-Yield CD from Raisin	APY: 5.02%	Term: 3 Months	Min. Deposit: $1	Read Review
Ally High Yield CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.00%	Term: 3 Months	Min. Deposit: $0	Read Review
Flushing Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.75%	Term: 3 Months	Min. Deposit: $1,000
Discover® Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 2.00%	Term: 3 Months	Min. Deposit: $2,500	Open Account for Discover® Bank CD On Discover Bank's Secure Website.
Freedom Bank High-Yield CDs from Raisin	APY: 4.45%	Term: 3 Months	Min. Deposit: $1	Read Review
Wells Fargo Standard CD Member FDIC.	APY: up to 2.51%	Term: 3 Months	Min. Deposit: $2,500	Read Review
Western Alliance Bank CD	APY: 4.05%	Term: 3 Months	Min. Deposit: $1	Open Account for On Secure Website.
Chase Standard CD Member FDIC.	APY: up to 4.75%	Term: 3 Months	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
First National Bank Standard CD Member FDIC.	APY: 1.00%	Term: 3 Months	Min. Deposit: $500
Third Federal Standard CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.00%	Term: 3 Months	Min. Deposit: $500	Read Review
Bask Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 5.10%	Term: 3 Months	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
NexBank Standard CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.71%	Term: 3 Months	Min. Deposit: $10,000	Read Review
Popular Direct CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.65%	Term: 3 Months	Min. Deposit: $10,000	Read Review
Huntington Bank Standard CD Member FDIC.	APY: 0.05%	Term: 3 Months	Min. Deposit: $1,000
First National Bank Special CD Member FDIC.	APY: 5.25%	Term: 5 Months	Min. Deposit: $5,000 or $10,000, depending on term
My Banking Direct CD Member FDIC.	APY: 5.50%	Term: 5 Months	Min. Deposit: $2,500	Read Review
Pacific Western Bank Member FDIC.	APY: 4.90%	Term: 5 Months	Min. Deposit: —	Read Review
Quontic CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.60%	Term: 6 Months	Min. Deposit: $500	Open Account for On Secure Website.
Chase Standard CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.00%	Term: 6 Months	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
Banc of California High-Yield CD from Raisin	APY: 4.92%	Term: 6 Months	Min. Deposit: $1	Read Review
Arvest Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: Up to 4.80%	Term: 6 Months	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
Republic Bank of Chicago CD Member FDIC.	APY: 0.50%	Term: 6 Months	Min. Deposit: $1,000
NASA Federal Credit Union Share Certificate Federally insured by NCUA.	APY: 4.80%	Term: 6 Months	Min. Deposit: $1,000
Ally High Yield CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.60%	Term: 6 Months	Min. Deposit: $0	Read Review
CIT Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.00%	Term: 6 Months	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Open Account for CIT Bank CD On CIT's Secure Website.
Salem Five Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.50%	Term: 6 Months	Min. Deposit: $10,000	Read Review
Huntington Bank Standard CD Member FDIC.	APY: 0.10%	Term: 6 Months	Min. Deposit: $1,000
Generations Bank High-Yield CD from Raisin	APY: 5.21%	Term: 6 Months	Min. Deposit: $1	Read Review
Valley Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.75%	Term: 6 Months	Min. Deposit: $500
Third Federal Standard CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.00%	Term: 6 Months	Min. Deposit: $500	Read Review
First Internet Bank of Indiana CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.35%	Term: 6 Months	Min. Deposit: $1,000
Fidelity CD Member FDIC.	APY: 5.25%	Term: 6 Months	Min. Deposit: $1,000
Freedom Bank High-Yield CDs from Raisin	APY: 4.20%	Term: 6 Months	Min. Deposit: $1	Read Review
Synchrony Online CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.20%	Term: 6 Months	Min. Deposit: $0	Read Review
BMO Bank Member FDIC.	APY: 0.05%	Term: 6 Months	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
All America Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.75%	Term: 6 Months	Min. Deposit: —	Read Review
Generations Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 5.00%	Term: 6 Months	Min. Deposit: $1,000
Prime Alliance Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.95%	Term: 6 Months	Min. Deposit: $500	Read Review
Capital One 360 CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.20%	Term: 6 Months	Min. Deposit: $0	Read Review
Wells Fargo Standard CD Member FDIC.	APY: up to 2.51%	Term: 6 Months	Min. Deposit: $2,500	Read Review
Ponce Bank High-Yield CD from Raisin	APY: 4.00%	Term: 6 Months	Min. Deposit: $1	Read Review
First National Bank Standard CD Member FDIC.	APY: 1.00%	Term: 6 Months	Min. Deposit: $500
Edward Jones CD Member FDIC.	APY: 5.30%	Term: 6 Months	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
Sallie Mae CD	APY: 4.55%	Term: 6 Months	Min. Deposit: $2,500	Read Review
LendingClub CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.80%	Term: 6 Months	Min. Deposit: $2,500	Open Account for LendingClub CD On LendingClub's Secure Website.
Discover® Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.90%	Term: 6 Months	Min. Deposit: $2,500	Open Account for Discover® Bank CD On Discover Bank's Secure Website.
First Tech CD	APY: up to 4.91%	Term: 6 Months	Min. Deposit: $500
Western Alliance Bank CD	APY: 3.75%	Term: 6 Months	Min. Deposit: $1	Open Account for On Secure Website.
Marcus by Goldman Sachs High Yield CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.75%	Term: 6 Months	Min. Deposit: $500	Read Review
Popular Direct CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.40%	Term: 6 Months	Min. Deposit: $10,000	Read Review
NexBank Standard CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.24%	Term: 6 Months	Min. Deposit: $10,000	Read Review
Vanguard Brokered CD Member FDIC.	APY: 5.25%	Term: 6 Months	Min. Deposit: $1,000
TD Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 1.00% - 5.00%	Term: 6 Months	Min. Deposit: $250.00	Read Review
Bask Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 5.00%	Term: 6 Months	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
Charles Schwab CD Member FDIC.	APY: 5.47%	Term: 6 Months	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
Vio Bank High-Yield CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.70%	Term: 6 Months	Min. Deposit: $500	Read Review
EverBank Performance℠ CD	APY: 4.00%	Term: 6 Months	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
