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The start of a new year is often a time when many adults like to try new things and make different moves. And that often extends to shifting their financial strategies. But after the last few years in which inflation was problematic and higher interest rates compounded their financial difficulties, it’s understandable if savers want to take a safer and more pragmatic approach in 2026. For these savers, vehicles like high-yield savings and certificates of deposit (CD) accounts offer viable ways to both protect their principal and grow their interest.
CD accounts, in particular, may be attractive right now as rates here remain competitive, even if they’re a bit lower than they were in early 2025. But the rate is also fixed, allowing savers to determine their precise interest-earning potential. And that’s an especially key feature for those considering locking a large, five-figure amount of money into one of these accounts in the new year. After all, if you’re depositing $40,000 into a CD, for example, you’ll want to make sure that it’s actually worth doing so.
So, how much will a $40,000 CD account earn in 2026? Fortunately, this is easy to determine thanks to that fixed rate. Below, we’ll crunch the numbers savers should know to make an informed decision.
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How much will a $40,000 CD account earn in 2026?
Not sure if it’s worth locking this much money into one of these accounts in 2026? Here’s how much you can earn, calculated against a variety of CD terms (or lengths), rates associated with each and the assumption that no early withdrawal penalties are levied against the account:
- 3-month CD at 3.90%: $384.42 upon maturity
- 6-month CD at 4.10%: $811.76 upon maturity
- 9-month CD at 4.00%: $1,194.10 upon maturity
- 1-year CD at 4.10%: $1,640 upon maturity
Savers, then, stand to earn a few hundred dollars with an account of this size in just 90 days, approximately. And if they keep their funds in the account past nine months they’ll earn close to $1,200, both earned via little effort on behalf of the saver and with virtually no maintenance besides the avoidance of any early withdrawals. And, if you’re concerned about any banking volatility, which is understandable with a CD account of this size, it’s important to know that CDs are FDIC-insured up to $250,000, so you’ll be protected there, too.
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The bottom line
A CD account may not be the first place you think of when it comes to storing a large amount of money like $40,000 but after the economic volatility of the last few years, it’s also not a bad place to consider. And with the potential to earn hundreds of dollars in just a few months or over $1,600 by this time next year, it could also be a relatively lucrative home for your money, too, especially considering that this interest is guaranteed in a way that other, variable-rate savings vehicles simply won’t permit. Just be sure of your ability to keep the money in the account untouched – no matter the term you choose – as an early withdrawal penalty here could wipe out all or even most of the interest you’ve earned to that point in time.
