CDs
CD Ladder Calculator
See what staggering your CDs actually pays, rung by rung — and what you'd give up or gain by putting the whole sum in one short CD or one long CD instead.
Interactive tool
CD Ladder Calculator
Split a lump sum across CDs maturing a year apart, and see each rung's own payout next to what a single short or single long CD would earn instead.
Defaults to the FDIC national average 12-month CD rate, 1.65% as of June 15, 2026. Swap in a specific bank's current, dated quote.
Defaults to the FDIC national average 60-month CD rate, 1.35% as of June 15, 2026. Rates in between are linearly interpolated — real curves aren't always a straight line, so check /cds for the actual rate at each term.
Total interest across all rungs, blended 1.50% APY
$446
- Rung 1 — 1-yr CD @ 1.65%
- $2,000 principal, $33 interest at maturity
- $2,033
- Rung 2 — 2-yr CD @ 1.57%
- $2,000 principal, $64 interest at maturity
- $2,064
- Rung 3 — 3-yr CD @ 1.50%
- $2,000 principal, $92 interest at maturity
- $2,092
- Rung 4 — 4-yr CD @ 1.43%
- $2,000 principal, $117 interest at maturity
- $2,117
- Rung 5 — 5-yr CD @ 1.35%
- $2,000 principal, $140 interest at maturity
- $2,140
- Instead: all in one 5-yr CD @ 1.35%
- Higher rate, but every dollar locked until year end — no access sooner.
- $698
- Instead: all in one 1-yr CD @ 1.65%
- Fully liquid in a year, but the lowest total interest of the three.
- $166
Frequently asked
Does this model reinvesting each rung as it matures?
No — this calculator shows a single build-and-hold pass: each rung is modeled to its own first maturity date, not rolled into a new long CD afterward. A real ladder that's rolled forward every year (see the CD ladders guide) keeps compounding past what's shown here, since the mature rung goes back to work at whatever rate is available then.
Why interpolate rates instead of asking for a rate at every rung?
Most banks only publish a handful of standard terms, and this site's own sourced FDIC benchmark only tracks 12-month and 60-month national averages. Interpolating the rungs in between is a stated simplification, not an invented number — swap in an intermediate rung's actual quoted rate on your bank's rate table if you have one, since real curves aren't always a straight line.
Is a CD ladder always better than one long CD?
No — it's a trade, not a strict upgrade. A single CD at the longest term usually earns more in total interest because more of the money sits at the higher long-term rate for longer. The ladder gives up some of that yield in exchange for a chunk of cash becoming available every year without an early-withdrawal penalty.