Best CD rates today, Wednesday, September 16, 2026: Earn up to 4.40% APY with Happen Bank

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Deposit account rates are on the decline. The good news: You can lock in a competitive return on a certificate of deposit (CD) today and preserve your earning power. In fact, the best CDs still pay rates of 4% or higher. Read on for a snapshot of CD rates today and where to find the best offers.

CDs today typically offer rates significantly higher than traditional savings accounts. Currently, the best short-term CDs (six to 12 months) generally offer rates around 4% to 4.5% APY.

Today, Wednesday, September 16, 2026 , the highest CD rate is 4.40% , and it's offered by Happen Bank on its 2-year CD.

The following is a look at some of the best CD rates available today from our verified partners:

The 2000s were marked by the dot-com bubble and later, the global financial crisis of 2008. Though the early 2000s saw relatively higher CD rates, they began to fall as the economy slowed and the Federal Reserve cut its target rate to stimulate growth. By 2009, in the aftermath of the financial crisis, the average one-year CD paid around 1% APY, with five-year CDs at less than 2% APY.

The trend of falling CD rates continued into the 2010s, especially after the Great Recession of 2007-2009. The Fed's policies to stimulate the economy (in particular, its decision to keep its benchmark interest rate near zero) led banks to offer very low rates on CDs. By 2013, average rates on 6-month CDs fell to about 0.1% APY, while 5-year CDs returned an average of 0.8% APY.

However, things changed between 2015 and 2018, when the Fed started gradually increasing rates again. At this point, CD rates showed a slight improvement as the economy expanded, marking the end of nearly a decade of ultra-low rates. However, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020 led to emergency rate cuts by the Fed, causing CD rates to fall to new record lows.