Top 6-Month CD Rates Hold At 1.60%

Country Bank leapt to the top of our rankings of the best 6-month CD rates last month — and it’s still there.
The small bank with 14 branches in central Massachusetts, continues to pay 1.60% APY, with a very reasonable minimum deposit of just $500.

The downside is that you can’t open an account online. You have to call the bank at (800) 322-8233 and a representative will explain how to buy a certificate of deposit by mail.

But Country Bank has been at or near the top of our rankings for almost six months and we haven’t heard a word of complaint about the bank’s customer service.

Four other banks are offering 1.40% APY to savers in all 50 states. They are:

The Jacksonville Bank, which has five locations in northeast Florida and requires a $1,000 minimum deposit.

AmTrust Direct, whose parent company was seized by the FDIC in December and sold to New York Community Bank. It requires a $1,000 minimum deposit.

Earthstar Bank, with four branches in Philadelphia, requires a minimum deposit of $500 in new money to earn this rate.

The Palladian Private Bank, a division of The PrivateBank and Trust Co. , with 34 locations in 10 Midwestern states. A $10,000 minimum is required.

Those rates are more than four times the national average for returns on 6-month CDs, which has fallen to a record low 0.33% APY this month.

Click on our CD calculator to find the return on any certificate of deposit, regardless of size, interest rate or term.