Santander Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 5.00%	Term: 6 Months	Min. Deposit: $500	Read Review
First National Bank Special CD Member FDIC.	APY: 5.00%	Term: 7 Months	Min. Deposit: $5,000 or $10,000, depending on term
Ponce Bank CDs Member FDIC.	APY: 5.25%	Term: 7 Months	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Open Account for Ponce Bank CDs On Ponce Bank's Secure Website.
Huntington Bank Promotional CD Member FDIC.	APY: 5.13%	Term: 7 Months	Min. Deposit: $1,000
Wells Fargo Standard CD Member FDIC.	APY: up to 4.75%	Term: 7 Months	Min. Deposit: $2,500	Read Review
Old National Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.75%	Term: 7 Months	Min. Deposit: $500	Read Review
Citi CD Member FDIC.	APY: 5.01%	Term: 7 Months	Min. Deposit: $500	Read Review
Pacific Western Bank Member FDIC.	APY: 5.00%	Term: 7 Months	Min. Deposit: —	Read Review
Marcus by Goldman Sachs High Yield CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.80%	Term: 9 Months	Min. Deposit: $500	Read Review
Bask Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.90%	Term: 9 Months	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
Sallie Mae CD	APY: 4.60%	Term: 9 Months	Min. Deposit: $2,500	Read Review
Citi CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.75%	Term: 9 Months	Min. Deposit: $500	Read Review
Western Alliance Bank CD	APY: 3.00%	Term: 9 Months	Min. Deposit: $1	Open Account for On Secure Website.
Chase Standard CD Member FDIC.	APY: up to 4.50%	Term: 9 Months	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
Huntington Bank Standard CD Member FDIC.	APY: 0.10%	Term: 9 Months	Min. Deposit: $1,000
Ally High Yield CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.50%	Term: 9 Months	Min. Deposit: $0	Read Review
Forbright Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 5.30%	Term: 9 Months	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
Banc of California High-Yield CD from Raisin	APY: 4.86%	Term: 9 Months	Min. Deposit: $1	Read Review
Freedom Bank No Penalty CDs from Raisin	APY: 3.65%	Term: 9 Months	Min. Deposit: $1	Read Review
Salem Five Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.25%	Term: 9 Months	Min. Deposit: $10,000	Read Review
NASA Federal Credit Union High-Yield Certificate Federally insured by NCUA.	APY: 4.99%	Term: 9 Months	Min. Deposit: $10,000
Discover® Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.00%	Term: 9 Months	Min. Deposit: $2,500	Open Account for Discover® Bank CD On Discover Bank's Secure Website.
Flushing Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.75%	Term: 9 Months	Min. Deposit: $1,000
LendingClub CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.70%	Term: 10 Months	Min. Deposit: $2,500	Open Account for On Secure Website.
Generations Bank High-Yield CD from Raisin	APY: 5.31%	Term: 10 Months	Min. Deposit: $1	Read Review
American Express National Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.50%	Term: 11 Months	Min. Deposit: $0	Read Review
CIT Bank No-Penalty CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.50%	Term: 11 Months	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Open Account for CIT Bank No-Penalty CD On CIT's Secure Website.
Huntington Bank Promotional CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.86%	Term: 11 Months	Min. Deposit: $1,000
Ally High Yield CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.25%	Term: 1 Year	Min. Deposit: $0	Read Review
Vanguard Brokered CD Member FDIC.	APY: 5.40%	Term: 1 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000
Banc of California High-Yield CD from Raisin	APY: 4.76%	Term: 1 Year	Min. Deposit: $1	Read Review
Bread Savings CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.40%	Term: 1 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,500	Read Review
Barclays Online CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.75%	Term: 1 Year	Min. Deposit: $0	Open Account for Barclays Online CD On Barclays' Secure Website.
Forbright Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 5.25%	Term: 1 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
Huntington Bank Standard CD Member FDIC.	APY: 0.10%	Term: 1 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000
Valley Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.50%	Term: 1 Year	Min. Deposit: $500
Tab Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.25%	Term: 1 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
Chase Standard CD Member FDIC.	APY: 2.00%	Term: 1 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
Arvest Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: Up to 4.30%	Term: 1 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
Quontic CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.00%	Term: 1 Year	Min. Deposit: $500	Open Account for On Secure Website.
NexBank Standard CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.37%	Term: 1 Year	Min. Deposit: $10,000	Read Review
Salem Five Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.00%	Term: 1 Year	Min. Deposit: $10,000	Read Review
Edward Jones CD Member FDIC.	APY: 5.05%	Term: 1 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
First Internet Bank of Indiana CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.42%	Term: 1 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000
Discover® Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.10%	Term: 1 Year	Min. Deposit: $2,500	Open Account for Discover® Bank CD On Discover Bank's Secure Website.
TD Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 1.00% - 4.75%	Term: 1 Year	Min. Deposit: $250.00	Read Review
Vio Bank High-Yield CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.20%	Term: 1 Year	Min. Deposit: $500	Read Review
EverBank Performance℠ CD	APY: 4.70%	Term: 1 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
Santander Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.50%	Term: 1 Year	Min. Deposit: $500	Read Review
Republic Bank of Chicago CD Member FDIC.	APY: 0.75%	Term: 1 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000
First National Bank Standard CD Member FDIC.	APY: 1.00%	Term: 1 Year	Min. Deposit: $500
Citi CD Member FDIC.	APY: 2.75% to 3.75%	Term: 1 Year	Min. Deposit: $500	Read Review
First Tech CD	APY: up to 4.55%	Term: 1 Year	Min. Deposit: $500
Flushing Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.00%	Term: 1 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000
