How much will $12,000 earn in a CD at today's rates?

MoneyWatch: Managing Your Money How much will $12,000 earn in a CD at today's rates? 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 14, 2026 / 3:51 PM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google A $12,000 deposit into a CD can result in a big return for savers who act now. Getty Images/iStockphoto Locking all of your money away in a fixed interest rate savings account may sound ideal and even tempting in today's economy, now that inflation is rising again, but it's not always the best approach to take. You'll want to maintain a baseline of flexibility, after all, which isn't achievable if all of your funds have been locked into one account type. And you'll need emergency funds, in particular, that are readily accessible without penalty, which typically rules out storing those exclusively in a certificate of deposit (CD) account. At the same time, with rates on CDs still available over 4% with some terms, it makes sense to exploit these accounts while returns are still competitive.In this climate, depositing $25,000 or $50,000 may not make sense. But depositing smaller amounts, such as $12,000, can still be advantageous. Returns on account of this size could still prove to be substantial, but you'll also keep a portion of your funds liquid in case of an emergency or should you want to pivot to other account types or alternative investments. That noted, $12,000 is a lot of money to part with, even for a short period of time. So you'll want to know the benefit of doing so before acting....