The best 6 month CD rate available right now is 4.50% APY on a 5 month term from Nuvision Credit Union, open to deposits between $1,000 and $5,000. Behind it, a cluster of nationwide banks and credit unions are paying between 4.10% and 4.25% on terms running from 5 to 9 months. These figures were confirmed as of June 16, 2026.
At a Glance
- Nuvision Credit Union leads with 4.50% APY on a 5 month term, capped at a $5,000 deposit through June 30, 2026.
- OMB Bank and Consumers Credit Union both pay 4.25% APY, on 5 month and 7 month terms respectively.
- Rates across the top 17 nationwide offers range from 4.10% to 4.50% APY.
- The Federal Reserve held its benchmark rate steady at 3.50% to 3.75% at its April 29 meeting, the third straight meeting without a change.
- CD yields tend to track the federal funds rate, so any future Fed rate cut would likely pull these offers lower.
Where the Top 6 Month CD Rates Stand Today
Nuvision Credit Union, a credit union that traces back to 1935 as the in house institution for Douglas Aircraft, is currently the standout. Its 4.50% APY applies to a 5 month term, requires a minimum deposit of $1,000, and caps out at $5,000 per account under a promotional offer running through June 30, 2026. Anyone in the country can join through membership in the American Consumer Council, and pulling money out early costs three months of interest.
OMB Bank, which rebranded from Old Missouri Bank in 2023, pairs a 4.25% APY with the same 5 month term and $1,000 minimum, though its early withdrawal penalty is a bit lighter at two and a half months of interest. Consumers Credit Union matches that 4.25% yield but stretches the term to 7 months and only asks for a $250 minimum, making it one of the more accessible options on this list. Joining Consumers requires a $5 donation to the Consumers Cooperative Association plus keeping $5 parked in a savings account.
Pelican State Credit Union comes in at 4.20% APY on a 6 month CD with a $500 minimum, but its early withdrawal penalty is steep: a full six months of interest. Climate First Bank offers 4.18% APY on an 8 month term with no early withdrawal penalty at all, a notable feature for savers who want some flexibility. PenAir Credit Union pays 4.17% APY on a 7 month CD, while T Bank and Genisys Credit Union both land at 4.16% APY, though T Bank's rate technically applies to a 12 month term rather than a shorter one.
Comparing the Full Field of Nationwide 6 Month CDs
Below is the complete lineup of the top nationwide offers, ranked by yield and then by term length and minimum deposit when rates tie.
| Institution | APY | Term | Minimum Deposit | Early Withdrawal Penalty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nuvision Credit Union | 4.50% | 5 months | $1,000 | 3 months of interest |
| OMB Bank | 4.25% | 5 months | $1,000 | 2½ months of interest |
| Consumers Credit Union | 4.25% | 7 months | $250 | 2 months of interest |
| Pelican State Credit Union | 4.20% | 6 months | $500 | 6 months of interest |
| Climate First Bank | 4.18% | 8 months | $500 | None |
| PenAir Credit Union | 4.17% | 7 months | $500 | 3 months of interest |
| T Bank | 4.16% | 6 months | $1,000 | 1 month of interest |
| Genisys Credit Union | 4.16% | 7 months | $500 | 3 months of interest |
| TBO Bank | 4.15% | 6 months | $500 | 2% of balance |
| Forbright Bank | 4.15% | 9 months | $1,000 | 3 months of interest |
| Bread Savings | 4.15% | 9 months | $1,500 | 3 months of interest |
| Vibrant Credit Union | 4.10% | 6 months | $5 | All earned interest |
| Popular Direct | 4.10% | 6 months | $10,000 | 4 months of interest |
| Consumers Credit Union | 4.10% | 7 months | $250 | 2 months of interest |
| E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley | 4.10% | 9 months | Any amount | 3 months of interest |
| Newtek Bank | 4.10% | 9 months | $2,500 | 3 months of interest |
| NASA Federal Credit Union | 4.10% | 9 months | $10,000 | All earned interest up to 6 months |
Reading the Fine Print on Terms and Penalties
Minimum deposits on this list swing wildly, from Vibrant Credit Union's $5 threshold to Popular Direct's $10,000 requirement. That gap matters for savers with smaller amounts to park. Vibrant, headquartered in Moline, Illinois, and dating back to 1935, opens membership to anyone through the Illinois Consumer Council. Its tradeoff is a harsh early withdrawal penalty of forfeiting all earned interest if you break the CD early.
