5 best short-term investments of 2026

APYs listed in this article are up-to-date as of the time of publication. CNBC Select will update as changes are made public.

With the economic volatility that has defined 2026, many consumers are looking for short-term investments that will help them grow their money while keeping it accessible and relatively safe.

Whether you're building an emergency fund, saving to buy a new car, or simply looking to earn better returns than a traditional savings account, the right investment vehicle can make a significant difference.

Learn about the five best short-term investment options for 2026, along with the financial institutions that offer the most competitive rates and features.

High-yield savings accounts (HYSAs) are as safe and as easy to access as brick-and-mortar savings accounts, but offer a much higher return.

Our top picks for HYSAs include the Happen Bank LevelUp Savings and UFB Portfolio Savings. Below offer above-average APYs and don't limit the number of withdrawals or transfers you can make. They both also include an ATM card, an uncommon offering with an HYSA.

Unlike an HYSA, a certificate of deposit, or CD, has a fixed rate for a specific term, anywhere from three months to five years (or even longer in some cases). In exchange for that predictability, you can't access the funds in a traditional CD before it matures without paying a penalty.

That makes CDs a poor choice for something like an emergency fund. But if you know you won't need the money for several months, or even years, it's a great, low-maintenance option

We like Ally Bank and Synchrony Bank for their competitive APYs and for offering specialty CDs, such as add-on CDs that allow you to make additional contributions, and no-penalty CDs, which let you withdraw your money before maturity.

Money market accounts, or MMAs, are also stable vehicles for your short-term investments. They combine the elevated return of a HYSA with checking account features, such as check-writing privileges, debit cards, ATM access and out-of-network ATM fee reimbursements.

ZYNLO Bank's money market account lets you get started with just $10 and earns a strong rate with no monthly fees, no transaction limits and no minimum balance requirement.

We also like Quontic Bank for having one of the highest APYs we've seen in an MMA, plus both check-writing privileges and a debit/ATM card. There's no monthly fee and no balance cap on the APY.

Issued by the U.S. government, government bonds are very safe and low-risk, making them ideal as short-term investments. Plus, they offer reliable income. The market for U.S. government bonds is also highly liquid, so you can sell and access your money easily. The best way to buy government bonds is directly through the government's TreasuryDirect.gov.

In addition to purchasing bonds directly, you can also invest in a government bond fund. Bond funds give you access to various types of bonds so you can invest in a mix.

Treasury bills, or T-bills, are a type of fixed-income security issued by the government with a short maturity term of within a year. T-bills are nearly risk-free and highly liquid, which means they are very safe places to park the cash you'll need soon.

Keep in mind, however, that T-bill returns typically react inversely with the Federal Reserve benchmark rate; a higher rate set by the Fed means lower returns on T-bills. In contrast, high-yield savings and CDs usually raise their rates as the benchmark rate goes up.

You can purchase T-bills directly from the government via TreasuryDirect.gov or through brokerages like Fidelity and Charles Schwab.

A short-term investment is a place to put cash you'll need within the next three years — whether for a down payment on a home, a wedding, college tuition or to fill out your emergency fund. Because the money has a job to do soon, the goal isn't to chase the highest possible return but rather to keep the cash safe, liquid and growing a little faster than it would in a checking account.

That's different from long-term investing, where you can ride out market swings in stocks or funds because you won't need the money for decades. With short-term investments, protecting your principal typically matters more than maximizing growth.

The best options for short-term goals tend to share a few traits:

• Low risk: Your principal is typically protected through FDIC insurance or government backing, rather than exposed to market swings.
• Liquidity: You can access your cash on a predictable timeline, without steep penalties, when you actually need it.
• Competitive, often variable returns: Rates move with the broader interest-rate environment rather than locking you in for years (CDs and T-bills are the exception).
• Low or no fees: Maintenance fees and early-withdrawal penalties are minimal, so they don't eat into modest short-term gains.
• Modest minimum requirements: Most don't require a large opening deposit, so they're accessible no matter your balance.

• Match the term to your timeline - If you know exactly when you'll need the money, a CD or T-bill with a matching maturity date can lock in a rate. If your timeline is fuzzy, stick with something liquid like a high-yield savings or money market account.
• Compare APYs across several banks - Online banks often offer higher rates than brick-and-mortar institutions meaningfully since they carry lower overhead costs.
• Watch for withdrawal limits and fees - Even without a federal cap, many banks still enforce their own transfer limits, so be sure to check the fine print before you open an account.
• Consider laddering CDs or T-bills - Splitting your cash across multiple maturity dates gives you regular access to portions of your money while still capturing higher fixed rates.
• Don't chase yield at the expense of safety - For money you can't afford to lose, stay within FDIC-insured or government-backed options.
• Recheck rates periodically - Because many of these rates are variable, a top account today may not stay competitive, so it's worth comparing every several months again.

At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every investing guide is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of investment accounts. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics. 

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