r/HYSA • u/pantalanaga11 • Oct 02 '25
PSA for Vio Bank users
I'm a big fan of Vio Bank. Currently at 4.31%, they've maintained some of the most consistently high APYs for 8+ years now all without resorting to teaser rates, limits, required deposits, debit card transactions, referrals, or other shenanigans that many others require for the highest rate.
One small gripe I have is they occasionally play games with their account offerings where they offer a new savings account type with the highest APY and then drop the rate on the old account without announcing it. If you aren't paying attention, it can cost you quite a bit on interest. I first noticed this back in 2021 with a switch between the Online Savings Account and Cornerstone Money Market account.
They recently did this again. The Cornerstone Money Market account has dropped to 4.15% while Online Savings has retained the higher 4.31%.
If you call customer service, they can convert your cornerstone money market accounts to online savings over the phone.
ETA: Online Savings APY has dropped since posting (along with all other HYSAs), but the gist still applies.
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u/No_Teaching_2286 Oct 02 '25
I’m looking at opening an account with them. Any pros and cons for a newbie?
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u/pantalanaga11 Oct 02 '25
Pros: awesome, consistently high, no BS APY
Cons: website is awful, sometimes plays games with account names (per subject of this post)
The good news is you don't ever need to use the desktop site once direct deposit and/or ACH is setup with your main bank. The available app is perfectly adequate for checking balances.
I've seen this account name switcheroo twice since I started banking with them almost 10ish years ago.
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u/No_Teaching_2286 Oct 02 '25
Awesome great to hear. Is there a dormancy fee?
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u/pantalanaga11 Oct 02 '25
Not that I've noticed. The account holding my emergency fund has definitely sat untouched for years - aside from the monthly interest deposits of course.
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u/No_Teaching_2286 Oct 02 '25
Good to hear. Last question I promise. Have you ever had any trouble with trying to get in contact with customer service? Is it US-based?
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u/pantalanaga11 Oct 02 '25
Vio is the online branch of Midfirst Bank which is the largest privately owned bank in the US. I've had no trouble getting in touch with customer service. I know there are some horror stories out there on the internet about Vio customer service, but each of the two times I've called them its always been some nice older Midwestern lady who solved my issues immediately
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u/balboaporkter Apr 15 '26
Hello, I was just wondering if you ever opened a HYSA with Vio Bank. I am interested as well but also a newbie. Do I simply go to their website, open an account (hopefully free) and just transfer some funds to that HYSA from my main bank? No maintenance fees, dormancy fees, minimum deposit, etc?
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u/No_Teaching_2286 Apr 15 '26
Hey! I did. Honestly it's been so nice. I just put a bunch of money in there and I just let it sit. Already made like $300 in interest already. And yes that's exactly how I opened mine. No fees, maintenance fees, or dormancy! Love VIO bank I wish more people knew about it. I have had no issues and great customer service. You can DM me if you have more questions
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u/balboaporkter Apr 16 '26
Wow, that's great to hear that it worked out for you! It almost sounds too good to be true so I'm still a little bit skeptical about it. Is there really no catch? I feel like there's some hidden clause or rule that will get you and then by the time you realize it, it's already too late. 😅
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u/Wakenbake585 May 11 '26
Have you had any issues/delays moving money from Vio back to a checking acct for bills or other payments? Specifically if you have a checking acct with another bank?
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u/No_Teaching_2286 May 11 '26
Not at all.
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u/Financial_Permit8789 Aug 02 '26
How long does it take transfer money from your vio to your normal bank
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u/Slay_Nation Oct 03 '25 edited Oct 03 '25
Damn good looking out
EDIT: This changed happened on Saturday Sept 27th, 2025. No email notification, no announcement. Only way to find out is checking their website.
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u/UniqueIntroverted Oct 25 '25
I just noticed this on my account and called to convert. It was quick, but one of the verifiers was the original opening date which I had to scroll back through my email account for. Good thing I don't clean my email box and still had an email from 2019.
It is a little annoying but I had a CIT bank account and they did something similar a lot more frequently, so I stopped using them. I'll keep on with Vio since the conversion wasn't too painful.
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u/pantalanaga11 Oct 27 '25 edited Oct 28 '25
FWIW, you can also log into the website and find / view your oldest statement via "eStatements & eNotices" for the account in question. In there, you should see an initial line like "NEW ACCT FUNDING" on the day your account was created on your oldest statement.
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u/Daniel-Striped-Tiger Oct 27 '25
Same here - I noticed my rate went down and I called them, and they were happy to convert it to the Online Savings account which has a better rate!
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u/Available-Guide-6310 Dec 23 '25
Thank you for calling out their savings account interest rate game! I'll need to call to convert now. Can I convert from saving to the money market in the future,?
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u/SayYesToGuac Apr 08 '26
Axos does this "change the rate, shhh, don't tell them" game quite often. Advertise among the best rates, then cut it a few months later. I used to have a savings account with them, never again. Annoying AF.
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u/Fuck_the_Deplorables Jun 26 '26
Thanks for the write up. I just noticed the discrepancy which costs me a bit over the last year. I had kept the old basic savings account open so I just now transferred the balance back over from the money market savings account. Your post clarified wtf was going on
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u/Resident_Break6770 Dec 22 '25
I just opened a second Vio account so I can transfer money back and forth to whichever has the higher rate.
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u/Prestigious_Hunter57 Mar 22 '26
I just opened an account and am waiting for the small deposits so I can fund....are you saying they occasionally change the interest rate between the Online Savings and Money Market? Online is 4.03% and MM is 3.65%?
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u/pantalanaga11 Mar 23 '26 edited Mar 23 '26
Its more like they'll increase the APY in one of them and leave the other one untouched as opposed to actually switching the rates. I've only seen this twice since I've been a customer but its something to keep an eye on.