Freedom Bank No Penalty CDs from Raisin	APY: 3.75%	Term: 1 Year	Min. Deposit: $1	Read Review
Fidelity CD Member FDIC.	APY: 5.05%	Term: 1 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000
All America Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.75%	Term: 1 Year	Min. Deposit: —	Read Review
Charles Schwab CD Member FDIC.	APY: 5.40%	Term: 1 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
Synchrony Online CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.40%	Term: 1 Year	Min. Deposit: $0	Read Review
American Express National Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.35%	Term: 1 Year	Min. Deposit: $0	Read Review
Marcus by Goldman Sachs High Yield CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.70%	Term: 1 Year	Min. Deposit: $500	Read Review
LendingClub CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.10%	Term: 1 Year	Min. Deposit: $2,500	Open Account for LendingClub CD On LendingClub's Secure Website.
Connexus Credit Union Share CD	APY: up to 4.96%	Term: 1 Year	Min. Deposit: $5,000
Generations Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 5.20%	Term: 1 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000
Freedom Bank High-Yield CDs from Raisin	APY: 4.00%	Term: 1 Year	Min. Deposit: $1	Read Review
Citizens CD Member FDIC.	APY: 5.00%	Term: 1 Year	Min. Deposit: $5,000	Read Review
Bask Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.90%	Term: 1 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
Prime Alliance Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.75%	Term: 1 Year	Min. Deposit: $500	Read Review
Sallie Mae CD	APY: 4.70%	Term: 1 Year	Min. Deposit: $2,500	Read Review
BMO Bank Member FDIC.	APY: 2.00%	Term: 1 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
Capital One 360 CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.20%	Term: 1 Year	Min. Deposit: $0	Read Review
Western Alliance Bank CD	APY: 3.00%	Term: 1 Year	Min. Deposit: $1	Open Account for On Secure Website.
Third Federal Standard CD Member FDIC.	APY: 1.50%	Term: 1 Year	Min. Deposit: $500	Read Review
Popular Direct CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.30%	Term: 1 Year	Min. Deposit: $10,000	Read Review
NASA Federal Credit Union Share Certificate Federally insured by NCUA.	APY: 4.40%	Term: 1 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000
BMO CD Specials Member FDIC.	APY: 4.00%	Term: 13 Months	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
CIT Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.50%	Term: 13 Months	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Open Account for CIT Bank CD On CIT's Secure Website.
SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union CD Federally insured by NCUA.	APY: 5.00%	Term: 13 Months	Min. Deposit: $500
Pacific Western Bank Member FDIC.	APY: 5.15%	Term: 13 Months	Min. Deposit: —	Read Review
First National Bank Special CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.60%	Term: 13 Months	Min. Deposit: $5,000 or $10,000, depending on term
Republic Bank of Chicago CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.33%	Term: 13 Months	Min. Deposit: $1,000
Citi CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.00%	Term: 15 Months	Min. Deposit: $500	Read Review
NASA Federal Credit Union High-Yield Certificate Federally insured by NCUA.	APY: 4.54%	Term: 15 Months	Min. Deposit: $10,000
Golden 1 Credit Union CD Federally insured by NCUA.	APY: 5.10%	Term: 16 Months	Min. Deposit: $500	Read Review
TD Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 0.05%	Term: 1.5 Year	Min. Deposit: $250.00	Read Review
American Express National Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.25%	Term: 1.5 Year	Min. Deposit: $0	Read Review
Banc of California No-Penalty CD from Raisin	APY: 4.24%	Term: 1.5 Year	Min. Deposit: $1	Read Review
Fidelity CD Member FDIC.	APY: 5.00%	Term: 1.5 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000
Tab Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.95%	Term: 1.5 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
Charles Schwab CD Member FDIC.	APY: 5.15%	Term: 1.5 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
First National Bank Standard CD Member FDIC.	APY: 1.00%	Term: 1.5 Year	Min. Deposit: $500
Vanguard Brokered CD Member FDIC.	APY: 5.40%	Term: 1.5 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000
Republic Bank of Chicago CD Member FDIC.	APY: 1.00%	Term: 1.5 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000
Vio Bank High-Yield CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.00%	Term: 1.5 Year	Min. Deposit: $500	Read Review
Chase Standard CD Member FDIC.	APY: 2.50%	Term: 1.5 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
Third Federal Standard CD Member FDIC.	APY: 1.50%	Term: 1.5 Year	Min. Deposit: $500	Read Review
BMO Bank Member FDIC.	APY: 1.70%	Term: 1.5 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
Salem Five Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.50%	Term: 1.5 Year	Min. Deposit: $10,000	Read Review
Huntington Bank Standard CD Member FDIC.	APY: 0.10%	Term: 1.5 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000
Bask Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.75%	Term: 1.5 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
First Internet Bank of Indiana CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.15%	Term: 1.5 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000
NexBank Standard CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.98%	Term: 1.5 Year	Min. Deposit: $10,000	Read Review
CIT Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.00%	Term: 1.5 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Open Account for CIT Bank CD On CIT's Secure Website.
EverBank Performance℠ CD	APY: 4.00%	Term: 1.5 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
Citi CD Member FDIC.	APY: 2.00%	Term: 1.5 Year	Min. Deposit: $500	Read Review
Prime Alliance Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.50%	Term: 1.5 Year	Min. Deposit: $500	Read Review
Edward Jones CD Member FDIC.	APY: 5.00%	Term: 1.5 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
Popular Direct CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.85%	Term: 1.5 Year	Min. Deposit: $10,000	Read Review
First National Bank Special CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.50%	Term: 19 Months	Min. Deposit: $5,000 or $10,000, depending on term
