California CD Rates

Paradise Valley Federal Credit Union has a number of very competitive CDs across the spectrum of terms:

• 3-month CD: 1.01% APY
• 6-month CD: 1.16% APY
• 1-year CD: 1.26% APY
• 18-month CD: 1.51% APY
• 2-year CD: 1.76% APY
• 30-month CD: 2.02% APY
• 3-year CD: 2.26% APY
• 4-year CS: 2.52% APY
• 5-year CD: 2.77% APY

These rates all have a relatively high minimum of $50,000, but they’re also available with $10,000 minimum if you’re willing to take a drop in APY. For the longer-term CDs, though, that drop can be as high as 0.75%. (The 3-month CD is the one certificate that has the same APY with a $10k minimum as $50k.) Paradise Valley FCU also has a competitive IRA savings account, which is yielding 1.01% APY for balances over $25,000 and 1.26% for balances over $50,000.

Paradise Valley FCU has one location: 2700 E. 4th Street in National City. Unfortunately, many of the pages of their website are under construction, including any reference to their field of membership, but there is an unofficial list about halfway down this page.

It’s hard to find even marginally competitive 1- to-2-year CDs in our current rate environment, but these three CDs from Pacific Mercantile Bank aren’t too bad: their 12-month CD is returning 1.26% APY, their 18-month CDs have a rate of 1.41% APY, and their 2-year CD is yielding 1.48% APY. The CDs have a pretty high minimum of $10,000. Pacific Mercantile Bank also offers longer term CDs, but they all have the same 1.48% rate as the 2-year CD.

Pacific Mercantile Bank has seven locations, all in California: Beverly Hills, Costa Mesa, La Habra, La Jolla, Newport Beach, Orlando, San Juan Capistrano.

California Community Bank has a few relatively competitive middle-term and longer-term certificates available:

• 24-35 months: 1.56% APY
• 36-47 months: 1.81% APY
• 48-59 months: 2.03% APY
• 60 months: 2.43% APY

These CDs have a minimum deposit of $2500.

California Community Bank has four branches: Encinitas, Escondido, Vista, and San Diego.

San Diego County Credit Union has two special promotional certificates available now: a 1.00% APY 9-month CD, and a 2.75% APY 57-month CD. Both these are called a “limited time offer,” and both have a $2000 minimum to open. If you’re putting even more money in the certificates, however, the rates go even higher: 1.06% APY/2.80% APY at $10,000 minimum, and 1.10% APY/2.85% APY at $90,000 minimum.  There’s also a 25-month CD that is yielding between 1.45% and 1.55%, depending on the initial deposit. All these certificates are also available as IRA CDs.

San Diego County Credit Union is open to anyone who works in San Diego County, Orange County, and Riverside County. San Diego County CU has 28 branches throughout those three counties, including nine branches in San Diego; two branches each in Chula Vista, Escondido, and Temecula; and one branch each in Carlsbad, El Cajon, Encinitas, La Jolla, La Mesa, Laguna Niguel, Murrieta, Oceanside, Poway, San Marcos, Santee, Solana Beach, and Vista.

Fort Sill National Bank (FSNB) has a competitive long-term CD rate available: Their 5-year CD is yielding 2.50% APY.  This CD has a minimum deposit of $500. FSNB also has a competitive IRA CD available — a 30-month IRA CD with a 1.75% APY. The IRA CD also has a minimum of $500. FSNB’s Select Savings Account is also higher than average: 0.75% APY with no minimum balance, and 1.00% APY with a $50,000 minimum balance.

Fort Sill National Bank has branches in seven states, including two branches in California: one at Twentynine Palms MAGTFTC, and one near Camp Pendleton in Oceanside. Despite the name, the bank is open to civilians as well as the military.