Compare 4-year CD rates: We track the highest paying, nationally available 4-year CDs from federally insured banks and credit unions. Below we list the 48-month CDs in our database, ordered from highest APY to lowest and highlight a handful of the CDs we believe are the best to own right now.

Editor’s Pick

BMO Alto offers a 48-month CD with a top-tier fixed interest rate of 3.80%. There is no minimum deposit required to open this four-year CD and all BMO Alto CDs are FDIC-insured up to the $250,000 maximum.

  • Current APY – 3.80%
  • Minimum Deposit Requirement – None
  • Early Withdrawal Penalty – 180 days of simple interest

The Rest of the Best 4-Year CDs

1. Credit Human

credit human FCU

Certificate of Deposit

Member NCUA

APY

%

Term

36-59 Months

Min. Deposit

$500

Our Rating: 4.7

★★★★

Pros


  • No fees
  • Excellent rate

Cons


  • Requires $500 min. deposit
  • Early withdrawal penalty

Early Withdrawal Penalty

365 days of simple interest

Min. Opening Balance

$500

Credit Human has a variety of CD terms available, none better than the 36-59 month CD above. There are no fees to open this CD but it does require a $500 minimum deposit.

A CD of this term with Credit Human includes a simple interest penalty of 365 days if you close your CD early. One full year of interest is lost if you don’t make it to term so try to avoid this at all costs.

2. Discover® CD

Certificate of Deposit

Member FDIC

APY

3.40%

Term

48 Months

Min. Deposit

$0

Our Rating: 4.6

★★★★

Pros


  • No fees
  • Excellent rate

Cons


  • Early withdrawal penalty
  • No deposit requirement

Early Withdrawal Penalty

9 months of simple interest

Min. Opening Balance

$0

Discover has one of the best reputations around and their 4-year CD offers a strong return. Discover also has checking, savings and IRA products to expand your portfolio.

When opening a 4-year CD with Discover, be mindful of the loss of 6 months of simple interest if you can’t complete the 3-year term.

3. First Internet Bank

First Internet Bank

Certificate of Deposit

Member FDIC

APY

%

Term

48 Months

Min. Deposit

$1,000

Our Rating: 4.6

★★★★

Pros


  • No fees
  • Excellent rate

Cons


  • Requires $1,000 min. deposit
  • Early withdrawal penalty

Early Withdrawal Penalty

360 days of simple interest

Min. Opening Balance

$1,000

First Internet Bank is an excellent option for opening a 4-year CD. The rate is strong and the minimum deposit is fairly low.

The early withdrawal penalty for this CD is 360 days, which is the largest penalty on our list.

4. Alliant Credit Union

Certificate of Deposit

Member NCUA

APY

%

Term

48 Months

Min. Deposit

$1,000

Our Rating: 4.6

★★★★

Pros


  • No fees
  • Excellent rate

Cons


  • Early withdrawal penalty
  • $2,500 deposit requirement

Early Withdrawal Penalty

180 days of simple interest

Min. Opening Balance

$1,000

Alliant Credit Union combines a strong interest rate with a low early withdrawal penalty. If you’re looking for a strong credit card, Alliant CU also provides a variety of cash back credit cards with highly competitive cash back rates.

Even though it might not sound like a lot, the $1,000 minimum deposit requirement can be a hurdle for some customers.

5. Capital One

Capital One

Certificate of Deposit

Member FDIC

APY

%

Term

48 Months

Min. Deposit

$1

Our Rating: 4.5

★★★★

Pros


  • No fees
  • Excellent rate
  • $1 deposit minimum

Cons


  • Early withdrawal penalty

Early Withdrawal Penalty

6 months of simple interest

Min. Opening Balance

$500

Capital One is one of the most trusted names in online banking. Their line of CDs all offer a great interest rate and best of all, the minimum to open a CD is just $1.

The penalty for closing your 4-year CD with Capital One early is 6 months of simple interest.

Highest 4-Year CD Rates by APY

For many consumers, the only thing that matters when opening a CD is how high the interest rate is. In that spirit, we’ve listed the top 4-year CDs by interest rate below. It would be wise to check the early withdrawal penalty and customer reviews for a CD before opening one but this table will show you which banks are paying the highest APY.