Tab Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.85%	Term: 2 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
Barclays Online CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.00%	Term: 2 Year	Min. Deposit: $0	Open Account for Barclays Online CD On Barclays' Secure Website.
Fidelity CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.90%	Term: 2 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000
Charles Schwab CD Member FDIC.	APY: 5.25%	Term: 2 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
Citizens CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.00%	Term: 2 Year	Min. Deposit: $5,000	Read Review
Valley Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.00%	Term: 2 Year	Min. Deposit: $500
Third Federal Standard CD Member FDIC.	APY: 1.50%	Term: 2 Year	Min. Deposit: $500	Read Review
All America Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.25%	Term: 2 Year	Min. Deposit: —	Read Review
Vanguard Brokered CD Member FDIC.	APY: 5.35%	Term: 2 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000
Prime Alliance Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.25%	Term: 2 Year	Min. Deposit: $500	Read Review
NexBank Standard CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.55%	Term: 2 Year	Min. Deposit: $10,000	Read Review
EverBank Performance℠ CD	APY: 4.00%	Term: 2 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
Marcus by Goldman Sachs High Yield CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.00%	Term: 2 Year	Min. Deposit: $500	Read Review
NASA Federal Credit Union Share Certificate Federally insured by NCUA.	APY: 4.10%	Term: 2 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000
Connexus Credit Union Share CD	APY: up to 4.58%	Term: 2 Year	Min. Deposit: $5,000
Chase Standard CD Member FDIC.	APY: 2.50%	Term: 2 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
Generations Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.24%	Term: 2 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000
First National Bank Standard CD Member FDIC.	APY: 1.00%	Term: 2 Year	Min. Deposit: $500
Sallie Mae CD	APY: 4.05%	Term: 2 Year	Min. Deposit: $2,500	Read Review
Huntington Bank Standard CD Member FDIC.	APY: 0.10%	Term: 2 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000
Capital One 360 CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.70%	Term: 2 Year	Min. Deposit: $0	Read Review
Discover® Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.60%	Term: 2 Year	Min. Deposit: $2,500	Open Account for Discover® Bank CD On Discover Bank's Secure Website.
Vio Bank High-Yield CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.75%	Term: 2 Year	Min. Deposit: $500	Read Review
Forbright Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.00%	Term: 2 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
BMO Bank Member FDIC.	APY: 1.50%	Term: 2 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
American Express National Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.00%	Term: 2 Year	Min. Deposit: $0	Read Review
Edward Jones CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.90%	Term: 2 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
Banc of California No-Penalty CD from Raisin	APY: 4.03%	Term: 2 Year	Min. Deposit: $1	Read Review
Bread Savings CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.85%	Term: 2 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,500	Read Review
Popular Direct CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.80%	Term: 2 Year	Min. Deposit: $10,000	Read Review
Republic Bank of Chicago CD Member FDIC.	APY: 1.25%	Term: 2 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000
Bask Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.50%	Term: 2 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
Arvest Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: Up to 3.55%	Term: 2 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
First Tech CD	APY: up to 2.25%	Term: 2 Year	Min. Deposit: $500
Salem Five Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.50%	Term: 2 Year	Min. Deposit: $10,000	Read Review
TD Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 0.05%	Term: 2 Year	Min. Deposit: $250.00	Read Review
LendingClub CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.15%	Term: 2 Year	Min. Deposit: $2,500	Open Account for LendingClub CD On LendingClub's Secure Website.
First Internet Bank of Indiana CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.93%	Term: 2 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000
Citi CD Member FDIC.	APY: 2.00%	Term: 2 Year	Min. Deposit: $500	Read Review
Quontic CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.35%	Term: 2 Year	Min. Deposit: $500	Open Account for On Secure Website.
Synchrony Online CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.90%	Term: 2 Year	Min. Deposit: $0	Read Review
Flushing Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.75%	Term: 2 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000
First National Bank Special CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.50%	Term: 25 Months	Min. Deposit: $5,000 or $10,000, depending on term
BMO CD Specials Member FDIC.	APY: 3.75%	Term: 25 Months	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
Discover® Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.50%	Term: 30 Months	Min. Deposit: $2,500	Open Account for Discover® Bank CD On Discover Bank's Secure Website.
Third Federal Standard CD Member FDIC.	APY: 1.50%	Term: 30 Months	Min. Deposit: $500	Read Review
EverBank Performance℠ CD	APY: 3.80%	Term: 30 Months	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
BMO CD Specials Member FDIC.	APY: 3.75%	Term: 35 Months	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
First National Bank Special CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.00%	Term: 35 Months	Min. Deposit: $5,000 or $10,000, depending on term
First Tech CD	APY: up to 2.45%	Term: 3 Year	Min. Deposit: $500
All America Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.75%	Term: 3 Year	Min. Deposit: —	Read Review
LendingClub CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.00%	Term: 3 Year	Min. Deposit: $2,500	Open Account for LendingClub CD On LendingClub's Secure Website.
First Internet Bank of Indiana CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.77%	Term: 3 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000
