10 Best Credit Union CD Rates 2024 - NerdWallet (2024)

Overview: Connexus Credit Union offers a handful of terms for share certificates from one year to five years, with solid rates. The $5,000 minimum is somewhat high compared to other credit unions.

Membership requirement: One of the easiest ways is to make a one-time donation of $5 to the nonprofit Connexus Association.

Overview: Pentagon Federal, or PenFed, historically focused on serving military personnel and their families, but it expanded membership in 2019 so you no longer need a link to the military to join. PenFed's money market certificates — what the credit union calls CDs — have solid rates across terms from six months to seven years. The opening minimum of $1,000 is somewhat low.

Membership requirement: PenFed is available to anyone, and as part of sign-up, you need to open a savings account with at least $5 to take advantage of its other accounts, including certificates.

Federally insured by NCUA.

Overview: Alliant, an online credit union, has solid rates across its share certificates with terms ranging from three months to five years. The minimum deposit of $1,000 is somewhat low.

Membership requirement: The easiest way to become a member for people nationwide is to join the national nonprofit Foster Care for Success, which requires a one-time $5 membership fee. Alliant pays this fee on a new member’s behalf.

Overview: Self-Help is a community development credit union dedicated to making a positive social and environmental impact. Its branches are located primarily in the southeastern U.S., but members can join nationwide. Its share certificates range from three months to five years, and the minimum deposit of $500 is low.

In addition to regular certificates, Self-Help offers four other types of certificates: IRA certificates for retirement funds, and certificates that support women and children, eco-friendly initiatives or community investments in North Carolina.

Membership requirement: Anyone can join by paying a one-time $5 fee to join the credit union’s nonprofit, the Center for Community Self-Help. Free membership is also available to people who live where branches are: North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia or Florida. (Or, if you’re in California, Illinois or Wisconsin, you can join the sister credit union Self-Help Federal Credit Union.)

Overview: Andrews Federal Credit Union focuses on serving military communities, especially near Washington, D.C., but membership is open to anyone nationwide. The standard share certificates range from terms of six months to seven years, and the minimum deposit is somewhat low. Andrews also has jumbo CDs for balances of $10,000 or higher, IRA CDs for retirement funds and bump-up (or raise your rate) CDs for up to three rate increases within a term.

Membership requirement: Outside of being in the military or living in some areas such as Washington, D.C., anyone in the U.S. is eligible by first joining the nonprofit American Consumer Council. You can use the credit union’s promo code to waive the nonprofit’s membership fee. Before opening a share certificate, you must have money in an Andrews Federal checking or savings account.

Overview: Navy Federal is the largest credit union, with more than 12 million members. It boasts an impressive range of share certificate rates, from three months to seven years, and a somewhat low minimum deposit of $1,000. Deposits at the $20,000 or $100,000 mark can have slightly higher rates.

Membership requirement: You or a family member generally need to be affiliated with the military.

Overview: SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union is a California-based institution that focuses on serving teachers and other employees at schools in the state. Its share certificates have terms from one month to five years, and yields are competitive. The minimum balance is $500, and if you have $20,000 or more, higher rates are available.

Membership requirement: You work or have family that works at schools in the state of California as teachers or other employees. You also need to open the credit union’s basic savings account with at least $5.

Overview: Founded in 1939 in Salt Lake City, America First serves various communities in Utah and nearby states. The credit union’s certificates have a standard range of terms from three months to five years with a low minimum deposit.

Membership requirement: America First mostly restricts membership to people within parts of Utah, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Idaho and Oregon, as well as employees or members of certain companies and relatives of America First members.

Overview: Community First focuses on serving people who live or work mostly in parts of northeastern and central Florida or along the state’s eastern coast, where many of its branches are. The credit union’s CDs have terms ranging from three months to five years and several rate tiers based on minimum deposit. The regular CDs have a $500 minimum while the highest tier requires $1 million. The higher the minimum, the higher the rate.

Membership requirement: You live, work or go to school in one of more than a dozen Florida counties; work at one of a handful of companies; or have family ties to Community First members.

Overview: Founded in 1940 by Delta Air Lines employees, Delta Community Credit Union is now one of the largest credit unions in Georgia. The credit union’s number of CD terms is more limited than at many other credit unions and banks, but it has most of the common terms within the range of six months to five years. The minimum of $1,000 is somewhat low for CDs.

Membership requirement: You generally live or work in one of the counties in the Atlanta metro region, have employment ties to various companies (many specific to Atlanta, including Delta Air Lines), belong to a certain association or have family ties to a credit union member.