If You Put $10,000 in a 1-Year CD Today, Here's How Much It Will Be Worth Next Year
KEY POINTS
- Today's top-paying 1-year CDs can earn about $500 on a $10,000 deposit.
- This assumes that you won't withdraw interest or liquidate your CD before it matures.
- Savers with long-term goals might be better served by the stock market.
Certificates of deposit (CDs) have a lot going for them right now. For one, they offer high annual percentage yields (APY) on multiple terms. Secondly, they can freeze these high rates for long periods, thereby allowing you to earn interest at a high rate even if ongoing CD rates drop later this year.
Don't miss that last point. Unlike high-yield savings accounts and money market accounts, which have variable rates, CDs can offer you guaranteed returns on your deposit.
This can make it easy for us to calculate how much you'll earn over the length of your CD term. As long as you know your CD rate and deposit amount, you can calculate how much interest your CD will generate.
So, how much could you earn in today's top-paying 1-year CDs? Let's take a look at some of the best CD offers and see.
Our Picks for the Best High-Yield Savings Accounts of 2025
Product | APY | Min. to Earn | |
![]() American Express® High Yield Savings
Member FDIC.
APY
3.70%
Rate info
3.70% annual percentage yield as of March 6, 2025. Terms apply.
Min. to earn
$0
Open Account for American Express® High Yield Savings
On American Express's Secure Website. |
3.70%
Rate info
3.70% annual percentage yield as of March 6, 2025. Terms apply.
|
$0
|
Open Account for American Express® High Yield Savings
On American Express's Secure Website. |
![]() SoFi Checking and Savings
Member FDIC.
APY
up to 3.80%²
Rate info
You can earn the maximum APY by having Direct Deposit (no minimum amount required) or by making $5,000 or more in Qualifying Deposits every 30 days. See SoFi Checking and Savings rate sheet at: https://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet.
Min. to earn
$0
Open Account for SoFi Checking and Savings
On SoFi's Secure Website. |
up to 3.80%²
Rate info
You can earn the maximum APY by having Direct Deposit (no minimum amount required) or by making $5,000 or more in Qualifying Deposits every 30 days. See SoFi Checking and Savings rate sheet at: https://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet.
|
$0
|
Open Account for SoFi Checking and Savings
On SoFi's Secure Website. |
![]() Capital One 360 Performance Savings
Member FDIC.
APY
3.70%
Rate info
See Capital One website for most up-to-date rates. Advertised Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is variable and accurate as of Feb. 6, 2025. Rates are subject to change at any time before or after account opening.
Min. to earn
$0
Open Account for Capital One 360 Performance Savings
On Capital One's Secure Website. |
3.70%
Rate info
See Capital One website for most up-to-date rates. Advertised Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is variable and accurate as of Feb. 6, 2025. Rates are subject to change at any time before or after account opening.
|
$0
|
Open Account for Capital One 360 Performance Savings
On Capital One's Secure Website. |
SoFi disclosure:
¹ New and existing Checking and Savings members who have not previously enrolled in Direct Deposit with SoFi are eligible to earn a cash bonus of either $50 (with at least $1,000 total Direct Deposits received during the Direct Deposit Bonus Period) OR $300 (with at least $5,000 total Direct Deposits received during the Direct Deposit Bonus Period). Cash bonus will be based on the total amount of Direct Deposit. Direct Deposit Promotion begins on 12/7/2023 and will be available through 1/31/26. See full bonus and annual percentage yield (APY) terms at sofi.com/banking#1.
² SoFi members who enroll in SoFi Plus with Direct Deposit or by paying the SoFi Plus Subscription Fee every 30 days or with $5,000 or more in Qualifying Deposits during the 30-Day Evaluation Period can earn 3.80% annual percentage yield (APY) on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. There is no minimum Direct Deposit amount required to qualify for the stated interest rate. Members without either SoFi Plus or Qualifying Deposits, during the 30-Day Evaluation Period will earn 1.00% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. Only SoFi Plus members are eligible for other SoFi Plus benefits. Interest rates are variable and subject to change at any time. These rates are current as of 1/24/25. There is no minimum balance requirement. Additional information can be found at http://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet. See the SoFi Plus Terms and Conditions at https://www.sofi.com/terms-of-use/#plus.
