Saving and cash · Calculator

CD ladder builder.
Stagger maturities, smooth access.

A CD ladder splits a lump sum across CDs with different maturity dates so you have regular access to funds while earning higher yields than a single savings account.

The question it answersHow much would a CD ladder earn versus one lump CD?

Rules: United States. Privacy: runs in your browser. What you enter stays on your device unless you copy a share link, which puts your inputs in the link.

US-only. CDs (Certificates of Deposit) are FDICFederal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)The US agency that insures bank deposits if a bank fails. The standard insurance amount is $250,000 per depositor, per insured bank, for each account ownership category. Since January 1, 1934, no depositor has lost a penny of insured funds as a result of a failure. Bank money market deposit accounts are covered; stocks, bonds, mutual funds (money market funds too) and crypto are not, even when bought at an insured bank.-insured bank products in the US.

WORKED EXAMPLE

$20,000 split into 4 equal rungs at typical rates. $5,000 at 3 months at 4.5%: matures in 3 months, earns about $56. $5,000 at 6 months at 4.8%: matures in 6 months, earns about $120. $5,000 at 9 months at 4.9%: matures in 9 months, earns about $184. $5,000 at 12 months at 5.0%: matures in 12 months, earns about $250. Total interest: about $610.

LADDER SETUP
PER-RUNG RATES ×DON'T TRUST, VERIFYClaim: CD rates change frequently. Defaults are approximate.Verify at: Bankrate CD rates ↗ · NerdWallet best CDs ↗ Source 1 in the list belowOnline banks and credit unions typically offer higher rates than traditional banks.
YOUR LADDER
RUNGAMOUNTTERMAPYAnnual Percentage Yield (APY)An annualized measure of deposit interest that includes the effect of compounding. It is not an inflation-adjusted or after-tax return.Full definitionINTEREST
SUMMARY

    Projection, not a promise. The result follows the assumptions you enter. Real results will differ, sometimes by a lot.

    What this tool assumes
    • Equal allocation per rung (totalAmount / rungs).
    • Interest = principal × APY × (termMonths / 12). This is simple-interest approximation; CDs typically use compound interestcompound interestEarning interest on your interest. Your returns reinvested to earn even more returns over time.Full definition. Actual maturity values may be slightly higher than shown for terms over 6 months.
    • Default term progression: 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 36 months for rungs 1 through 7.
    • CD early-withdrawal penalties are not modeled. Read your bank's CD terms.
    • FDIC insurance limit: $250,000 per depositor per bank. SpreadSpreadThe gap between two prices or rates. In trading, it is the difference between the price buyers pay (ask) and the price sellers get (bid). Many Bitcoin apps and money-transfer services also build a markup into the price they quote you, a cost on top of the advertised fee even when that fee is $0.Full definition larger ladders across multiple banks.
    HOW THIS IS CALCULATED

    This tool runs entirely in your browser: no data is sent to any server. The assumptions and default values behind the result are listed under “What this tool assumes” on this page. Verify the methodology or inspect the source code in your browser's dev tools.

    Where to go from here

    Read next

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    Money market funds, HYSAs, T-bills, CD ladders, I-bonds: each serves a different purpose.

    Explore further
    • Money Market After-Tax YieldCompares money market funds, HYSAs, T-bills and CDs on an after-tax basis given your federal and state tax brackets.
    • Banking Yield CalculatorCompares interest earned on savings at a typical big-bank rate versus a high-yield savings account rate over time.

    Sources

    Verify badges in the text link to these sources. Figures, rates and rules change: check each source’s date before acting on it.

    1. Bankrate, Bankrate CD rates ↩

    Calculators are educational estimates, not financial advice. Disclosures · How pages are reviewed