Ally High Yield CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.60%	Term: 3 Year	Min. Deposit: $0	Read Review
Tab Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.60%	Term: 3 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
Discover® Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.50%	Term: 3 Year	Min. Deposit: $2,500	Open Account for Discover® Bank CD On Discover Bank's Secure Website.
Sallie Mae CD	APY: 4.00%	Term: 3 Year	Min. Deposit: $2,500	Read Review
Prime Alliance Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.00%	Term: 3 Year	Min. Deposit: $500	Read Review
Capital One 360 CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.60%	Term: 3 Year	Min. Deposit: $0	Read Review
Fidelity CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.80%	Term: 3 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000
Vanguard Brokered CD Member FDIC.	APY: 5.35%	Term: 3 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000
Edward Jones CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.80%	Term: 3 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
TD Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 0.05%	Term: 3 Year	Min. Deposit: $250.00	Read Review
EverBank Performance℠ CD	APY: 3.75%	Term: 3 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
Forbright Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.00%	Term: 3 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
Republic Bank of Chicago CD Member FDIC.	APY: 1.50%	Term: 3 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000
Quontic CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.25%	Term: 3 Year	Min. Deposit: $500	Open Account for On Secure Website.
Popular Direct CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.65%	Term: 3 Year	Min. Deposit: $10,000	Read Review
BMO Bank Member FDIC.	APY: 1.40%	Term: 3 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
Charles Schwab CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.65%	Term: 3 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
Citi CD Member FDIC.	APY: 2.00%	Term: 3 Year	Min. Deposit: $500	Read Review
Third Federal Standard CD Member FDIC.	APY: 1.50%	Term: 3 Year	Min. Deposit: $500	Read Review
Huntington Bank Standard CD Member FDIC.	APY: 0.10%	Term: 3 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000
American Express National Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.00%	Term: 3 Year	Min. Deposit: $0	Read Review
Barclays Online CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.00%	Term: 3 Year	Min. Deposit: $0	Open Account for Barclays Online CD On Barclays' Secure Website.
NASA Federal Credit Union Share Certificate Federally insured by NCUA.	APY: 4.00%	Term: 3 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000
Bread Savings CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.50%	Term: 3 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,500	Read Review
Marcus by Goldman Sachs High Yield CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.15%	Term: 3 Year	Min. Deposit: $500	Read Review
Citizens CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.35%	Term: 3 Year	Min. Deposit: $5,000	Read Review
First National Bank Standard CD Member FDIC.	APY: 1.00%	Term: 3 Year	Min. Deposit: $500
NexBank Standard CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.44%	Term: 3 Year	Min. Deposit: $10,000	Read Review
Synchrony Online CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.00%	Term: 3 Year	Min. Deposit: $0	Read Review
Salem Five Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 2.00%	Term: 3 Year	Min. Deposit: $10,000	Read Review
Chase Standard CD Member FDIC.	APY: 2.50%	Term: 3 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
PNC Fixed Rate CD Member FDIC.	APY: up to 1.75%	Term: 37 Months	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
BMO CD Specials Member FDIC.	APY: 3.80%	Term: 45 Months	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
EverBank Performance℠ CD	APY: 3.70%	Term: 4 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
BMO Bank Member FDIC.	APY: 1.35%	Term: 4 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
First Internet Bank of Indiana CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.62%	Term: 4 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000
First National Bank Standard CD Member FDIC.	APY: 1.00%	Term: 4 Year	Min. Deposit: $500
Marcus by Goldman Sachs High Yield CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.00%	Term: 4 Year	Min. Deposit: $500	Read Review
All America Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.49%	Term: 4 Year	Min. Deposit: —	Read Review
Citizens CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.40%	Term: 4 Year	Min. Deposit: $5,000	Read Review
Charles Schwab CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.75%	Term: 4 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
Citi CD Member FDIC.	APY: 2.00%	Term: 4 Year	Min. Deposit: $500	Read Review
Discover® Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.40%	Term: 4 Year	Min. Deposit: $2,500	Open Account for Discover® Bank CD On Discover Bank's Secure Website.
Republic Bank of Chicago CD Member FDIC.	APY: 1.50%	Term: 4 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000
Popular Direct CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.60%	Term: 4 Year	Min. Deposit: $10,000	Read Review
Edward Jones CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.55%	Term: 4 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
Fidelity CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.55%	Term: 4 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000
Tab Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.40%	Term: 4 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
Prime Alliance Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.75%	Term: 4 Year	Min. Deposit: $500	Read Review
Chase Standard CD Member FDIC.	APY: 2.50%	Term: 4 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
Vanguard Brokered CD Member FDIC.	APY: 5.25%	Term: 4 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000
American Express National Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.00%	Term: 4 Year	Min. Deposit: $0	Read Review
NexBank Standard CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.34%	Term: 4 Year	Min. Deposit: $10,000	Read Review
