Newtek Bank vs Varo Money
High-Yield Savings Accounts Comparison

Last Updated: September 5, 2025

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Summary of Newtek Bank vs. Varo Bank

As of September 5, 2025 Newtek Bank offers an APY of 4.35% for its Personal High Yield Savings account, with a minimum balance of $0.01, compared to Varo Bank's 5.00% APY for its High-Yield Savings Account, with a minimum balance of $0.01.

Newtek Bank yields $60 more than Varo Bank on a $10,000 balance after one year. Newtek Bank pays $435, while Varo Bank pays $375 (with an effective APY of 3.75%) - an APY advantage for Newtek Bank.

Newtek Bank

Strengths

  • Newtek Bank offers a competitive APY of 4.35% with no direct deposit requirement.
  • Newtek Bank has an A+ BBB rating, indicating strong trustworthiness.
  • No maintenance fees for the Personal High Yield Savings account.

Potential Drawbacks

  • Newtek Bank's APY has remained the same at 4.35% over the past 30 days.
  • Newtek Bank has lower app ratings with 4.5 on App Store and 4.2 on Google Play.
  • No physical branches available for in-person banking.

Varo Bank

Strengths

  • Varo Bank offers a higher APY of 5.00% on savings up to $5,000.
  • Varo Bank has excellent app ratings: 4.9 on App Store and 4.7 on Google Play.
  • No maintenance fees for the High-Yield Savings Account.

Potential Drawbacks

  • Varo Bank requires a minimum direct deposit of $1,000/month to earn the highest APY.
  • Varo Bank's BBB rating is A-, which is lower than Newtek Bank's rating.
  • APY drops to 2.50% for amounts exceeding $5,000.
Summary: Newtek Bank offers a solid APY of 4.35% without a direct deposit requirement, while Varo Bank provides a higher APY of 5.00% but mandates a $1,000 monthly direct deposit. Newtek Bank has a better BBB rating (A+) compared to Varo Bank (A-). However, Varo Bank excels in app ratings, with 4.9 on the App Store and 4.7 on Google Play, indicating a better user experience.

Compare Newtek Bank's vs Varo Bank's Savings Accounts

Newtek BankVaro Bank
ProductPersonal High Yield SavingsvsHigh-Yield Savings Account
APY
4.35% (as of 9/5/2025)2.50% - 5.00% (as of 9/5/2025)
Bundled Account
NoNo
FDIC-insured
YesYes
Online OnlyYesYes
Compound Frequency
DailyDaily
Minimum Deposit$0$0
Minimum Balance for APY$0.01$0.01
Maintenance Fee$0$0
Direct Deposit Required
NoYes. Min. $1,000/month
NoteEarn 5.00% APY on up to $5,000 and 2.50% APY on the rest. Direct deposit required.
App Store Rating4.5/54.9/5
Google Play Rating4.2/54.7/5
BBB RatingA+A-

Comparative Historical APY Insights (Last 9 Months)

Newtek BankVaro Bank
ProductPersonal High Yield SavingsvsHigh-Yield Savings Account
Latest APY4.35 %5.00 %
TrendSidewaysSideways
Slope (bps/mo)-3.60.0
Rate Changes / Mo0.460.00
Days Since Last Change147260
High (-9 m)4.90 %5.00 %
Low (-9 m)4.35 %5.00 %
Draw-down from High-11.2 %0.0 %
Volatility (CV)0.0240.000
APY Insights Glossary
Latest APY
Most recent advertised annual-percentage yield.
Trend
Direction over the last 9 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 (-9 m)
Highest APY in the last 262 days.
Low (-9 m)
Lowest APY in the last 262 days.
Draw-down from High
How far today sits below the 9-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.

Calculate Savings Growth for Newtek Bank vs Varo Bank

All calculations are based on APY.

Newtek Bank

APY: 4.35%

Total savings breakdown:

  • Interest earned: $2,662 (12.88%)
  • Total contributions: $13,000 (62.92%)
  • Initial deposit: $5,000 (24.20%)

Your total balance

$20,662.00

Effective APY: 4.35% (based on your deposit and contributions)

Total balance: $20,662

Earnings: $2,662

Bank Overview

Varo Bank

APY: 5.00%

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

Effective APY: 3.65% (based on your deposit and contributions)

Total balance: $20,211.4

Earnings: $2,211.4

Bank Overview

With a $5,000 initial deposit and $13,000 in total contributions over 5 years, Newtek Bank's total earnings would be $450.6 higher than Varo Bank's total earnings.

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

More Comparisons

Compare Newtek Bank's APY of 4.35% with other banks
Compare Varo Bank's APY of 5.00% with other banks