So I've been looking into CDs lately and honestly finding anything over 5% is getting harder. Back in 2023 there were actually some credit unions offering 6% rates, which sounds wild now. The thing is, most of these six month certificate of deposit options had pretty strict membership requirements - like you had to work for specific companies or live in certain areas. Not exactly accessible for everyone.

The best ones I found were through credit unions rather than regular banks. Financial Partners had an 8-month CD hitting 6% APY but capped at $5k and California-only. Nuvision was more nationwide-friendly with their 9-month option. Then there were the Texas-specific ones like City Credit Union with a 12-month six month certificate of deposit alternative if you could qualify.

Honestly though, those rates are probably ancient history now in 2026. The whole point back then was that you had to do serious digging - joining credit unions, meeting eligibility criteria, dealing with deposit caps. It was doable if you matched their requirements, but definitely not straightforward.

If you're shopping for CDs now, I'd suggest checking what credit unions you can actually join first. Most regular banks won't touch 6% anymore, but there might still be some decent rates out there if you look beyond the big names. The six month certificate of deposit market has definitely cooled since those wild 2023 days though.