High-Yield Savings Account Comparison

Charles Schwab Bank vs. Varo Bank

Compare rates, requirements, and features side-by-side to find the best option for you.

Analysis by Aviel Fahl
Updated December 10, 2025

Charles Schwab Bank

Schwab Bank Investor Savings™

0.15%
APY
Dec 10, 2025
FDIC InsuredNo MinimumsGreat iOS AppIn-Person Access
Show Fine Print & Trends
Min. Deposit$0
Min. Balance$0.01
Maintenance Fee$0
Compound FreqDaily
Direct DepositNot required
Deposit InsuranceFDIC Insured(Cert: 57450)
EligibilityUnited States
Mobile Ratings
BBB Rating

Rate Stability

Very StableNo rate changes in last 90 days

Varo Bank

High-Yield Savings Account

Up to
5.00%
APY
Dec 10, 2025
FDIC InsuredDirect Deposit ReqChecking BundleNo MinimumsGreat iOS AppGreat Android App
Range: 2.50% 5.00%
Show Fine Print & Trends
Min. Deposit$0
Min. Balance$0.01
Maintenance Fee$0
Compound FreqDaily
Direct DepositRequired (Min. $1,000/month)
Deposit InsuranceFDIC Insured(Cert: 59190)
EligibilityUnited States
Mobile Ratings
BBB Rating

Important Note

Earn 5.00% APY on up to $5,000 and 2.50% APY on the rest. A Varo bank account & direct deposit required.

Rate Stability

Very StableNo rate changes in last 90 days

Charles Schwab Bank vs. Varo Bank Savings Calculator

Calculations based on current APY for Schwab Bank Investor Savings™ and High-Yield Savings Account
$
$

Varo Bank earns $2,125.3 more than Charles Schwab Bank.

Charles Schwab Bank

Schwab Bank Investor Savings™

0.15% APY

Savings Breakdown

  • Interest Earned
    +$86.10(0.5%)
  • Total Contributions
    $13,000
  • Initial Deposit
    $5,000

Projected Balance

$18,086.10

Effective APY
0.15%

Varo Bank

High-Yield Savings Account

5.00% APY

5.00% on first $5,000 and 2.50% thereafter.

Savings Breakdown

  • Interest Earned
    +$2,211.40(10.9%)
  • Total Contributions
    $13,000
  • Initial Deposit
    $5,000

Projected Balance

$20,211.40

Effective APY
3.65%

The Banksparency Savings Calculator provides estimated savings growth based on user input and our latest data.

Comparison Analysis

Comparing Charles Schwab Bank vs. Varo Bank

Updated: Dec 10, 2025

Why Charles Schwab Bank?

  • No checking account or direct deposit required

Why Varo Bank?

  • Higher potential APY (5.00% vs 0.15%) on all balances
  • Higher rated Android app (4.6 vs 2.9)

— Key Feature Differences —

Better Returns at $10,000
Varo Bank

Varo Bank's High-Yield Savings Account earns more on smaller deposits (approx. $375 vs $15/yr).

Better Returns at $25,000
Varo Bank

Varo Bank's High-Yield Savings Account pulls ahead with larger amounts (approx. $750 vs $38/yr).

Best for All-in-One Banking
Varo Bank

Varo Bank's High-Yield Savings Account pays a superior APY for customers who also open a checking account.

Shared Benefits

Both offer monthly maintenance-free account options Both banks have options with $0 opening deposit Available Nationwide Available to New & Existing Customers
The Bottom Line on APY (Interest Only)

Over a 1-year period, Varo Bank's High-Yield Savings Account pays $360 more interest on a $10,000 balance than Charles Schwab Bank's Schwab Bank Investor Savings™.

*This calculation assumes current rates remain consistent for 1 year and does not include temporary bonuses.

Charles Schwab BankVaro Bank
Automated Data Audit

Executive Summary

Varo Bank offers a High-Yield Savings Account with an impressive APY of 5.00%, significantly higher than Charles Schwab Bank's Schwab Bank Investor Savings™, which yields 0.15%. Varo's account requires a minimum direct deposit of $1,000 per month and is online-only, necessitating a Varo bank account for eligibility. In contrast, Schwab's savings account has no direct deposit requirement or maintenance fees, making it accessible with a minimum balance of just $0.01. However, for those seeking higher returns, Varo Bank's offering is clearly the better choice.