Bread Savings CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.50%	Term: 4 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,500	Read Review
Capital One 360 CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.55%	Term: 4 Year	Min. Deposit: $0	Read Review
Salem Five Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 2.25%	Term: 4 Year	Min. Deposit: $10,000	Read Review
Synchrony Online CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.00%	Term: 4 Year	Min. Deposit: $0	Read Review
Ponce Bank High-Yield CD from Raisin	APY: 1.61%	Term: 4 Year	Min. Deposit: $1	Read Review
Huntington Bank Standard CD Member FDIC.	APY: 0.10%	Term: 4 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000
Barclays Online CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.00%	Term: 4 Year	Min. Deposit: $0	Open Account for Barclays Online CD On Barclays' Secure Website.
NASA Federal Credit Union Share Certificate Federally insured by NCUA.	APY: 3.85%	Term: 4 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000
NASA Federal Credit Union High-Yield Certificate Federally insured by NCUA.	APY: 4.09%	Term: 49 Months	Min. Deposit: $10,000
First National Bank Special CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.00%	Term: 52 Months	Min. Deposit: $5,000 or $10,000, depending on term
BMO CD Specials Member FDIC.	APY: 3.90%	Term: 59 Months	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
Republic Bank of Chicago CD Member FDIC.	APY: 1.50%	Term: 5 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000
American Express National Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.00%	Term: 5 Year	Min. Deposit: $0	Read Review
Vanguard Brokered CD Member FDIC.	APY: 5.35%	Term: 5 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000
Capital One 360 CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.50%	Term: 5 Year	Min. Deposit: $0	Read Review
Prime Alliance Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.75%	Term: 5 Year	Min. Deposit: $500	Read Review
Ally High Yield CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.60%	Term: 5 Year	Min. Deposit: $0	Read Review
Popular Direct CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.55%	Term: 5 Year	Min. Deposit: $10,000	Read Review
Citizens CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.45%	Term: 5 Year	Min. Deposit: $5,000	Read Review
Citi CD Member FDIC.	APY: 2.00%	Term: 5 Year	Min. Deposit: $500	Read Review
Sallie Mae CD	APY: 3.85%	Term: 5 Year	Min. Deposit: $2,500	Read Review
Huntington Bank Standard CD Member FDIC.	APY: 0.10%	Term: 5 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000
NexBank Standard CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.29%	Term: 5 Year	Min. Deposit: $10,000	Read Review
First Tech CD	APY: up to 3.55%	Term: 5 Year	Min. Deposit: $500
NASA Federal Credit Union Share Certificate Federally insured by NCUA.	APY: 3.75%	Term: 5 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000
Salem Five Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 2.25%	Term: 5 Year	Min. Deposit: $10,000	Read Review
Tab Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.25%	Term: 5 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
First Internet Bank of Indiana CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.67%	Term: 5 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000
EverBank Performance℠ CD	APY: 3.65%	Term: 5 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
Fidelity CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.50%	Term: 5 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000
Chase Standard CD Member FDIC.	APY: 2.50%	Term: 5 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
All America Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.49%	Term: 5 Year	Min. Deposit: —	Read Review
Charles Schwab CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.65%	Term: 5 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
Bread Savings CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.50%	Term: 5 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,500	Read Review
Edward Jones CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.50%	Term: 5 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
Marcus by Goldman Sachs High Yield CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.00%	Term: 5 Year	Min. Deposit: $500	Read Review
TD Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 0.05%	Term: 5 Year	Min. Deposit: $250.00	Read Review
BMO Bank Member FDIC.	APY: 1.35%	Term: 5 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
First National Bank Standard CD Member FDIC.	APY: 1.50%	Term: 5 Year	Min. Deposit: $500
Discover® Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.40%	Term: 5 Year	Min. Deposit: $2,500	Open Account for Discover® Bank CD On Discover Bank's Secure Website.
Synchrony Online CD Member FDIC.	APY: 4.00%	Term: 5 Year	Min. Deposit: $0	Read Review
Third Federal Standard CD Member FDIC.	APY: 1.50%	Term: 5 Year	Min. Deposit: $500	Read Review
Barclays Online CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.25%	Term: 5 Year	Min. Deposit: $0	Open Account for Barclays Online CD On Barclays' Secure Website.
LendingClub CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.40%	Term: 5 Year	Min. Deposit: $2,500	Open Account for LendingClub CD On LendingClub's Secure Website.
Quontic CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.00%	Term: 5 Year	Min. Deposit: $500	Open Account for On Secure Website.
Forbright Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.00%	Term: 5 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
First National Bank Special CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.00%	Term: 61 Months	Min. Deposit: $5,000 or $10,000, depending on term
PNC Fixed Rate CD Member FDIC.	APY: up to 2.00%	Term: 61 Months	Min. Deposit: $1,000	Read Review
Huntington Bank Standard CD Member FDIC.	APY: 0.10%	Term: 6 Year	Min. Deposit: $1,000
Marcus by Goldman Sachs High Yield CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.90%	Term: 6 Year	Min. Deposit: $500	Read Review
Third Federal Standard CD Member FDIC.	APY: 1.50%	Term: 6 Year	Min. Deposit: $500	Read Review
Discover® Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.40%	Term: 7 Year	Min. Deposit: $2,500	Open Account for Discover® Bank CD On Discover Bank's Secure Website.
Discover® Bank CD Member FDIC.	APY: 3.40%	Term: 10 Year	Min. Deposit: $2,500	Open Account for Discover® Bank CD On Discover Bank's Secure Website.

