Forbright Bank vs. Varo Money
High-Yield Savings Account Comparison
By Aviel Fahl|Last Updated: November 12, 2025
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Summary of Forbright Bank vs. Varo Bank
Key Metrics at a Glance
| Feature | Forbright Bank | Varo Bank |
|---|---|---|
| Top Savings APY | 4.00% Growth Savings | 5.00% High-Yield Savings Account |
| Minimum to Open | $0 | $0 |
| Minimum Balance for Top APY | $0 | $0.01 |
| Note | Earn 5.00% APY on up to $5,000 and 2.50% APY on the rest. Direct deposit required. |
Forbright Bank
Strengths
- Forbright Bank offers a Growth Savings account with a competitive APY of 4.00%.
- Forbright Bank has an A+ BBB rating, indicating strong trustworthiness.
- Forbright Bank has a branch presence in the Washington D.C. area.
Potential Drawbacks
- Forbright Bank's highest APY is lower than Varo Bank's at 5.00%.
- Forbright Bank does not offer a direct deposit option for its accounts.
Varo Bank
Strengths
- Varo Bank provides a high APY of 5.00% on its High-Yield Savings Account.
- Varo Bank has a higher App Store rating of 4.9 compared to Forbright Bank's 4.8.
Potential Drawbacks
- Varo Bank requires a minimum direct deposit of $1,000/month to earn the highest APY.
- Varo Bank has no physical branches, limiting in-person service.
→ As of November 12, 2025 Forbright Bank offers an APY of 4.00% for its Growth Savings account, with a minimum balance of $0, compared to Varo Bank's 5.00% APY for its High-Yield Savings Account, with a minimum balance of $0.01.
→ Forbright Bank yields $25 more than Varo Bank on a $10,000 balance after one year. Forbright Bank pays $400, while Varo Bank pays $375 (with an effective APY of 3.75%) - an APY advantage for Forbright Bank.
→ In addition, Forbright Bank also offers 3.65% APY for the Bright Savings account.
Calculate Savings Growth for Forbright Bank vs Varo Bank
Forbright Bank - Growth Savings
Total savings breakdown:
- Interest earned: $2,434.7 (11.91%)
- Total contributions: $13,000 (63.62%)
- Initial deposit: $5,000 (24.47%)
Your total balance
$20,434.70
Total balance: $20,434.7
Earnings: $2,434.7
Bank OverviewVaro Bank - High-Yield Savings Account
ℹ️You earn 5.00% on the first $5,000 and 2.50% on the rest.
Total savings breakdown:
- Interest earned: $2,211.4 (10.94%)
- Total contributions: $13,000 (64.32%)
- Initial deposit: $5,000 (24.74%)
Your total balance
$20,211.40
Total balance: $20,211.4
Earnings: $2,211.4
Bank OverviewWith a $5,000 initial deposit and $13,000 in total contributions over 5 years, Forbright Bank's total earnings would be $223.3 higher than Varo Bank's total earnings.
The Banksparency Savings Calculator provides estimated savings growth based on user input and our latest data.
Compare Forbright Bank's vs Varo Bank's Savings Accounts
| Forbright Bank | Varo Bank | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product | Growth Savings | Bright Savings | Sprout Savings | vs | High-Yield Savings Account |
| APY | 4.00% (as of 11/12/2025) | 2.75% - 3.65% (as of 11/12/2025) | 0.80% - 3.65% (as of 11/12/2025) | 2.50% - 5.00% (as of 11/12/2025) | |
| Bundled Account | No | No | No | No | |
| FDIC-insured | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Online Only | Yes | No | No | Yes | |
| Compound Frequency | Daily | Daily | Daily | Daily | |
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $250 | $1 | $0 | |
| Minimum Balance for APY | $0 | $250,000 | $0.01 | $0.01 | |
| Maintenance Fee | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | |
| Direct Deposit Required | No | No | No | Yes. Min. $1,000/month | |
| Eligibility | United States | This account must be opened in a Forbright branch (Washington, D.C. metro area) | This account is for children under 18 years old, where the account custodian is an existing customer. It must be opened in a Forbright branch (Washington, D.C. metro area) | United States | |
| Note | This is a tiered savings account, where the highest rate is obtained by meeting a minimum balance of $250,000. A lower APY of 2.75% may be obtained with as little as $0.01 in balance. See bank for more details and all tiers. | This is a tiered savings account, where the highest rate is capped at a balance of $9,999. A lower APY of 0.80% is applied to balances above that. See bank for more details. | Earn 5.00% APY on up to $5,000 and 2.50% APY on the rest. Direct deposit required. | ||
| App Store Rating | 4.8/5 | 4.9/5 | |||
| Google Play Rating | 4.6/5 | 4.6/5 | |||
| BBB Rating | A+ | A | |||
Comparative Historical APY Insights (Last 11 Months)
| Forbright Bank | Varo Bank | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product | Sprout Savings | Bright Savings | Growth Savings | vs | High-Yield Savings Account |
| Latest APY | 3.65 % | 3.65 % | 4.00 % | 5.00 % | |
| Trend | Sideways | Sideways | Sideways | Sideways | |
| Slope (bps/mo) | -2.7 | -2.7 | -2.3 | 0.0 | |
| Rate Changes / Mo | 0.09 | 0.09 | 0.18 | 0.00 | |
| Days Since Last Change | 43 | 43 | 35 | 329 | |
| High (-11 m) | 3.90 % | 3.90 % | 4.60 % | 5.00 % | |
| Low (-11 m) | 3.65 % | 3.65 % | 4.00 % | 5.00 % | |
| Draw-down from High | -6.4 % | -6.4 % | -13.0 % | 0.0 % | |
| Volatility (CV) | 0.026 | 0.026 | 0.026 | 0.000 | |
APY Insights Glossary
- Latest APY
- Most recent advertised annual-percentage yield.
- Trend
- Direction over the last 11 months (regression slope).
- Slope (bps/mo)
- Average monthly change; 10 bps = 0.10 pp.
- Rate Changes / Mo
- Typical number of APY moves per month.
- Days Since Last Change
- Recency of the latest APY adjustment.
- High (-11 m)
- Highest APY in the last 330 days.
- Low (-11 m)
- Lowest APY in the last 330 days.
- Draw-down from High
- How far today sits below the 11-month peak.
- Volatility (CV)
- Coefficient of variation = stdev ÷ mean.
Why Track Savings-Account APYs?
- See how quickly a bank reacts to Fed moves or competition.
- Gauge “twitchiness” - frequent moves can annoy savers.
- Spot if you're buying near a peak (draw-down) or riding a rise.
- Slope (bps/mo) shows speed of change.
- Volatility (CV) scales jumps by average level.