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Printed July 19, 2026 · https://trycleartally.com/cd-calculator
Estimates for educational purposes only — not financial advice. See https://trycleartally.com/disclaimer.
CD Calculator
See what a certificate of deposit will be worth at maturity and how much interest it earns — from your deposit, the rate, and the term.
Reviewed by the ClearTally editorial team · Last updated July 17, 2026 · Methodology & sources
An APY already includes compounding, so frequency doesn't change the total.
Value at maturity
$28,529.15
After 3 yrs
Interest earned
$3,529.15
Deposit
$25,000
Effective APY
4.500%
As entered
Growth over time
Assumes the CD is held to maturity at a fixed rate and interest stays in the account. Early withdrawal penalties, promotional/bump-up terms, and taxes on interest aren't modeled — CD interest is generally taxable in the year it's credited. Estimate only, not financial advice.
CD Worksheet
Value at maturity
$28,529.15
Assumes the CD is held to maturity. Early-withdrawal penalties and taxes not modeled. Not financial advice.
Calculated using the standard formulas described at https://trycleartally.com/methodology — for educational estimates only, not a quote or financial advice. Verify with your lender or financial institution before making decisions.
Comparing a CD against other savings? The compound interest calculator handles regular contributions, and the savings goal calculator works backward from a target date.
How it works
A certificate of deposit is a simple trade: you lock a lump sum away for a fixed term and the bank pays a fixed rate in return. Nothing is added along the way, so the whole result comes from compounding one deposit: maturity = deposit × (1 + APY)years. Because the rate is locked, a CD is one of the few places where the projected number is what you actually get — assuming you leave it alone until maturity.
The wrinkle worth understanding is APY versus the interest rate. APY is the effective annual yield — it already folds compounding in, which is exactly why banks advertise it and why you can compare two CDs on APY alone. A nominal rate doesn't: 5% compounded monthly isn't 5% a year, it's about 5.12%. Switch the rate type above and you'll see the compounding dropdown appear only when it actually changes the answer.
Example:$25,000 in a 3-year CD at 4.50% APY matures at about $28,529 — roughly $3,529 of interest. That beats a flat 4.5% a year ($3,375) by about $154, because each year's interest earns interest of its own.
FAQ
The interest rate is the raw rate; APY (annual percentage yield) is what you actually earn over a year once compounding is counted. A 5% rate compounded monthly works out to about 5.12% APY. Banks advertise CDs in APY precisely so you can compare offers directly — two CDs at the same APY pay the same at maturity no matter how often they compound. That's why this calculator only asks how often it compounds when you enter a nominal rate.