Our CDs methodology

At The Motley Fool Ascent, our certificates of deposit (CDs) ratings primarily focus on annual percentage yield (APY) and early withdrawal penalty fees. Our highest-rated CDs generally include competitive APYs without complex qualification tiers, low withdrawal fees, reliable brand trust and reputation, and ease of use.
The Ascent tracks just standard CDs, not IRA, bump up, callable, and other less popular CD accounts. CD rates displayed on this Best 18-Month CD Rates page are comprised of both the highest CD rates in The Ascent's universe of tracked rates and featured placements from advertisers. Ordering within lists is influenced by advertiser compensation, including featured placements at the top of a given list.
Learn more about how The Motley Fool Ascent rates bank accounts.

A note from our head of product ratings, Robin Hartill, CFP®

The CD accounts we select maximize the earnings on your savings while providing security and predictability. Here’s what we emphasize:

Competitive interest rates
Reasonable minimum deposit
Low fees and withdrawal penalties

These elements are critical to keeping your savings safe and compounding.

Reviews of the top 18-month CDs

Discover® Bank CD 18 Months (3.80% APY)

What we like about this 18-month CD: Discover® Bank is a full-service bank (not just a credit card issuer), and there's a lot to enjoy about its fully online experience -- including competitive CD terms.
What you should know before opening an account: You'll have to deposit a sizable amount of cash ($2,500) to open a Discover® Bank CD. They might not be right for your CD ladder or your first try with CDs.

Learn more on Discover® Bank's website

Barclays Online CD 18 Months (3.25% APY)

What we like about this 18-month CD: Brand new to CDs? You can open a Barclays 18-month CD with as little as $1.
What you should know before opening an account: This isn't the most competitive 18-month CD on our list, but that lack of required minimum deposit could make it a good option for building a CD ladder.

Learn more on Barclays' website

LendingClub CD 18 Months (4.40% APY)

What we like about this 18-month CD: If you value banking security, LendingClub 18-month CDs should be on your radar. Your data will be protected with 256-bit encryption.
What you should know before opening an account: LendingClub CDs offer very competitive rates, but come with a pretty high minimum deposit requirement ($2,500).

Learn more on LendingClub's website

Sallie Mae CD 18 Months (4.35% APY)

What we like about this 18-month CD: Sallie Mae CDs are highly rated and offer a fully online experience.
What you should know before opening an account: Sallie Mae CDs have a high minimum deposit requirement ($2,500), so it might be difficult to fit them into a CD ladder with a minimal amount of money.

Read our full Sallie Mae CD review

Capital One 360 CD 18 Months (3.90% APY)

What we like about this 18-month CD: You can open a Capital One 360 CD with no minimum balance required. This combined with Capital One's 10 available CD terms makes them a great fit for CD laddering.
What you should know before opening an account: Capital One doesn't offer bump-up or no-penalty CDs, so only open a CD with Capital One if you're sure you can commit to the full term.

Read our full Capital One 360 CD review

Alliant CD 18 Months (4.25% APY)

What we like about this 18-month CD: You can profit from your Alliant CD while it's still open with its Dividend Withdrawal option.
What you should know before opening an account: You'll need a lot of money to open a single Alliant CD, so choose your term carefully to earn the most interest. Alliant CDs might not be a great fit for CD laddering due to this.

Read our full Alliant CD review

Ally High Yield CD 18 months (4.10% APY)

What we like about this 18-month CD: Ally High Yield CDs offer generous rates on 18-month CDs, along with no minimum opening deposit. If you're dipping a toe into CDs, you could do worse than building your CD ladder here.
What you should know before opening an account: You can't directly deposit cash at Ally Bank, so if you wanted to open this CD with cash, you'd need to deposit it into a different bank, then transfer it over to Ally.

Read our full Ally High Yield CD review

Marcus by Goldman Sachs High Yield CD 18 Months (4.25% APY)

What we like about this 18-month CD: Want to add more cash to your CD after it's open? You can do that with a Marcus by Goldman Sachs High Yield CD, for up to 30 days.
What you should know before opening an account: Marcus by Goldman Sachs High Yield CDs offer nine terms, including some special CDs that come without penalties or let you bump up your rate.

Read our full Marcus by Goldman Sachs High Yield CD review

Synchrony Online CD 18 Months (4.25% APY)

What we like about this 18-month CD: Synchrony Online CDs can be opened with no minimum balance, and you can use your CDs to generate income by withdrawing interest as you earn it.
What you should know before opening an account: If you withdraw interest over time, you won't earn the same yield as if you left your earnings in the account to compound for the duration of the CD's term.

Read our full Synchrony Online CD review

What is an 18-month CD?

An 18-month CD is a bank account that gives you a guaranteed interest rate for 1.5 years in exchange for limited access to your deposit. Unless it's a no-penalty CD, you typically can't withdraw your deposit without consequences until the 18-month CD matures, although some allow you to withdraw interest after it's credited to your account.

Will 18-month CD rates increase in 2024?

CD rates increased significantly in 2022 and 2023, but it's unlikely they'll continue rising in 2024. On the contrary, it's more likely rates will fall before the year is over.

We would likely see an increase in CD rates if annual inflation rose significantly followed by the Federal Reserve hiking the federal funds rate to combat it. This was what happened between 2022 and 2023, which brought the fed rate to a range of 5.25% to 5.50%. Although annual inflation has not fallen into the Fed's desired range of 2%, the central bank has kept its fed rate steady since its July 2023 meeting on the basis of improved annual inflation data.

Once the Fed believes it has a grip on inflation, it will start dropping its fed rate, which will have an impact on CD rates. In fact, many CD rates, including some 18-month CDs, have already started to drop, as CD providers anticipate rate cuts in the near future. All in all, if you're in the market for an 18-month CD, now might be the time to lock in.

Pros and cons of an 18-month CD

An 18-month CD can be a great way to lock in a guaranteed APY for a year and a half, but like most financial products, it isn't the best fit for everyone.

Pros

Guaranteed APY: If a CD advertises a certain APY, that's what you'll get for the entire term. This is a big advantage over high-yield savings accounts, whose APYs can rise or fall at any time at the bank's discretion.
Higher APY than savings account: You can typically find higher yields with 18-month CDs than you can with most savings accounts. Banks tend to compensate you for your willingness to commit to leaving your money deposited for a certain amount of time.
FDIC insured: Unlike certain other types of fixed-income investment vehicles, CDs are FDIC insured to a maximum of $250,000 per person, per institution. Some banks even use innovative technologies to partner with other institutions to offer even more FDIC coverage.