Analysis generated based on current Banksparency database records

* AI-generated content provided for informational purposes only. Accuracy is not guaranteed; always verify details with the provider.

FeatureCharles Schwab BankVaro Bank
APY
0.15%
Verified: 12/10/2025
Stable (90d)
5.00%
Range: 2.50% - 5.00%
Verified: 12/10/2025
Stable (90d)
Product NameSchwab Bank Investor Savings™High-Yield Savings Account
Minimum Deposit$0$0
Min. Balance for APY$0.01$0.01
Monthly Fee$0$0
Branch AccessYesNone
Account Type
Online & Branches
Online Only
Direct Deposit Req.None
RequiredMin. $1,000/month
Checking BundleNo Yes
Mobile Apps
iOS4.8
Android2.9
iOS4.9
Android4.6
BBB RatingA+A
Important Notes-Earn 5.00% APY on up to $5,000 and 2.50% APY on the rest. A Varo bank account & direct deposit required.
Next Steps

📈 Compare Savings Rates Over Time

Historical Performance

Last 10 Months Analysis
MetricCharles Schwab BankVaro Bank
Schwab Bank Investor Savings™High-Yield Savings Account
Current APY
0.15%5.00%
Trend
Stable Stable
Velocity (bps/mo)
-0.00.0
Days Since Change
314314
10-Month High
0.15%5.00%
10-Month Low
0.15%5.00%
Adjustments / Mo
0.000.00
Volatility Score
0.0000.000
How to read these metrics(Click to expand)

Trends & Velocity

  • Trend: The general direction of the rate over the analyzed period. Useful for spotting if a bank is currently aggressive or pulling back.
  • Velocity (bps/mo): Speed of change. A high positive number means they raise rates quickly. 10 bps = 0.10%.
  • Adjustments/Mo: "Twitchiness." High frequency means the rate changes constantly; low frequency means it's stable.

Risk & Range

  • High/Low: The absolute ceiling and floor of the rate during the 315-day window.
  • Volatility Score: Lower is better for predictability. It indicates how wildly the rate swings relative to its average.
  • Days Since Change: If this number is high (e.g., >90), the rate is very sticky. If low, it changed recently.