Popular Direct, the online arm of Popular Bank (itself the U.S. banking subsidiary of Popular Inc., founded in 1893), demands a much larger deposit but charges four months of interest for early withdrawal, a middling penalty by comparison. E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley stands out for accepting any deposit amount at all on its 4.10% APY, 9 month CD, with a three month interest penalty for early withdrawal.
Climate First Bank remains the only entry on this list with no early withdrawal penalty whatsoever, a meaningful advantage for anyone unsure they can lock funds away for the full eight months. On the other end, TBO Bank calculates its penalty as 2% of the account balance rather than a fixed number of months, and NASA Federal Credit Union can claw back all earned interest for up to six months if you withdraw early.
Credit Union Membership Requirements Worth Knowing
Several of the top payers are credit unions, which generally require some form of membership before you can open an account. These requirements tend to be minor. Genisys Credit Union, based in Auburn Hills, Michigan since its 1964 charter, asks for a $5 donation to the Arthritis Foundation or the Paint Creek Center for the Arts, plus a $5 minimum balance in a savings account. PenAir Credit Union, headquartered in Pensacola, Florida and dating to 1936, offers free membership through Friends of the Navy Marine Corps Relief Society along with a $25 minimum savings balance.
Pelican State Credit Union, originally chartered in 1956 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana as Department of Hospitals Credit Union, requires a $5 donation to an affiliated nonprofit and a $10 opening deposit, split between a one time membership fee and a required minimum balance. NASA Federal Credit Union, headquartered in Upper Marlboro, Maryland with roots going back to 1949, opens membership through a free sign up with the National Space Society plus a $5 minimum in savings.
How the Fed's Rate Pause Affects These Yields
The Federal Reserve left its benchmark rate unchanged at its April 29 meeting, holding the range at 3.50% to 3.75%. That marked the third consecutive meeting without a move, following six rate cuts since September 2024. CD rates generally track the federal funds rate closely, which means that if the Fed does cut rates later this year, banks and credit unions are likely to trim their CD offers in response.
For savers weighing whether to lock in a rate now, that backdrop carries some weight. A 5 to 9 month CD locks in today's yield regardless of what the Fed does next, which offers a hedge against falling rates. But it also means missing out if rates were to rise instead, an outcome that looks less likely given the current pause and prior cuts.
What Counts as a Qualifying 6 Month CD
To make this kind of ranking, a CD needs a term between 5 and 9 months and must be available to customers nationwide. When two institutions post the same APY, the one with the shorter term ranks higher, followed by the one with the smaller minimum deposit, and ties beyond that are broken alphabetically.
Every institution included must carry federal deposit insurance through the FDIC for banks or the NCUA for credit unions. Minimum deposits can't exceed $25,000, and the maximum allowed deposit can't be set below $5,000. Banks need availability in at least 40 states to qualify, and credit unions that charge $40 or more for a donation or membership requirement are excluded.
Weighing a 6 Month CD Against Other Options
A CD isn't the only place to park short term cash. High yield savings accounts offer similar rates with more flexibility, since money isn't locked up, though the yield can drop at any time. Money market funds and individual stocks or ETFs carry more upside potential but also more risk, and CDs remain a fixed, insured alternative.
- CDs lock in a set rate for the full term, protecting against rate cuts during that window.
- Early withdrawal penalties can eat into or wipe out earned interest, so funds committed to a CD should be money you won't need before maturity.
- Credit union CDs often require a small donation or membership fee, while bank CDs typically don't.
- Comparing minimum deposits matters as much as comparing APY, since some of the highest rates require $10,000 or more upfront.
Deciding Whether to Lock In a Rate Now
With the Fed holding steady for three straight meetings but having already cut rates six times since late 2024, the direction for CD yields over the second half of the year remains uncertain. Savers who want to guarantee today's rates for the next several months have a real incentive to act before any further Fed move works its way into what banks and credit unions are willing to pay.
