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Aven seems to be something of a pioneer, with its unique product: a credit card whose line of credit directly ties into your home equity. While certainly convenient, the card is best suited for highly responsible borrowers, as it’s easy to lose track of how much equity you’re tapping (and how much debt your home is serving as collateral for). Aven also offers a fully online experience, which is fine for the tech-savvy. But some borrowers might miss the option of in-person assistance.
Aven was founded in 2019 by former executives from Facebook and Square. Its first product, the Aven Home Card, launched in 2022. Since its inception, Aven has issued over $1.5 billion in credit lines via the card. The fast-growing fintech company also offers a financial advisory tool, Aven Advisor.
In July 2024, Aven announced it had received a new round of $142 million in investment funding.
Aven’s product isn’t a typical home equity line of credit (HELOC) or HE loan; it’s a credit card. You’ll get a line of credit based on your tappable home equity, like a HELOC, and receive unlimited 2 percent cash back on purchases, like a cash-back reward credit card.
The card is a Visa card and backed by Coastal Community Bank, an FDIC-insured institution. Along with individual purchases, you can use the Aven HELOC card to cash out your home equity in large amounts, with the funds going directly into your designated bank account. You have the option to repay the funds in fixed installments over five or 10 years, similar to a home equity loan (“Aven Simple Loan”).
Aven also offers a HELOC refinance product, in which users can refinance their existing second -lien HELOC or home equity loan to an Aven HELOC. There are no origination or transfer fees associated with the refinance.
The absence of fees, competitive APRs and the lowest rate guarantee all help Aven score a 5 out of 5 affordability rating.
Aven scores 4.9 out of 5 for availability due to its unique home equity credit card, ability to earn 2 percent cash back and its reach across the majority of states in the U.S.
Borrowers can use their card for purchases everywhere Visa is accepted and they offer multiple support options, giving Aven a 4 out of 5 for borrower experience.
While it’s a relative newcomer in the home equity lending space, Aven gets a 4.9 out of 5 review on Trustpilot.
Despite a few digs about “delayed response times,” customer reviews are largely glowing for Aven on Bankrate, especially for the “fast,” “simple” application process: “So easy to do, it's a no brainer for homeowners.”
Aven lets you take out as much as 89 percent of your home’s equity. You will also need to have a FICO and a Vantage credit score of at least 640; customers with higher scores will get better rates.
You can get the card with equity tied to either a primary residence, second home or investment property, but the designated property can only have one mortgage attached to it at the time you apply.
If you obtain a credit line higher than $100,000, you’ll also need to add Aven and Coastal Community Bank as beneficiaries on your homeowners insurance policy.
You can apply for an Aven HELOC card on Aven’s website, email them at support@aven.com or call 415-582-6613. The application process typically takes just 15 minutes, according to the website. Checking just to see if you qualify for the card will not affect your credit score.
You can tap into your home equity — the difference between your home's worth and what you owe on your mortgage — with a home equity loan or a HELOC. With those funds, you can tackle a variety of expenses, like debt consolidation or home renovations.
However, before you dive in, it's important to figure out your loan-to-value ratio (LTV). Lenders use your LTV to determine how much of your equity stake you can actually borrow. (It’s typically 80 percent, although some lenders allow you to access as much as 90 percent.) The amount of equity they’ll let you tap is one consideration when choosing a lender. Be it a retail bank, online lender or credit union, it may offer different home equity loan rates and terms, too. That’s why it’s important to shop around for the best deal.
Selected lender
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NMLS: 462289
Bankrate score
4.6
Bankrate scores are objectively determined by our editorial team. Interest rates, fees, loan terms, borrower requirements and customer service are some of the factors that make up Bankrate's score.
Customer score
3.2
Star ranking and total number reflects the lifetime customer reviews received while this lender has been an advertiser on Bankrate. To help serve you with relevant information, the customer reviews shown are limited to only those that this advertiser has received during the past 12 months.
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![]() NMLS: 401052
Bankrate score
4.9
Bankrate scores are objectively determined by our editorial team. Interest rates, fees, loan terms, borrower requirements and customer service are some of the factors that make up Bankrate's score.
Customer score
2.6
Star ranking and total number reflects the lifetime customer reviews received while this lender has been an advertiser on Bankrate. To help serve you with relevant information, the customer reviews shown are limited to only those that this advertiser has received during the past 12 months.
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![]() Bankrate score
4.7
Bankrate scores are objectively determined by our editorial team. Interest rates, fees, loan terms, borrower requirements and customer service are some of the factors that make up Bankrate's score.
Customer score
N/A
Star ranking and total number reflects the lifetime customer reviews received while this lender has been an advertiser on Bankrate. To help serve you with relevant information, the customer reviews shown are limited to only those that this advertiser has received during the past 12 months.
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Loan amount |
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Up to $400,000 (up to $100,000 in some states) |
$25,000-$1,000,000 |
Starting at $10,000 |
Min. credit score required |
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640 |
700 |
Undisclosed |
Repayment terms |
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Standard credit card repayment (at least 1% of the statement balance plus interest); with cash-outs, you can lock in payments for 5-10 years |
10-year draw period and 20-year repayment term for HELOC (5-year to 20-year repayment term for fixed-rate HELOC); 5 years to 20 years for home equity loan |
10-year draw period and 20-year repayment term for interest-only HELOCs, 7-year draw period and 8-year repayment term for standard HELOCs |
Funds available in |
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With 7 business days |
Undisclosed |
Undisclosed |
Recent customer review |
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Low offer and extremely high rates and fees They offered me a very low amount compared to other lenders and on top of that offered a rate of 9.99% plus 4.5% cash out ( this cash out is a scam because it is an origination fee... Heloc |
The absolute worst HELOC underwriting ever! Hello- I have been in underwriting for five weeks. I'm 62, I've been through about 15 mortgage applications. I can assure you that they don't have a clue what they are doing. ... Jim . |
Customer review No reviews available yet. N/A |
NMLS: 462289
3.2
32 ratings
59% of customers would recommend this lender.