More Comparisons

Compare Charles Schwab Bank's APY of 0.15% with other banks
Bank PairCompetitor APYMin Deposit
Charles Schwab Bank vs Affirm3.60%$0
Charles Schwab Bank vs Ally Bank3.30%$0
Charles Schwab Bank vs American Express3.40%$0
Charles Schwab Bank vs Axos Bank4.31%$0
Charles Schwab Bank vs Bank of America0.01%$100
Charles Schwab Bank vs Barclays4.00%$0
Charles Schwab Bank vs Bask Bank3.90%$0
Charles Schwab Bank vs Betterment3.50%$10
Charles Schwab Bank vs BMO Alto3.25%$0
Charles Schwab Bank vs Bread Savings4.10%$100
Charles Schwab Bank vs BrioDirect4.00%$5,000
Charles Schwab Bank vs Capital One3.40%$0
Charles Schwab Bank vs Chase Bank0.01%$0
Charles Schwab Bank vs Chime3.50%$0
Charles Schwab Bank vs CIT Bank3.75%$100
Charles Schwab Bank vs Citibank3.30%$0
Charles Schwab Bank vs Citizens Access™3.15%$0.01
Charles Schwab Bank vs Climate First Bank4.21%$50
Charles Schwab Bank vs Discover Bank3.40%$0
Charles Schwab Bank vs E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley3.75%$0
Charles Schwab Bank vs Elevault4.08%$0
Charles Schwab Bank vs EverBank4.05%$0
Charles Schwab Bank vs Fitness Bank4.75%$100
Charles Schwab Bank vs FNBO Direct3.00%$1
Charles Schwab Bank vs Forbright Bank4.00%$0
Charles Schwab Bank vs FVCbank3.85%$500
Charles Schwab Bank vs GO2bank4.50%$0
Charles Schwab Bank vs Ivy Bank4.25%$2,500
Charles Schwab Bank vs LendingClub4.20%$0
Charles Schwab Bank vs Marcus by Goldman Sachs3.65%$0
Charles Schwab Bank vs Neighbors Bank4.30%$0
Charles Schwab Bank vs Newtek Bank4.35%$0.01
Charles Schwab Bank vs Openbank4.20%$500
Charles Schwab Bank vs Peak Bank4.20%$100
Charles Schwab Bank vs Pibank4.60%$0
Charles Schwab Bank vs PNC3.53%$0
Charles Schwab Bank vs Presidential Bank4.00%$5,000
Charles Schwab Bank vs Quontic Bank3.75%$100
Charles Schwab Bank vs Salem Five Direct3.71%$10
Charles Schwab Bank vs Sallie Mae Bank3.90%$0
Charles Schwab Bank vs Santander Bank0.01%$25
Charles Schwab Bank vs SoFi Bank4.30%$0
Charles Schwab Bank vs Synchrony Bank3.65%$0
Charles Schwab Bank vs TD Bank2.75%$0
Charles Schwab Bank vs TIMBR4.40%$1,000
Charles Schwab Bank vs UFB Direct3.71%$5000
Charles Schwab Bank vs Upgrade3.05%$0
Charles Schwab Bank vs Valley Direct4.10%$1,000
Charles Schwab Bank vs Vio Bank4.16%$100
Charles Schwab Bank vs Wealthfront4.15%$0
Charles Schwab Bank vs Wells Fargo0.05%$25
Charles Schwab Bank vs Zynlo Bank4.05%$10
Compare Varo Bank's APY of 5.00% with other banks
Bank PairCompetitor APYMin Deposit
Varo Bank vs Affirm3.60%$0
Varo Bank vs Ally Bank3.30%$0
Varo Bank vs American Express3.40%$0
Varo Bank vs Axos Bank4.31%$0
Varo Bank vs Bank of America0.01%$100
Varo Bank vs Barclays4.00%$0
Varo Bank vs Bask Bank3.90%$0
Varo Bank vs Betterment3.50%$10
Varo Bank vs BMO Alto3.25%$0
Varo Bank vs Bread Savings4.10%$100
Varo Bank vs BrioDirect4.00%$5,000
Varo Bank vs Capital One3.40%$0
Varo Bank vs Chase Bank0.01%$0
Varo Bank vs Chime3.50%$0
Varo Bank vs CIT Bank3.75%$100
Varo Bank vs Citibank3.30%$0
Varo Bank vs Citizens Access™3.15%$0.01
Varo Bank vs Climate First Bank4.21%$50
Varo Bank vs Discover Bank3.40%$0
Varo Bank vs E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley3.75%$0
Varo Bank vs Elevault4.08%$0
Varo Bank vs EverBank4.05%$0
Varo Bank vs Fitness Bank4.75%$100
Varo Bank vs FNBO Direct3.00%$1
Varo Bank vs Forbright Bank4.00%$0
Varo Bank vs FVCbank3.85%$500
Varo Bank vs GO2bank4.50%$0
Varo Bank vs Ivy Bank4.25%$2,500
Varo Bank vs LendingClub4.20%$0
Varo Bank vs Marcus by Goldman Sachs3.65%$0
Varo Bank vs Neighbors Bank4.30%$0
Varo Bank vs Newtek Bank4.35%$0.01
Varo Bank vs Openbank4.20%$500
Varo Bank vs Peak Bank4.20%$100
Varo Bank vs Pibank4.60%$0
Varo Bank vs PNC3.53%$0
Varo Bank vs Presidential Bank4.00%$5,000
Varo Bank vs Quontic Bank3.75%$100
Varo Bank vs Salem Five Direct3.71%$10
Varo Bank vs Sallie Mae Bank3.90%$0
Varo Bank vs Santander Bank0.01%$25
Varo Bank vs SoFi Bank4.30%$0
Varo Bank vs Synchrony Bank3.65%$0
Varo Bank vs TD Bank2.75%$0
Varo Bank vs TIMBR4.40%$1,000
Varo Bank vs UFB Direct3.71%$5000
Varo Bank vs Upgrade3.05%$0
Varo Bank vs Valley Direct4.10%$1,000
Varo Bank vs Vio Bank4.16%$100
Varo Bank vs Wealthfront4.15%$0
Varo Bank vs Wells Fargo0.05%$25
Varo Bank vs Zynlo Bank4.05%$10