99 Results

La Capitol Federal Credit Union 4-Year Super Saver Share Certificate
La Capitol Federal Credit Union
4-Year Super Saver Share Certificate
APY
4.35%
Min
$100,000
Max
-

La Capitol Federal Credit Union 4-Year Mega Saver Share Certificate with One-time Bump
La Capitol Federal Credit Union
4-Year Mega Saver Share Certificate with One-time Bump
APY
4.30%
Min
$100,000
Max
-

La Capitol Federal Credit Union 4-Year Thrifty Saver Share Certificate
La Capitol Federal Credit Union
4-Year Thrifty Saver Share Certificate
APY
4.25%
Min
$500
Max
-

America First Credit Union 48-59 months CD
APY
4.20%
Min
$500
Max
-

America First Credit Union 48-59 months Bump-Rate CD
America First Credit Union
48-59 months Bump-Rate CD
APY
4.05%
Min
$500
Max
-

All In Credit Union 48-month CD
APY
4.02%
Min
$1,000
Max
-

USALLIANCE Financial 48-month CD
APY
4.00%
Min
$500
Max
-

Signature Federal Credit Union 48-month CD
APY
4.00%
Min
$500
Max
-

NASA Federal Credit Union 48-month CD
APY
3.95%
Min
$1,000
Max
-

United States Senate Federal Credit Union 48-months Plus Jumbo CD
APY
3.92%
Min
$200,000
Max
-

United States Senate Federal Credit Union 48-months Plus Jumbo Business CD
United States Senate Federal Credit Union
48-months Plus Jumbo Business CD
APY
3.92%
Min
$200,000
Max
-

BMO 48-month Standard CD*
BMO
48-month Standard CD*
APY
3.90%
Min
$1,000
Max
-

Synchrony Bank 48-month IRA CD
Synchrony Bank
48-month IRA CD
APY
3.90%
Min
-
Max
-

Synchrony Bank 48-month CD
Synchrony Bank
48-month CD
APY
3.90%
Min
$1
Max
-

United States Senate Federal Credit Union 48-months Jumbo CD
APY
3.87%
Min
$100,000
Max
$200k

United States Senate Federal Credit Union 48-months Jumbo Business CD
APY
3.87%
Min
$100,000
Max
$200k

Luana Savings Bank 48-month Jumbo CD
Luana Savings Bank
48-month Jumbo CD
APY
3.84%
Min
$100,000
Max
-

United States Senate Federal Credit Union 48-months Plus Jumbo Bump Rate CD
United States Senate Federal Credit Union
48-months Plus Jumbo Bump Rate CD
APY
3.82%
Min
$200,000
Max
-

United States Senate Federal Credit Union 48-months Business CD
APY
3.82%
Min
$1,000
Max
$100k

United States Senate Federal Credit Union 48-months CD
APY
3.82%
Min
$1,000
Max
$100k

BMO Alto 48-month Online CD
BMO Alto
48-month Online CD
APY
3.80%
Min
-
Max
-

Seattle Bank 48-month CD
Seattle Bank
48-month CD
APY
3.80%
Min
$1,000
Max
$220k

United States Senate Federal Credit Union 48-months Jumbo Bump Rate CD
United States Senate Federal Credit Union
48-months Jumbo Bump Rate CD
APY
3.77%
Min
$100,000
Max
$200k

Interior Federal Credit Union 48-month CD
APY
3.76%
Min
$500
Max
-

American Bank 48-month Business CD
American Bank
48-month Business CD
APY
3.75%
Min
$500
Max
-

American Bank 48-month CD
American Bank
48-month CD
APY
3.75%
Min
$500
Max
-

United States Senate Federal Credit Union 48-months Bump Rate CD
APY
3.72%
Min
$1,000
Max
$100k

Chevron Federal Credit Union 48-months Share Certificate
Chevron Federal Credit Union
48-months Share Certificate
APY
3.70%
Min
$100,000
Max
-

Chevron Federal Credit Union 48-months Share Certificate
Chevron Federal Credit Union
48-months Share Certificate
APY
3.70%
Min
$250,000
Max
-

Spectrum Credit Union 48-months Share Certificate
Spectrum Credit Union
48-months Share Certificate
APY
3.70%
Min
$100,000
Max
-

Spectrum Credit Union 48-months Share Certificate
Spectrum Credit Union
48-months Share Certificate
APY
3.70%
Min
$250,000
Max
-

Alliant Credit Union 48 Month Jumbo CD
Alliant Credit Union
48 Month Jumbo CD
APY
3.70%
Min
$75,000
Max
-

Luana Savings Bank 48-month CD
APY
3.68%
Min
$2,000
Max
$100k

Bayer Heritage Federal Credit Union 48-month CD
APY
3.67%
Min
$100
Max
-

Alliant Credit Union 48-month CD
APY
3.65%
Min
$1,000
Max
-

First Internet Bank 48-months High Yield CD
First Internet Bank
48-months High Yield CD
APY
3.62%
Min
$1,000
Max
-