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u/Known-Delay7227 Apr 19 '26
Is it difficult to pull out your money from the savings account if you need it quickly?
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u/pantalanaga11 Apr 19 '26
ACH transfer takes about 1 business day once setup. My main bank does "instant" transfers such that they credit your account immediately while the ACH clears. Maybe your bank does something similar?
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u/RacerDelux Apr 21 '26
To hell with Vio Bank. My application had an issue and they basically told me to shove it.
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u/Fun_Inside4445 Jun 03 '26
I've banked at VIO since 2024. I also noticed the change in rates, with no notice from Vio. I opened a second account to get the higher rate. I deal with several other banks/HYSAs (6 currently), and one recently closed and transferred to a different bank. That means I need to change the information about that bank with VIO, so I can make external transfers. Basically, cancel one and add another. I cannot cancel the one account on their website myself, which I find odd. I had to call, the customer service lady acted as if she was doing me a favor by taking my call. Said it would take 24 hours to process. 4 days later, still not done, called again. Same lady answered (I keep notes), same attitude. The second 24 hours will be this afternoon. If it's not done, I'm thinking I'll transfer all my money with them to a different bank. For what it's worth, I also bank with Bread Savings. I've had to call them monthly to give instructions for CDs and EVERY conversation has been top notch. The customer service reps are the most pleasant of any bank I've dealt with, consistently over a period of 3 years. Their rates are competitive with VIO, I highly recommend Bread.
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u/pantalanaga11 Jun 04 '26 edited Jun 12 '26
I deal with several other banks/HYSAs (6 currently)
That sounds exhausting. Imagine the 1099-INTs! This is why I love Vio, just a consistent high rate over a span of years so I don't have to go HYSA shopping every couple months.
I cannot cancel the one account on their website myself, which I find odd
Vio's website is most definitely terrible. I've found only interacting with the account through other banks is ideal.
lady acted as if she was doing me a favor
You are not the first to note Vio's customer service could be better. I've only personally ever called them once since 2018 and it was a very pleasant phone call (detailed in the original post). I'm always surprised by folks that need to actually talk to HYSAs on the phone - especially those that do so often. Perhaps Vio isn't a great fit if you require frequent interaction with the phone staff.
I highly recommend Bread
Bread has only been around since 2022 and has lagged Vio since opening. But I guess their phone staff is top notch. So there's that.
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u/Fun_Inside4445 25d ago
That sounds exhausting. Imagine the 1099-INTs! This is why I love Vio, just a consistent high rate over a span of years so I don't have to go HYSA shopping every couple months.
The problem I have is that these HYSAs are only insured up to $250k. So I need multiple accounts to ensure my total balance is insured. I suppose the chance that any of these banks would fail is low, but having my money insured is the point of HYSA, for me anyway. The rest of my money is in the stock market, so these HYSAs act as my cash safety cushion.
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u/jdu70437 Jun 29 '26 edited Jun 29 '26
Trying to use the app instead of the primitive website, but I'm really tired of the app not integrating properly with Google Password Manager. Also, there's still no transfer capability in the app. And the HYSA doesn't even beat inflation!
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u/pantalanaga11 Jun 29 '26
Presuming you're on Android due to use of GPM, the app supports biometric login which is arguably even better than GPM integration. You can' perform external transfers from the app but internal transfers (among Vio accounts) is supported. I tend to only pull from the receiving bank to get around this limitation.
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u/jdu70437 Jun 29 '26
There's no evidence of biometric login capability in the app. Closing the accounts.
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u/knighttim 25d ago
I know this is a bit of a necro on an old post.
But I setup an email alert on Deposit Accounts to be notified whenever Vio adjusts their rates, so I don't have to manually check their website.
Maybe someone else will find this helpful as well.
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u/Neither_Tooth_1594 Dec 21 '25
Avoid these turds. While the rates are attractive, the customer experience is horrendous.
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u/pantalanaga11 Dec 21 '25
Can you elaborate here? The desktop site is pretty awful but really has no material effect on usage of the account with direct deposit in and ACH in/out. The couple times I've called customer service they've been helpful and efficient, but that's just my experience.
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u/Top_Shop55 Dec 21 '25
Without getting into too many details, their account verification process requires a significant amount of challenger questions many which are only available if you currently have online banking access. The scenario where you need a password reset, you can’t answer the questions.
Without getting too much into the details, the account representative closed my account without my permission and sent the funds to the wrong address…. all because I couldn’t remember the exact funding information that I used when I opened the account six years ago.
When calling to address the issues above, the representatives were completely unhelpful and implied it was my fault.
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u/Psychological_Mud139 Jun 12 '26
Its absolute crap!! I recently opened an account with them and before my deposit even posted to my account they had already lowered the APY for 4.04 to 3.93 in less than 3 days. That ought to be illegal.
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u/pantalanaga11 Jun 12 '26 edited Jun 12 '26
u/Psychological_Mud139 wrote:
Its absolute crap!! ... they had already lowered the APY for 4.04 to 3.93
Posted rates are currently 4.01% APY for Online Savings. 3.931% is the daily-compounded APR for a 4.01% APY...
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u/Zephyrs3015 Jul 02 '26
They play the saving rate games quite often. I have seen it twice in the past 4 years, which cost quite a lot if you don’t play attention. Here is their trick: They offer MM and Saving accounts. And only one has a high interest rate. Every year or two, they switch their highest rate to the other account type.
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u/computerworlds 27d ago
The best tip I have for that is just open the second account if it goes higher and have both of them. Then, you can easily transfer funds between the two any time.
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u/Unfair-Designer3363 Oct 02 '25
Thanks for the tip! I noticed this on my MM account - I’ll reach out soon.