CD and Treasury ladder builder
Spread a lump sum across maturities and see what each rung pays. Treasury yields are from the daily curve as of 2026-10-29; CD rates are the FDIC national averages, which most online banks beat by two to three points, so type your own quotes if you have them.
Ladder
Override any rung's yield in the table below.
Result
| Rung | Term | Matures | Amount | Yield (editable) | Instrument | Interest to maturity | After tax |
|---|
Treasury yields interpolated from the curve (bills under a year, notes beyond). CD averages from the FDIC monthly survey. Interest is simple to maturity for bills and CDs under a year, compounded yearly beyond.
Reinvestment plan
When the first rung matures, buy the longest term in the ladder again. With a 5-rung, six-month ladder you will have a rung coming due every six months and all the money earning the 2½-year rate within three years. If rates fall, the longer rungs lock the old yield; if they rise, the next maturity catches the new one.
- Buy Treasuries commission-free at TreasuryDirect or any brokerage (auction or secondary); bills are sold at a discount, notes pay twice a year.
- Keep CD rungs under the $250,000 FDIC limit per bank and avoid callable or "bump" CDs unless you understand the terms.
- Compare with the best savings and CD rates and the I bond and T-bill page.