$18,000 CD vs. $18,000 money market account: Which earns more interest now?

MoneyWatch: Managing Your Money $18,000 CD vs. $18,000 money market account: Which earns more interest now? We may receive commissions from some links to products on this page. Promotions are subject to availability and retailer terms. .chip { background-image: url('/fly/bundles/cbsnewscore/images/chip-bgd/chip-bgd-moneywatch.jpg'); } By Matt Richardson Matt Richardson Sr. Managing Editor, Managing Your Money Matt Richardson is the senior managing editor for the Managing Your Money section for CBSNews.com. He writes and edits content about personal finance ranging from savings to investing to insurance. Read Full Bio Matt Richardson April 22, 2026 / 12:15 PM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google Savers should closely compare the interest-earning capabilities of CDs and money market accounts before depositing funds into either. Nataly Kan/Natalia Kan/Getty Images While it may be tempting to deposit a large, round number like $20,000, $30,000 or more into a certificate of deposit (CD) or a money market account now, the reality is that it takes a long time to build up those funds. And waiting to hit a milestone deposit amount before acting means missing out on elevated interest rates and big returns on your money in the interim. That's generally a mistake worth avoiding, especially with a money market account, as it has a variable interest rate that will change based on market conditions. If those conditions change, rates could rise from where they are now, allowing savers to earn even more on their money. So, if you have an amount such as $18,000 sitting in a traditional savings account, it may make sense to shift your money.To better understand the value of a CD versus a money market account, savers should start by crunching the interest-earning potential each offers now. While this can be easy to determine with a fixed-rate CD, it becomes harder to determine with a money market account. Below, we'll break down the numbers savers should consider before depositin...