Credit union vs. bank CD rates
Exact-term medians from independent institutions, with sample counts and source evidence.
Do credit unions pay more than banks?
In our fresh exact one-year sample, the credit union median was 3.67% across 216 independent credit unions, versus 3.40% across 200 banks. The credit union median minus the bank median was 27 bp. This is an observed sample difference, not a guarantee for every institution.
| Term | Banks (n) | Bank median | Credit unions (n) | CU median | CU minus bank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 months | 129 | 2.75% | 126 | 2.88% | 12.5 bp |
| 6 months | 175 | 3.24% | 206 | 3.50% | 26 bp |
| 9 months | 93 | 3.50% | 65 | 3.75% | 25 bp |
| 1 year | 200 | 3.40% | 216 | 3.67% | 27 bp |
| 1.5 years | 166 | 3.35% | 166 | 3.58% | 23 bp |
| 2 years | 189 | 2.85% | 212 | 3.55% | 70 bp |
| 3 years | 170 | 2.54% | 208 | 3.50% | 96 bp |
| 4 years | 149 | 2.40% | 189 | 3.40% | 100 bp |
| 5 years | 171 | 2.50% | 201 | 3.50% | 100 bp |
A share certificate is the credit union deposit product compared here. Membership and offer requirements still matter when comparing its quoted APY with a bank CD.
Credit unions marked as serving every state
These one-year quotes have nationwide availability in our institution metadata and no ZIP-specific price. That metadata does not prove anyone can join; check each credit union's membership rules and product requirements. We do not infer an association membership path from a high rate.
| Credit union | Product | APY | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| PenFed Credit Union | Money Market Certificate | 3.20% | Oct 23, 2026 snapshot |
Sources, scope and methodology
All findings are generated from verified D1 records using fixed calculations and templates. No language model writes these findings. Stale and future-dated quotes are excluded, as are relationship-only quotes. A regulator ID counts once in each institution-level comparison. This tracked sample is not a deposit-weighted national average.
Index comparisons use the highest applicable $10,000 quote at each exact term per regulator. A median or P90 requires at least 30 independent institutions in its group. Fresh regional and promotional offers can be included; availability and membership conditions still apply. ZIP comparisons instead match a stated product, term and tier.
Routine re-verification does not change the financial-content modification date. Tables can change as rates, coverage or freshness change. Download index data and source snapshots · Download current rate quotes · Full methodology · Corrections
Cite APY Ledger, “Credit union vs. bank CD rates,” facts changed 2026-10-24, https://apyledger.com/guides/credit-union-vs-bank-cd-rates. Data: CC BY 4.0.