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Best 1-year CD rates for October 2026: Lock in up to 4.4% APY

If you want to put your savings to work without taking on market risk, a 1-year certificate of deposit (CD) could be the right place for your money.

As of October 2026, the best 1-year CD accounts offer rates ranging from 3.65%-4.4% APY. The minimum deposit required to open an account ranges from $0 to $2,500. None of these accounts charge monthly fees. Read on to see our full list of the 10 best 1-year CDs available today.

Not sure where to start? Our team evaluated dozens of accounts to determine the 10 best 1-year CDs available today. Find out where you can earn the most on your savings with minimal fees, low deposit requirements, and excellent customer service. ( See our full methodology here .)

FINANCIAL INSTITUTION

APY

MINIMUM OPENING DEPOSIT

4.15%

$0

4.2%

$0

4.4%

$500

4.05%

$500

4%

$0

3.65%

$0

4.35%

$1,000

4.1%

$1,000

4.3%

$2,500

4%

$500

Note that all interest rates, fees, and requirements are accurate as of the publish date. Please verify account details directly with the financial institution.


  • APY: 4.15%

  • Minimum opening deposit: $0

Ally Bank's 1-year CD offers a competitive 4.15% APY and $0 minimum deposit, making it a great option for savers who are just getting started. Interest compounds daily.

The penalty for making an early withdrawal is 60 days' interest.

Read our full review of Ally Bank

  • APY: 4.2%

  • Minimum opening deposit: $0

Synchrony Bank's 1-year CD is free to open and offers a competitive 4.2% APY. Interest compounds daily. However, this account poses a stiffer penalty for early withdrawals (90 days' simple interest at the current rate).

Read our full review of Synchrony Bank

  • APY: 4.4%

  • Minimum opening deposit: $500

The Marcus by Goldman Sachs 1-year CD offers 4.4% APY — more than double the national average rate for this term. Interest compounds daily. A minimum of $500 is required to open an account.

The early withdrawal penalty for this CD is equal to 90 days' interest on the original principal balance at the interest rate in effect for the CD.

Read our full review of Marcus by Goldman Sachs

  • APY: 4.05%

  • Minimum opening deposit: $500

America First Credit Union's 1-year CD offers a competitive rate of 4.05% APY with a minimum deposit requirement of $500. Interest compounds monthly, which is less frequent than some of the other accounts on our list.

Early withdrawals from this CD incur a penalty of 60 days' dividends.

Read our full review of America First Credit Union

  • APY: 4%

  • Minimum opening deposit: $0

Capital One's 1-year CD offers a competitive 4% APY. There is no minimum deposit required to open an account. However, your CD may not exceed $1,000,000.

Early withdrawal from a Capital One CD results in a penalty of three to six months' interest, depending on the term.

Annual Percentage Yields (APY) are variable and effective as of 4/3/2026. CD rates are fixed upon opening the account. Early withdrawal penalties apply. The above terms are offered at this time and are subject to change. 360 CD accounts have no monthly cycle service charge and no minimum balance required to open or maintain the account. Compounding and crediting - interest on your account will be compounded and credited on a monthly basis. Your account will only receive an interest posting if the amount earned during the month rounds to at least $0.01.

Read our full review of Capital One

  • APY: 3.65%

  • Minimum opening deposit: $0

The 1-year CD from American Express National Bank offers 3.65% APY and requires no minimum opening deposit. The early withdrawal penalty is equal to 270 days' interest on the amount withdrawn at the current rate.

Read our full review of American Express National Bank

  • APY: 4.35%

  • Minimum opening deposit: $1,000

Bask Bank's 1-year CD offers 4.35% APY, though it does require a higher minimum opening deposit of $1,000. On the plus side, it does not come with any monthly fees. Interest on this account compounds daily.

Early withdrawals result in a penalty of 90 days' simple interest based on the principal amount withdrawn.

Read our full review of Bask Bank

  • APY: 4.1%

  • Minimum opening deposit: $1,000

TAB Bank's 1-year CD has one of the highest minimum opening deposits on our list at $1,000. However, this account also offers a competitive 4.1% APY. Interest compounds daily.

The early withdrawal penalty for this account is equal to 90 days' interest on the amount withdrawn.

Read our full review of TAB Bank

  • APY: 4.3%

  • Minimum opening deposit: $2,500

Live Oak Bank's 1-year CD offers an impressive 4.3% APY, though the minimum opening deposit is also the highest of all banks on our list at $2,500.

The early withdrawal penalty for this 1-year CD is 90 days' simple interest.

Quontic Bank

  • APY: 4%

  • Minimum opening deposit: $500

Quontic Bank rounds out our top 10 list with a 1-year CD that earns 4% APY. The minimum opening deposit is a modest $500. Interest compounds daily and is credited monthly.

For CDs with terms up to 12 months, the early withdrawal penalty is equal to the interest for the full length of the stated term.

Read our full review of Quontic Bank

Currently, the highest 1-year CD rate among the best CDs available today is 4.4% APY, offered by Marcus by Goldman Sachs. The minimum opening deposit required is $500.

The amount of interest you can expect to earn on a 1-year CD depends on your CD rate.

For example, if you open a 1-year CD with the current national average rate of 1.73%, you can expect to earn about $173 in interest over one year.

However, if you choose a 1-year CD with an interest rate of 4%, your interest earnings would be $400 over the same period.

A $100,000 CD will earn varying amounts of interest over the course of a year, depending on your CD term and interest rate.

Average national rates range from 0.23% for a 1-month CD to 1.73% for a 1-year CD. However, many financial institutions offer rates well above those national averages and could yield significantly higher returns on a balance of $100,000.

If you deposited $100,000 into a 1-year CD earning 4% APY, for example, you'd receive $4,000 in interest.

The length of your CD term should be chosen based on your savings goals. The longer your CD term, the longer you agree to keep your money on deposit. So, in addition to interest rates, minimum deposit requirements, and early withdrawal penalties, you should also consider the timeline for your savings goal and when you'll need to access the funds.

Compare the best CD rates by term:

Our grading system, collected and carefully reviewed by our personal finance experts, comprised over 300 data points for federally insured CDs with 1-year terms. We used this data to develop our list of the best CDs.

We evaluated these accounts according to several key metrics, including annual percentage yield, minimum opening deposit, compounding frequency, and more.

The accounts on our list could earn a maximum of 25 points across all metrics. Here's a closer look at the categories we considered:

  • Annual percentage yield (APY):Accounts with higher APYs were rewarded with more points than those with lower APYs. Note that rates on our list are current at the time of publishing, but are subject to change at any time.

  • Minimum opening deposit:Many CDs require a minimum deposit to open an account. Accounts with no or low minimum deposit requirements ranked more favorably than those with higher opening deposit requirements.

  • Compounding frequency:Compounding can occur daily, monthly, quarterly, or even annually. We awarded more points to accounts that compound interest frequently.

  • Customer service contact methods:Our team awarded one point for every contact method available to customers (phone, email, chat).

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