³ We do not charge any account, service or maintenance fees for SoFi Checking and Savings. We do charge a transaction fee to process each outgoing wire transfer. SoFi does not charge a fee for incoming wire transfers, however the sending bank may charge a fee. Our fee policy is subject to change at any time. See the SoFi Checking & Savings Fee Sheet for details at sofi.com/legal/banking-fees/.
⁴ SoFi Bank is a member FDIC and does not provide more than $250,000 of FDIC insurance per legal category of account ownership, as described in the FDIC’s regulations. Any additional
FDIC insurance is provided by the SoFi Insured Deposit Program. Deposits may be insured up to $2M through participation in the program. See full terms at SoFi.com/banking/fdic/terms
See list of participating banks at SoFi.com/banking/fdic/receivingbanks
⁵ We’ve partnered with Allpoint to provide you with ATM access at any of the 55,000+ ATMs within the Allpoint network. You will not be charged a fee when using an in-network ATM, however, third-party fees incurred when using out-of-network ATMs are not subject to reimbursement. SoFi’s ATM policies are subject to change at our discretion at any time.
⁶ Early access to direct deposit funds is based on the timing in which we receive notice of impending payment from the Federal Reserve, which is typically up to two days before the scheduled payment date, but may vary.
⁷ Overdraft Coverage is limited to $50 on debit card purchases only and is an account benefit available to customers with direct deposits of $1,000 or more during the current 30-day Evaluation Period as determined by SoFi Bank, N.A. The 30-Day Evaluation Period refers to the “Start Date” and “End Date” set forth on the APY Details page of your account, which comprises a period of 30 calendar days (the“30-Day Evaluation Period”). You can access the APY Details page at any time by logging into your SoFi account on the SoFi mobile app or SoFi website and selecting either (i) Banking > Savings > Current APY or (ii) Banking > Checking > Current APY. Members with a prior history of non-repayment of negative balances are ineligible for Overdraft Coverage.
You could earn up to $525 with a $10,000 deposit
If you were to put $10,000 into a 1-year CD, you could earn at least $500 if your CD has a 5.00% APY. With that in mind, here's how much today's top 1-year CD would yield after 12 months.
CD provider | APY | Interest earned after one year |
---|---|---|
Sallie Mae | 4.10% | $525 |
Bread Financial | 4.10% | $515 |
Alliant | 4.25% | $515 |
Marcus by Goldman Sachs | 4.25% | $500 |
Citizens | 4.00% | $500 |
These calculations assume you're not going to draw interest from your CD account within the year. While some CD providers will let you withdraw earned interest periodically, doing so will affect your CD's APY. Since CDs grow by compound interest, the more money in the pot, the greater your overall earnings.
Speaking of withdrawals, I'm also assuming that you won't cash in your CD before your term is up. If you do, you'll pay an early withdrawal penalty that can wipe out your interest. Depending on your CD, the penalty may be severe enough to subtract from your initial deposit. In other words, you can lose money in a CD.
Finally, keep in mind that these calculations don't factor in federal and state taxes. Since CD interest is considered taxable income, the IRS will expect you to report it on your taxes. This will reduce your earnings, especially if you live in a state with a high income tax.
Should you open a 1-year CD to earn $500?
Although earning $500 isn't going to make you rich, it can be worth it for the safe investment and guaranteed returns that CDs offer. If your money is sitting in a low interest account or one that has a variable rate, moving it into a top-paying CD would help you maximize your earnings and keep pace with inflation.
Those with a longer time horizon, however, might be better served by investing in the stock market. While a CD can yield 5% over a one-year term, the S&P 500 has averaged an annual return of 10% over the last 50 years. If you invested $10,000 in the stock market for 30 years at that rate, your money would grow to over $170,000.
Of course, the stock market is risky, and you can lose money on a bad day. If stability is more important to you than a chance of higher growth, a CD might just be right for you. Take a look at some of the top CD offerings from multiple banks (and with multiple terms) and lock into a high APY before rates start to drop.
Our Research Expert
We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. Motley Fool Money does not cover all offers on the market. Motley Fool Money is 100% owned and operated by The Motley Fool. Our knowledgeable team of personal finance editors and analysts are employed by The Motley Fool and held to the same set of publishing standards and editorial integrity while maintaining professional separation from the analysts and editors on other Motley Fool brands. Terms may apply to offers listed on this page. APYs are subject to change at any time without notice.