Spectrum Credit Union 48-months Share Certificate
Spectrum Credit Union
48-months Share Certificate
APY
3.60%
Min
$50,000
Max
-

Spectrum Credit Union 48-months Share Certificate
Spectrum Credit Union
48-months Share Certificate
APY
3.60%
Min
$500
Max
-

Chevron Federal Credit Union 48-months Share Certificate
Chevron Federal Credit Union
48-months Share Certificate
APY
3.60%
Min
$50,000
Max
-

Chevron Federal Credit Union 48-months Share Certificate
Chevron Federal Credit Union
48-months Share Certificate
APY
3.60%
Min
$500
Max
-

Marcus by Goldman Sachs 4-Year CD
APY
3.60%
Min
$500
Max
$1,000k

Capital One Bank 360 48-months CD
Capital One Bank
360 48-months CD
APY
3.55%
Min
$1
Max
-

Bread Bank 4-Year CD
Bread Bank
4-Year CD
APY
3.50%
Min
$1,500
Max
$1,000k

Northern Bank Direct 48-month CD
APY
3.50%
Min
$500
Max
$250k

EverBank 4-Year CD
EverBank
4-Year CD
APY
3.50%
Min
$1,000
Max
-

Prime Alliance Bank 48-month CD
APY
3.50%
Min
$500
Max
-

Ally Bank 4-Year Raise Your Rate CD
Ally Bank
4-Year Raise Your Rate CD
APY
3.40%
Min
$1
Max
-

TAB Bank 48-month CD
TAB Bank
48-month CD
APY
3.40%
Min
$1,000
Max
-

TAB Bank 48-month Business CD
TAB Bank
48-month Business CD
APY
3.40%
Min
$1,000
Max
-

Discover® Bank 4-Year High Yield CD
Discover® Bank
4-Year High Yield CD
APY
3.40%
Min
-
Max
-

Discover® Bank 4-year IRA CD
Discover® Bank
4-year IRA CD
APY
3.40%
Min
-
Max
-

Crescent Bank 48-month CD
Crescent Bank
48-month CD
APY
3.35%
Min
$1,000
Max
-

Langley Federal Credit Union 48-month CD
APY
3.35%
Min
$500
Max
-

NexBank 48-month Standard CD
NexBank
48-month Standard CD
APY
3.34%
Min
$10,000
Max
$25k

XCEL Federal Credit Union 48-months CD
APY
3.30%
Min
$500
Max
-

Fort Liberty Federal Credit Union 48-months Jumbo Share Certificate
Fort Liberty Federal Credit Union
48-months Jumbo Share Certificate
APY
3.30%
Min
$25,000
Max
-

Popular Direct 48-months CD
Popular Direct
48-months CD
APY
3.30%
Min
$10,000
Max
-

Skyla Credit Union 48-month CD
APY
3.25%
Min
$500
Max
-

Bank Financial 4-Year CD
APY
3.25%
Min
$1,000
Max
-

Magnifi Financial 48-month Jumbo CD
Magnifi Financial
48-month Jumbo CD
APY
3.25%
Min
$150,000
Max
-

Connexus Credit Union 48-month Jumbo Certificate
Connexus Credit Union
48-month Jumbo Certificate
APY
3.21%
Min
$100,000
Max
-

Fort Liberty Federal Credit Union 48-months Share Certificate
Fort Liberty Federal Credit Union
48-months Share Certificate
APY
3.20%
Min
$500
Max
-

UNIFY Financial Credit Union 48-month Jumbo CD
APY
3.20%
Min
$100,000
Max
-

Magnifi Financial 48-month Jumbo CD
Magnifi Financial
48-month Jumbo CD
APY
3.15%
Min
$100,000
Max
$150k

Connexus Credit Union 48-month Certificate
Connexus Credit Union
48-month Certificate
APY
3.11%
Min
$5,000
Max
-

Magnifi Financial 48-month CD
APY
3.10%
Min
$50,000
Max
$100k

Magnifi Financial 48-month CD
APY
3.05%
Min
$25,000
Max
$50k

UNIFY Financial Credit Union 48-month CD
APY
3.05%
Min
$40,000
Max
$54k

American Express Bank 48-Month CD
APY
3.00%
Min
$1
Max
-

Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union 48-month CD
APY
3.00%
Min
$500
Max
-

Liberty Federal Credit Union 4-Year CD
APY
3.00%
Min
$1,000
Max
-

Citizens Access 4-Year Online High Yield CD
Citizens Access
4-Year Online High Yield CD
APY
3.00%
Min
$5,000
Max
-

