Salem Five Direct vs. Varo Money

High-Yield Savings Account Comparison

By Aviel Fahl|Last Updated: November 14, 2025

We earn a commission if you open an account through some links on this page.

Summary of Salem Five Direct vs. Varo Bank

Key Metrics at a Glance

FeatureSalem Five DirectVaro Bank
Top Savings APY

3.71%

eOne Savings

5.00%

High-Yield Savings Account

Minimum to Open$10$0
Minimum Balance for Top APY$0.01$0.01
NoteEarn 5.00% APY on up to $5,000 and 2.50% APY on the rest. A Varo bank account & direct deposit required.

Salem Five Direct

Strengths

  • Salem Five Direct offers a competitive APY of 3.71%, though it has decreased from 4.01% in the past month.
  • No maintenance fees for the eOne Savings account.
  • Salem Five Direct has a solid App Store rating of 4.7.

Potential Drawbacks

  • Salem Five Direct is not BBB Accredited, with a rating of A-.
  • The eOne Savings account does not offer direct deposit options.
  • Lower Google Play rating of 4.2 compared to Varo Bank.

Varo Bank

Strengths

  • Varo Bank provides a high APY of 5.00%, unchanged from last month.
  • Varo Bank is BBB Accredited with an A rating.
  • Varo Bank has a higher App Store rating of 4.9.

Potential Drawbacks

  • Direct deposit of at least $1,000/month is required to earn the higher APY.
  • Varo Bank's maintenance fee is not applicable, but conditions apply for the APY.
  • APY drops to 2.50% for balances over $5,000.
Summary: Salem Five Direct offers a solid APY of 3.71% without direct deposit requirements, while Varo Bank provides a higher APY of 5.00% but requires a monthly direct deposit. Varo is also BBB Accredited, whereas Salem Five is not. App ratings favor Varo Bank with 4.9 on the App Store compared to Salem's 4.7. Both banks have no maintenance fees, but Varo's APY conditions may limit accessibility for some customers.

→ As of November 14, 2025 Salem Five Direct offers an APY of 3.71% for its eOne 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.

Varo Bank yields $4 more than Salem Five Direct on a $10,000 balance after one year. Salem Five Direct pays $371, while Varo Bank pays $375 (with an effective APY of 3.75%) - an APY advantage for Varo Bank.

Calculate Savings Growth for Salem Five Direct vs Varo Bank

All calculations are based on APY.

Salem Five Direct - eOne Savings

Top APY: 3.71%

Total savings breakdown:

  • Interest earned: $2,248.1 (11.10%)
  • Total contributions: $13,000 (64.20%)
  • Initial deposit: $5,000 (24.69%)

Your total balance

$20,248.10

Effective APY: 3.71% (based on your deposit and contributions)

Total balance: $20,248.1

Earnings: $2,248.1

Bank Overview

Varo Bank - High-Yield Savings Account

Top 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, Salem Five Direct's total earnings would be $36.7 higher than Varo Bank's total earnings.

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

Compare Salem Five Direct's vs Varo Bank's Savings Accounts

Salem Five DirectVaro Bank
ProducteOne SavingsvsHigh-Yield Savings Account
APY
3.71% (as of 11/14/2025)2.50% - 5.00% (as of 11/14/2025)
Bundled Account
NoYes
FDIC-insured
YesYes
Online OnlyYesYes
Compound Frequency
MonthlyDaily
Minimum Deposit$10$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. A Varo bank account & direct deposit required.
App Store Rating4.7/54.9/5
Google Play Rating4.2/54.6/5
BBB RatingA-A

Comparative Historical APY Insights (Last 10 Months)

Salem Five DirectVaro Bank
ProducteOne SavingsvsHigh-Yield Savings Account
Latest APY3.71 %5.00 %
TrendSidewaysSideways
Slope (bps/mo)-1.60.0
Rate Changes / Mo0.200.00
Days Since Last Change9296
High (-10 m)4.01 %5.00 %
Low (-10 m)3.71 %5.00 %
Draw-down from High-7.5 %0.0 %
Volatility (CV)0.0200.000
APY Insights Glossary
Latest APY
Most recent advertised annual-percentage yield.
Trend
Direction over the last 10 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 (-10 m)
Highest APY in the last 297 days.
Low (-10 m)
Lowest APY in the last 297 days.
Draw-down from High
How far today sits below the 10-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.

More Comparisons

Compare Salem Five Direct's APY of 3.71% with other banks
Bank PairCompetitor APYMin Deposit
Salem Five Direct vs Ally Bank3.30%$0
Salem Five Direct vs American Express3.50%$0
Salem Five Direct vs Axos Bank4.51%$0
Salem Five Direct vs Bank of America0.01%$100
Salem Five Direct vs Barclays4.10%$0
Salem Five Direct vs Bask Bank3.90%$0
Salem Five Direct vs BMO Alto3.25%$0
Salem Five Direct vs BrioDirect4.00%$5,000
Salem Five Direct vs Capital One3.40%$0
Salem Five Direct vs Chase Bank0.01%$0
Salem Five Direct vs Chime3.50%$0
Salem Five Direct vs CIT Bank3.85%$100
Salem Five Direct vs Citibank3.35%$0
Salem Five Direct vs Citizens Access™3.35%$0.01
Salem Five Direct vs Discover Bank3.40%$0
Salem Five Direct vs Elevault4.08%$0
Salem Five Direct vs EverBank4.05%$0
Salem Five Direct vs Fitness Bank4.75%$100
Salem Five Direct vs FNBO Direct3.00%$1
Salem Five Direct vs Forbright Bank4.00%$0
Salem Five Direct vs FVCbank3.85%$500
Salem Five Direct vs GO2bank4.50%$0
Salem Five Direct vs Ivy Bank4.25%$2,500
Salem Five Direct vs LendingClub4.20%$0
Salem Five Direct vs Marcus by Goldman Sachs3.65%$0
Salem Five Direct vs Neighbors Bank4.50%$0
Salem Five Direct vs Newtek Bank4.35%$0.01
Salem Five Direct vs Openbank4.20%$500
Salem Five Direct vs Peak Bank4.20%$100
Salem Five Direct vs Pibank4.60%$0
Salem Five Direct vs PNC3.53%$0
Salem Five Direct vs Presidential Bank4.25%$5,000
Salem Five Direct vs Quontic Bank3.75%$100
Salem Five Direct vs Santander Bank0.01%$25
Salem Five Direct vs SoFi Bank4.30%$0
Salem Five Direct vs Synchrony Bank3.80%$0
Salem Five Direct vs TIMBR4.40%$1,000
Salem Five Direct vs UFB Direct3.71%$5000
Salem Five Direct vs Valley Direct4.10%$1,000
Salem Five Direct vs Vio Bank4.21%$100
Salem Five Direct vs Wealthfront4.15%$0
Salem Five Direct vs Wells Fargo0.05%$25
Salem Five Direct vs Zynlo Bank4.20%$10
Compare Varo Bank's APY of 5.00% with other banks