Current Certificate of Deposit Rates A certificate of deposit (CD) is considered a time deposit because it is not a liquid asset that can be accessed on demand. Instead, the amounts deposited into a CD are expected to remain untouched for a specific period of time. (In general, the longer the term, the higher the interest rate for a CD.) Historically, interest rates for CDs have been higher than for high-yield online savings accounts, and both types of accounts are generally FDIC-insured.