Teachers Federal Credit Union 48-month CD
APY
3.00%
Min
$1,000
Max
$100k

Magnifi Financial 48-month CD
APY
3.00%
Min
$500
Max
$25k

Barclays Bank 48-month CD
Barclays Bank
48-month CD
APY
3.00%
Min
-
Max
-

UNIFY Financial Credit Union 48-month CD
APY
2.90%
Min
$100
Max
$54k

NuVision Credit Union 4-Year Jumbo CD
NuVision Credit Union
4-Year Jumbo CD
APY
2.85%
Min
$100,000
Max
-

Thrivent Credit Union 48-month CD
APY
2.80%
Min
$1,000
Max
-

NuVision Credit Union 4-Year CD
APY
2.80%
Min
$50,000
Max
-

NuVision Credit Union 4-Year CD
APY
2.75%
Min
$25,000
Max
-

Credit Union of the Rockies 48-month CD
APY
2.75%
Min
$500
Max
-

Credit Union of the Rockies 48-month Baby-Jumbo CD
Credit Union of the Rockies
48-month Baby-Jumbo CD
APY
2.75%
Min
$50,000
Max
-

NuVision Credit Union 4-Year CD
APY
2.70%
Min
$1,000
Max
-

MainStreet Bank 4-Year CD
APY
2.50%
Min
$500
Max
-

EverBank 4-Year Business CD
EverBank
4-Year Business CD
APY
2.50%
Min
$1,500
Max
-

Ponce Bank 48-month CD
Ponce Bank
48-month CD
APY
2.50%
Min
$1,000
Max
-

MainStreet Bank 4-Year Business CD
MainStreet Bank
4-Year Business CD
APY
2.50%
Min
$500
Max
-

Zeal Credit Union 48-months Jumbo CD
Zeal Credit Union
48-months Jumbo CD
APY
2.30%
Min
$100,000
Max
-

Zeal Credit Union 48-months CD
Zeal Credit Union
48-months CD
APY
2.20%
Min
$25,000
Max
$100k

Zeal Credit Union 48-months CD
Zeal Credit Union
48-months CD
APY
2.10%
Min
$1,000
Max
$25k

Newtek Bank 48-month CD
Newtek Bank
48-month CD
APY
2.00%
Min
$2,500
Max
$250k

Citibank 4-Year Fixed Rate CD
Citibank
4-Year Fixed Rate CD
APY
2.00%
Min
$500
Max
-

Live Oak Bank 4-Year Business CD
Live Oak Bank
4-Year Business CD
APY
2.00%
Min
$2,500
Max
$250k

Live Oak Bank 4-Year CD
Live Oak Bank
4-Year CD
APY
2.00%
Min
$2,500
Max
$250k

Ponce Bank 48-month High Yield CD via Raisin
Ponce Bank
48-month High Yield CD via Raisin
APY
1.61%
Min
$1
Max
-

Third Federal Savings & Loan 48-months CD
APY
1.50%
Min
$50
Max
-

Continental Bank 4-Year High Yield CD
Continental Bank
4-Year High Yield CD
APY
1.15%
Min
$25,000
Max
-

CIT Bank 4-Year Term CD
CIT Bank
4-Year Term CD
APY
0.50%
Min
$1,000
Max
-

CIT Bank 4-Year Jumbo CD
CIT Bank
4-Year Jumbo CD
APY
0.50%
Min
$100,000
Max
-

4-Year CD Returns vs Savings, Money Markets and Investing

When compared to other forms of investing, a 4-year CD holds up pretty well. Both savings and money markets offer similar returns and FDIC protection but have two distinct differences:

  • CD interest rates are fixed, meaning they will not change for the entire term while savings and money market interest rates are variable. This can work for or against you depending on whether or not rates increase or decrease.
  • Cash is liquid in a savings and money market account while it is frozen in a CD. This again can work for or against you depending on situations where you need or think you need cash but most would argue having liquidity is better.

Considering these two differences, it’s wise to use CDs for diversification and not put all of your available cash in an untouchable deposit account for four years.

When comparing a 4-year CD to investment returns, there is no question that in a good year, you can do a lot better than a 4% rate of return in the market, however, you have no security in the S&P. The potential negative rate of return does not exist in a CD so again, it’s wise to diversify and make CDs part of your investing strategy but not the whole kit and kaboodle.

How We Chose the Best 4-Year CDs

Before opening a CD, there are three things that tend to be the most important.

