CD Rate Trends, Week of August 29: Gains in short-term CDs

The top nationwide rate for most certificate of deposit (CD) terms was flat this week, with two exceptions. The rate on the top-paying 1-year CD is about a tenth of a point above last week’s, while the 6-month term gained a new dramatic leader, which raised the ceiling to 4.00%. Also notable is that this 6-month rate is the highest among all the terms, including long duration CDs.

On July 27, the Federal Reserve hiked the federal funds rate for the fourth time this calendar year. It was the second consecutive time the Fed increased rates by an unusually large three-quarters of a percentage point, on top of two previous increases this spring. As a result, CD rates have bolted dramatically higher since March, and they are likely to continue rising over the coming year.

CD rates since the end 2021 haven’t just climbed, they’ve multiplied, with many of this week’s top rates sitting at more than three times what the best CDs were paying just six months ago. Take 3-year CDs, for example. The highest rate on a nationally available 3-year CD was 1.11% in late December. Today, the top-paying 36-month certificate boasts a rate of 3.55%.

The Federal Reserve and CD Rates

Every six to eight weeks, the Federal Reserve’s rate-setting committee holds a two-day meeting. One of the primary outcomes of the eight gatherings throughout the year is the Fed’s announcement on whether they are moving the federal funds rate up, down, or unchanged.

The federal funds rate does not directly dictate what banks will pay customers for CD deposits. Instead, the federal funds rate is simply the rate banks pay each other when they borrow or lend their excess reserves to each other overnight. However, when the federal funds rate is something higher than zero, it provides an incentive for banks to look to consumers as a potentially cheaper source of deposits, which they then try to attract by raising savings, money market, and CD rates.

At the start of the pandemic, the Fed announced an emergency rate cut to 0% as a way to help the economy stave off a financial disaster. And for a full two years, the federal funds rate remained at 0%.

But in March 2022, the Fed initiated a 0.25% rate increase and indicated it would be the first of many. By the May 2022 meeting, the Fed was already announcing a second increase, of 0.50% this time. But both of those of hikes were just a prelude to the larger 0.75 percentage point hike the Fed announced in mid-June, and then another 0.75-point hike on July 27.

Before the Fed makes any rate change, there is usually a reasonable understanding of what they’ll unveil before they actually announce it. As a result, many banks and credit unions start making anticipatory rate increases, while others opt to wait until the rate hike is cemented.

The next Fed meeting announcement will be made on September 21.

What Is the Predicted Trend for CD Rates?

The Fed’s four rate increases this year are still just the beginning. Raising rates is a way to fight inflation, and with U.S. inflation running exceptionally hot right now, the Fed is publicly planning to implement a series of numerous rate hikes through 2022 and likely into 2023.

While the Fed rate doesn’t impact long-term debt like mortgage rates, it does directly influence the direction of short-term consumer debt and deposit rates. So with several 2022 hikes still to come, one would expect CD rates to rise considerably higher as this year progresses.

That doesn’t mean you should avoid locking in a CD now. But it does mean you should consider shorter-term certificates so that you’ll be able to capitalize on higher rates that become available in the not-too-distant future. Another option is to consider a special CD type, sometimes called a “raise your rate CD” or “step-up CD,” which allows you to activate one rate increase on your existing CD if rates go considerably higher.

Rate Collection Methodology Disclosure

Every business day, Investopedia tracks the rate data of more than 200 banks and credit unions that offer CDs to customers nationwide and determines daily rankings of the top-paying certificates in every major term. To qualify for our lists, the institution must be federally insured (FDIC for banks, NCUA for credit unions), and the CD’s minimum initial deposit must not exceed $25,000.