Moments of Progress: Daniela

^{All Varo products and services mentioned below are contingent upon opening a Varo Bank Account. Qualifications may apply. Links to external websites are not managed by Varo Bank, N.A. Member FDIC.}

Daniela, a metro dispatcher, knew she needed to improve her credit. After doing her research and looking into different banking apps online, she finally decided to join Varo.

“I signed up for Varo because I was looking for a way to better my credit,” she says, “and out of all the other apps, this one was the one that called out to me the most.”

Raising your credit score can be a tedious process—it’s confusing to understand, it’s hard to know how to start, and an already low score could decrease your options for improvement. Luckily for Daniela, she found Varo’s credit-building Believe Card². Just a few months after signing up, she noticed how her score was steadily increasing, without the risk of spending more than she had³.

“It's just like using a debit card, but it's actually building your credit for you.” Daniella says, “and it helps keep track of my spending.”

Soon after realizing that the Varo Believe Card was working for her, Daniela started exploring more Varo products and discovered the Savings Account. Having grown up in a household that saves in cash (which doesn’t accumulate interest) Daniela was determined to learn from her parents' mistakes and set her savings up for success.

“You can get up to a 5.00% Annual Percentage Yield (APY) once you deposit a thousand bucks¹,” Daniela says, "and I'm just like, this is a way to get free money.”

Daniela knew that she had hit the savings jackpot with one of the best APY rates on the market⁴ and even got her mom to join Varo so they could work on building their savings together. Both her and her mom started using even more Varo products, the auto-saving tools Save Your Pay® and Save Your Change.

The auto-saving tools come in handy for when you want to put away money without having to think about it. And as an avid home chef, Daniela loves to cook for the family and often needs to budget more expensive meals and ingredients.

“I've actually saved up for some saffron because I tried to make saffron rice and it’s so expensive,” she recalls. “It was like $32 for this tiny little jar.”

With an improved credit score and money in her savings account, Daniela is thrilled she chose Varo over other banking apps and can focus on improving her overall finances.

“Varo has helped me make progress in my money goals,” Daniela says, “and it feels amazing.”

Get started today or click to learn more about the Varo Believe Card!

Want to hear from more of our members? Learn how Varo member Derrome is getting paid early and teaching kids about how to save.

^{Testimonials reflect real life experiences of customers who have used Varo Believe. The results apply to the individual’s circumstances, including their specific credit history and activity. Results will vary and may not be representative of the experience of others.} 

^{1 Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is accurate as of December 1, 2022. Rates may change at any time without prior notice, before or after the account is opened. You start out earning 3.00% APY on your savings. To qualify for 5.00% APY (on up to $5,000) the following month, you must meet two requirements: 1. Receive qualifying direct deposit(s) totaling at least $1,000; and 2. End the current month with a positive balance in your Varo Bank Account and Savings Account. Once you qualify, any additional balance over $5,000 will earn 3.00% APY.}

^{2 Varo Believe is a secured credit card designed to help you build credit; however, a variety of factors impact your credit and not all factors are equally weighted. Building credit may take time and Varo Believe may be able to help when you consistently make on-time payments}

^{3 Data based on comparison between VantageScore® 3.0 score from the initial pull after Believe card activation and the VantageScore® 3.0 score pulled after two months of reporting Believe Card activity.  Individual results may vary.}

^{4 According to The Ascent’s review.}

^{Qualifying direct deposits are electronic deposits of your paycheck, pension or government benefits (such as Social Security or unemployment) from your employer or government agency to the extent that can be identified. Tax refunds and government stimulus payments, Person-to-Person payments (such as Venmo or Varo to Anyone), and funds deposited using a Varo routing number are not considered a direct deposit.}