Cons

Early withdrawal penalty: If you need to access your money before the end of the term, you'll have to pay a penalty, usually equal to a few months' worth of interest. Before you get an 18-month CD, you need to be reasonably sure you can leave your money in the account for the entire term.
No benefit from rising rates: The guaranteed APY feature of a CD works both ways. Sure, it's great to have an 18-month CD with an APY of 5.00% if market interest rates fall to 3.00%. On the other hand, if interest rates spike higher, you're stuck with a 5.00% yield.

Who is an 18-month CD right for?

An 18-month CD can be a great choice for people who want a guaranteed APY for well over a year, but who don't want to commit to leaving their money in an account for three or five (or more) years. They can be excellent choices for money you don't need right away, but may need a few years down the road.

Alternatives to an 18-month CD

An 18-month CD can be a great compromise between a guaranteed APY for a period and not keeping your money tied up for too long. However, they aren't a good option for everyone.

High-yield savings accounts

There are some excellent financial institutions that offer savings accounts with high yields that in many cases can be on-par with or higher than what you'll find from an 18-month CD. The main advantage is that your money won't be tied up for any specific length of time, but the drawback is that your APY isn't guaranteed and can rise or fall at any time. If you're not planning on needing access to your money regularly, but still want it readily available in case an unforeseen expense comes up, a high-yield savings account could be the better option for you.

Money market accounts

A money market account combines some of the best features of high-yield saving accounts and checking accounts. You can find money market accounts with APYs that are close to what high-yield saving accounts and CDs offer, but you don't have any time commitment and you can usually access your money through an ATM or write checks on the account.

Treasury bonds

If you're looking for an investment with a guaranteed return, Treasury bonds can be a good alternative to CDs. You can usually buy Treasuries through a brokerage account, or you can open an account directly with the United States Treasury. Treasury bonds (technically, they're called bills, bonds, and notes depending on the maturity length) are offered with terms from a few days through 30 years, so there is more flexibility than with CDs, which typically come in a handful of term lengths.

To recap, the highest 18-month CD rates

Offer	APY	Min. Deposit
Discover® Bank CD On Discover Bank's Secure Website.	3.80% - 1.5 Yr.	$2,500
Barclays Online CD On Barclays' Secure Website.	3.25% - 1.5 Yr.	$0
LendingClub CD On LendingClub's Secure Website.	4.40% - 1.5 Yr.	$2,500
Sallie Mae CD	4.35% - 1.5 Yr.	$2,500
Capital One 360 CD	3.90% - 1.5 Yr.	$0
Alliant CD	4.25% - 1.5 Yr.	$1,000
Ally High Yield CD	4.10% - 1.5 Yr.	$0
Marcus by Goldman Sachs High Yield CD	4.25% - 1.5 Yr.	$500
Synchrony Online CD	4.25% - 1.5 Yr.	$0

APY = Annual Percentage Yield

Other CD lengths to consider

Banks we monitor

Here are the 100+ financial institutions we've evaluated in our research:

Alliant, Ally, All America Bank, American First Credit Union, American Express® National Bank, Arvest Bank, Aspiration, Axos Bank, B2 Bank, Bank of America, Bank5 Connect, Bank7, Barclays, Bask Bank, Betterment, Bluevine, BMO Bank, Bread Financial, Capital One, Carver Federal Savings Bank, Charles Schwab Bank, Chase, Chime, CIT, Citibank, Citizens, Citizens Savings Bank, Columbia Bank, Connexus Credit Union, Consumers Credit Union, Copper, Cross River Bank, Customers Bank, Discover® Bank, E*TRADEEdward Jones, EverBank, Fidelity, Fifth Third Bank, First Foundation Bank, First Internet Bank of Indiana, First National Bank, First Tech Federal Credit Union, Flushing Bank, Freedom Bank, Generations Bank, GN Bank, Golden 1 Credit Union, Greenlight, Harborstone Credit Union, HSBC, Huntington Bank, Ivella, Kabbage by American Express, KeyBank, Laurel Road, LendingClub, Liberty Bank, Liberty Federal Credit Union, Marcus by Goldman Sachs, Mercury, Municipal Credit Union, Mutual of Omaha, NASA Federal Credit Union, Nationwide Bank, Navy Federal Credit Union, NBKC Bank, New York Community Bank, Northpointe Bank, Novo, OceanFirst Bank, Old National Bank, ONE Finance, OneUnited Bank, Oxygen, Pacific Western Bank, PNC Bank, Ponce Bank, Popular Direct, Presidential Bank, Prime Alliance Bank, Quontic, Radius, Raisin, Redneck Bank, Regions Bank, Relay, Republic Bank of Chicago, Revolut, Salem Five Bank, Sallie Mae, Santander Bank, SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union, Simple, SoFi®, Synchrony Bank, Tab Bank, TD Bank, Third Federal, Truist Bank, U.S. Bank, UFB, Upgrade, USAA, Valley Bank, Vanguard, Varo Bank, Vio Bank, Wealthfront, Wells Fargo, Western Alliance Bank, and Zeta.

FAQs

You should consider an 18-month CD if you want to lock in a competitive APY but you don't want the time commitment of a longer-term CD. 18-month CDs often offer higher APYs than savings accounts or longer-term CDs, and can be great options if you're worried about interest rates falling in the near future.
An 18-month CD can be worthwhile for your savings if you want to lock in a competitive APY for a year and a half, and are reasonably sure you aren't going to need access to your money for at least that long.
An 18-month CD starts by opening an account with a bank or credit union. You'll deposit an initial sum, which you won't touch for 1.5 years, then let it grow by your CD's interest rate. When your CD matures, you can renew your 18-month contract, open another CD with different terms, or transfer your money to another bank account.

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Best 18-Month CD Rates of October 2024