Pnc vs. Varo Money
High-Yield Savings Account Comparison
By Aviel Fahl|Last Updated: November 14, 2025
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Summary of PNC vs. Varo Bank
Key Metrics at a Glance
| Feature | PNC | Varo Bank |
|---|---|---|
| Top Savings APY | 3.53% PNC High Yield Savings | 5.00% High-Yield Savings Account |
| Minimum to Open | $0 | $0 |
| Minimum Balance for Top APY | $0 | $0.01 |
| Note | Eligibility restricted. | Earn 5.00% APY on up to $5,000 and 2.50% APY on the rest. A Varo bank account & direct deposit required. |
PNC
Strengths
- PNC High Yield Savings has no minimum deposit requirement.
- PNC offers a high App Store rating of 4.9.
- PNC has a solid BBB rating of A+.
Potential Drawbacks
- Current APY for PNC High Yield Savings is 3.53%, down from 3.85% last month.
- Eligibility for PNC High Yield Savings is restricted.
- PNC does not offer a direct deposit option.
Varo Bank
Strengths
- Varo Bank offers a competitive current APY of 5.00%.
- Varo Bank is BBB Accredited, with a rating of A.
- Varo allows a minimum balance of just $0.01.
Potential Drawbacks
- Varo requires direct deposit of at least $1,000/month for the high APY.
- Varo has no physical branches.
- Varo's APY on amounts over $5,000 drops to 2.50%.
→ As of November 14, 2025 PNC offers an APY of 3.53% for its PNC High Yield 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.
→ Varo Bank yields $22 more than PNC on a $10,000 balance after one year. PNC pays $353, while Varo Bank pays $375 (with an effective APY of 3.75%) - an APY advantage for Varo Bank.
→ In addition, PNC also offers 0.03% APY for the Standard Savings account.
Calculate Savings Growth for PNC vs Varo Bank
PNC - PNC High Yield Savings
Total savings breakdown:
- Interest earned: $2,133.2 (10.60%)
- Total contributions: $13,000 (64.57%)
- Initial deposit: $5,000 (24.83%)
Your total balance
$20,133.20
Total balance: $20,133.2
Earnings: $2,133.2
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, PNC's total earnings would be $78.2 lower than Varo Bank's total earnings.
The Banksparency Savings Calculator provides estimated savings growth based on user input and our latest data.
Compare PNC's vs Varo Bank's Savings Accounts
| PNC | Varo Bank | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product | Standard Savings | PNC High Yield Savings | vs | High-Yield Savings Account |
| APY | 0.03% (as of 11/14/2025) | 3.53% (as of 11/14/2025) | 2.50% - 5.00% (as of 11/14/2025) | |
| Bundled Account | No | No | Yes | |
| FDIC-insured | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Online Only | No | No | Yes | |
| Compound Frequency | Monthly | Monthly | Daily | |
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 | $0 | |
| Minimum Balance for APY | $1 | $0 | $0.01 | |
| Maintenance Fee | $0 / $5 (see bank for details) | $0 | $0 | |
| Direct Deposit Required | No | No | Yes. Min. $1,000/month | |
| Eligibility | United States | AK, AR, CT, HI, ID, IA, LA, ME, MN, MS, MT, NE, NV, NH, ND, OK, OR, RI, SD, UT, VT, WA, WY | United States | |
| Note | APY may improve with a linked PNC account. Terms and conditions apply. | Eligibility restricted. | Earn 5.00% APY on up to $5,000 and 2.50% APY on the rest. A Varo bank account & direct deposit required. | |
| App Store Rating | 4.9/5 | 4.9/5 | ||
| Google Play Rating | 4.6/5 | 4.6/5 | ||
| BBB Rating | A+ | A | ||
Comparative Historical APY Insights (Last 8 Months)
| PNC | Varo Bank | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product | PNC High Yield Savings | Standard Savings | vs | High-Yield Savings Account |
| Latest APY | 3.53 % | 0.03 % | 5.00 % | |
| Trend | Sideways | Sideways | Sideways | |
| Slope (bps/mo) | -1.9 | 0.2 | 0.0 | |
| Rate Changes / Mo | 0.35 | 0.12 | 0.00 | |
| Days Since Last Change | 1 | 197 | 255 | |
| High (-8 m) | 3.95 % | 0.03 % | 5.00 % | |
| Low (-8 m) | 3.53 % | 0.01 % | 5.00 % | |
| Draw-down from High | -10.6 % | 0.0 % | 0.0 % | |
| Volatility (CV) | 0.019 | 0.331 | 0.000 | |
APY Insights Glossary
- Latest APY
- Most recent advertised annual-percentage yield.
- Trend
- Direction over the last 8 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 (-8 m)
- Highest APY in the last 256 days.
- Low (-8 m)
- Lowest APY in the last 256 days.
- Draw-down from High
- How far today sits below the 8-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.