February 2026 CD Rates: CD Valet Reveals How Financial Institutions are Leveraging CDs as a Growth Engine Amid Economic Uncertainty

SEATTLE, Feb. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- CD Valet is a digital marketplace that connects consumers with the best verified, high-yield CD rates nationwide, helping community financial institutions effectively attract new deposits. The company today shared that in a falling rate environment, some banks and credit unions are making the strategic decision to increase CD rates to attract deposits. In fact, nearly 60% of CD rate changes from CD Valet's bank and credit union partners in 2026 have been rate increases.

In a climate where many institutions are lowering CD rates amid uncertainty, going against the grain in this way can attract new deposits and customers, while presenting a strong opportunity for savers to secure competitive returns despite broader market softening. CD Valet's 70 financial institution partners are among those that use CDs as part of a defined growth or liquidity management strategy, using the digital marketplace as needed to attract deposits.

"Forward-thinking institutions are taking what can often be considered a legacy product and leveraging it in a modern way to fuel meaningful growth," says Mary Grace Roske, Head of Marketing and Communications at CD Valet. "While the overall CD rate environment is trending downward, many of our partner institutions are actually thoughtfully raising CD rates, using strategic pricing and smart digital marketing to differentiate themselves in a competitive deposit landscape."

Other points of note from CD Valet's February analysis (which covers rate activity from January 04, 2026-February 03, 2026 for nearly 5,000 financial institutions and 40,000+ rates) include:

• In January, nearly eight of ten CD rates changes were a decrease.
• There were 3,542 CD decreases over the past month, averaging 23 basis points, compared to 919 increases averaging 32 basis points.
• Of the institutions that increased CD rates, approximately 62% were credit unions while approximately 38% were banks.

**Note this analysis is for the comprehensive CD landscape, not just the CD Valet partner network

Roske continued, "For savers, this presents a strong moment to shop, with standout offers still emerging across our partner network. What's most important is that consumers are doing their research and using reliable, real-time tools to keep up with CD rate trends and offers. Those that fail to keep up with market activity and act quickly risk missing out on significant savings."

One such tool is CD Valet's digital marketplace, which tracks 40,000 publicly listed CD rates from nearly 5,000 banks and credit unions located across the country. The company's monthly Ratewatcher report, which analyzes these rates, revealed a continued flattening of the yield curve over the past month, with 24- and 36-month CDs showing the highest number of rate increases for standard term CDs.

"The deposit landscape continues to become more competitive and complex, and CDs represent an effective way to attract and engage with high-value, high-intent customers. Institutions that leverage real‑time market data to identify gaps and opportunities will be best positioned to price and promote their deposit offers – turning CDs into a powerful driver of growth," added Roske.

About CD Valet 

CD Valet is a CD marketplace that features verified CD rates from federally insured banks and credit unions nationwide. With tens of thousands of CD offers tracked across the country, CD Valet gives savers a clear view of top rates and helps them explore higher-yield CD options with reliable returns. With CD Valet, banks and credit unions are empowered to digitally compete with the largest financial institutions while gaining access to full-suite advertising, analytics, and account opening tools to support deposit acquisition. Visit www.cdvalet.com for more information and check out CD Valet's Best CD Rates by State Map to maximize earnings on savings.

SOURCE CD Valet