  1. Interest Rate (APY) – How much interest are you expected to earn throughout a 4-year CD depends solely on the CD’s APY. This rate of return is guaranteed throughout the term of the CD, meaning that for the entire 4-years, your interest rate never changes. The higher, the better, and with the CDs above, we’ve ensured the rate of return is in the top 5% of all CDs nationwide.
  2. Early Withdrawal Penalty – The biggest difference between a CD and a savings account is liquidity. In a savings account, you are free to access your money at any time, but with a CD, you can only access your funds during a specific period after the CD matures. Withdrawing funds automatically closes the CD and doing so early earns you a penalty. Finding a CD with the smallest penalty possible is always a good idea.
  3. Minimum Deposit Requirement – When finding the highest rates and the lowest early withdrawal penalties, that sometimes means a high opening deposit is required. Few CDs allow for no deposit minimum but we have found some of them and rate those CDs better.

Banks we included in our review are as follows: Affirm, Alaska USA Federal Credit Union, All America Bank, Alliant Credit Union, Ally Bank, Amalgamated Bank, America First Credit Union, American Express National Bank, Andrews Federal Credit Union, Associated Bank, Axos Bank, Bank of America, Bank of the West, Bank5 Connect, Bank7, Barclays, Bask Bank, Bethpage Federal Credit Union, BMO, BMO Alto, Boeing Employees Credit Union, Bread Savings, Capital One, Carver Federal Savings Bank, Charles Schwab Bank, Chase, Chime, CIBC U.S., CIT Bank, Citibank, Citizens, Citizens Bank, City First Bank, Climate First Bank, Commerce Bank, Community First Credit Union of Florida, ConnectOne Bank, Connexus Credit Union, Consumers Credit Union, Credit Human Federal Credit Union, Current, Delta Community Credit Union, Discover Bank, E*TRADE, EverBank (formerly TIAA Bank), Fifth Third Bank, First Foundation, First National Bank, First Tech Federal Credit Union, Flagstar Bank, FNBO Direct, GO2bank, GreenState Credit Union, Golden 1 Credit Union, Greenwood, Hope Credit Union, Huntington Bank, Industrial Bank, Ivy Bank, KeyBank, Lake Michigan Credit Union, LendingClub Bank, Liberty Bank, Live Oak Bank, M&T Bank, Marcus by Goldman Sachs, mph.Bank, Nationwide (by Axos), Navy Federal Credit Union, NBKC, One, OneUnited Bank, Pentagon Federal Credit Union, PNC, Ponce Bank, Popular Direct, Quontic Bank, Regions Bank, Revolut, Salem Five Direct, Sallie Mae Bank, Santander Bank, SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union, Security Service Federal Credit Union, Securityplus Federal Credit Union, Self-Help Credit Union, Service Credit Union, Skyla Credit Union, SoFi, State Employees’ Credit Union of North Carolina, Suncoast Credit Union, Synchrony Bank, TAB Bank, TD Bank, Truist Bank, U.S. Bank, UFB Direct, Union Bank, Upgrade, USAA Bank, Varo, Vio Bank, Wells Fargo, Western Alliance Bank and Zynlo Bank.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Can I Open a 4-Year CD For My Children?

Absolutely. If you have dependents, you can open a CD in their name and each depositor will be insured up to the $250,000 FDIC maximum. In theory, if you are married and have two children, that means you can open four CDs with a single bank and be covered by $1 million in insurance (4 x $250,000).

How Do I Lose Interest in My 4-Year CD?

If you close your CD before it matures, you will incur a penalty. This penalty is typically in the form of earned interest and will be deducted from your balance when the money is returned to you.

For example, let’s say you had a 4-year CD open for three years and had to close it one year early. A $10,000 deposit at 4% interest would mean you have a current balance of about $11,250 and if the penalty was one year’s worth of interest, you would then receive back $10,835. In this case, the penalty would be a third of the interest you earned from the CD.

Final Thought on the Best 4-Year CDs

Four-year CDs are one of the more unusual investments because the lock-up period is long and in a high-rate environment, a four-year CD does not offer as high an interest rate as shorter-term CDs. The benefit of this CD is in its security; if rates drop precipitously, you’re going to earn more here than you will with other deposit rate environments.

Opening a four-year CD is always a good idea even if you sacrifice just a touch of potential interest. Zero risk with FDIC insurance, the peace of mind is worth its weight in gold (which has gone largely nowhere in a decade).

Author

  • Rob Berger is the founder of Dough Roller and the Dough Roller Money Podcast. A former securities law attorney and Forbes deputy editor, Rob is the author of the book Retire Before Mom and Dad. He educates independent investors on his YouTube channel and at RobBerger.com.

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