The consumer reviews posted on Bankrate.com ("Bankrate") are individual, subjective opinions of reviewers, and not of Bankrate. Bankrate does not endorse any of the opinions expressed by reviewers or any responses to reviews.
Bankrate cannot guarantee or verify the accuracy of the opinions shared by individual reviewers, and reserves the right to reject or remove any review, at any time, for any reason at Bankrate’s sole discretion, including but not limited to those that Bankrate deems inappropriate, fraudulent, invalid, irrelevant, or otherwise outside the parameters of the Bankrate Review Guidelines, the Privacy Policy, or the Terms of Use.
In addition to collecting reviews on-site, Bankrate collaborated with third-party Slice MR to survey 450 users nationwide in July 2024. Bankrate and Slice MR collected, averaged and presented responses to nine questions. Users received an incentive for their feedback. Responses are based on individual experiences, and therefore cannot be verified for accuracy. Submissions with user ratings that are materially inconsistent with written sentiment have been removed. User ratings are unedited and have not been reviewed or approved by lenders, nor do these ratings reflect Bankrate’s own reviews of these lenders.
To help serve you with relevant information, the consumer reviews shown below are limited to only those that this advertiser has received during the past 12 months.
Simple application process?
Closed loan with this lender?
Received funds when promised?
Would you recommend this lender?
Simple application process?
Closed loan with this lender?
Received funds when promised?
Would you recommend this lender?
Low offer and extremely high rates and fees
Heloc
New Jersey (May 1, 2025)
They offered me a very low amount compared to other lenders and on top of that offered a rate of 9.99% plus 4.5% cash out ( this cash out is a scam because it is an origination fee in disguise). So effectively for year 1, you are paying 9.99% + 4.5% =14.49%, which is 6.99% more than the prime lending rate. All this with a credit score of 725. Not appealing
Simple application process?
Yes
Closed loan with this lender?
No
Would you recommend this lender?
No
Simple application process?
Yes
Closed loan with this lender?
No
Would you recommend this lender?
No
, Was happy till I paid it off
John
Rosemount Minnesota (March 11, 2025)
This company pretty much stuck to their contract through the term of the loan, which is only like for a year and a half. When I paid the loan off, there was an overage because I made the payment that month just so it wouldn’t be late. However, I’m now going on close to 40 days Post and they still owe me the money. They’ve given me a lot of wordsmithing but terrible service on the follow up. I’m thinking about legal action against them however I hope they reply to my last email of the day.
Simple application process?
Yes
Closed loan with this lender?
Yes
Received funds when promised?
No
Would you recommend this lender?
No
Simple application process?
Yes
Closed loan with this lender?
Yes
Received funds when promised?
No
Would you recommend this lender?
No
Never Heard From Any
Keith
East Tennessee (Feb. 23, 2025)
I’m beyond surprised that absolutely no one followed up on our request. We’ll look for a lender that actually wants our business.
Simple application process?
No
Closed loan with this lender?
No
Would you recommend this lender?
No
Simple application process?
No
Closed loan with this lender?
No
Would you recommend this lender?
No
ERROR
JS
Rural Oregon (Feb. 21, 2025)
Aven's online form doesnt work well. I made an error and was unable to go back and fix it. Instant denial with "try again in 6 months". I went with a different company with no problems. JS
Simple application process?
Yes
Closed loan with this lender?
No
Would you recommend this lender?
No
Simple application process?
Yes
Closed loan with this lender?
No
Would you recommend this lender?
No
Can not talk to a human
Russ
Fleming Island FL (Feb. 2, 2025)
I have tried to call, emailed to get a call and still nothing!
Simple application process?
No
Closed loan with this lender?
No
Would you recommend this lender?
No
Simple application process?
No
Closed loan with this lender?
No
Would you recommend this lender?
No
No one ever reached out
Richard R.
Kissimmee, FL (Dec. 26, 2024)
All these ads and mailers about Aven and when I finally did the pre-application, no one bothered to reach out.
Simple application process?
No
Closed loan with this lender?
No
Would you recommend this lender?
No
Simple application process?
No
Closed loan with this lender?
No
Would you recommend this lender?
No
Never contacted
Roger B.
Chandler, AZ (Oct. 20, 2024)
Submitted a request for a possible HELOC loan through Bankrate but never was contacted by the lender.
Simple application process?
Yes
Closed loan with this lender?
No
Would you recommend this lender?
No
Simple application process?
Yes
Closed loan with this lender?
No
Would you recommend this lender?
No
Totally Inept company
Paul
CA (Oct. 18, 2024)
Absolutely inept company. After dealing with them and getting tired of their lack of customer service and attempted bait-and-switch I went to another company for my HELOC. This company paid off my Aven HELOC and in the process told them to close the account (this is standard practice because they removed Aven from title and can't be behind another HELOC). We overpaid the Aven payoff by $1,300. Initially the Aven website said that any overages on a payoff will be paid within 30 days. We waited over 40 days and called to see where the money was. Aven said they were never told to close the account and are closing it now. What? You received a payoff from a lender with instructions to close that were signed by the borrower and you didn't know to close the account? This is total BS! They are either totally inept at what they do or greedy and trying to keep my money. I am so sick of these guys. Now I am trying to get someone on the phone to do something about this and am sitting on a prolonged hold. These guys are the worst and deserve to go out of business.
Simple application process?
Yes
Closed loan with this lender?
Yes
Received funds when promised?
No
Would you recommend this lender?
No
Simple application process?
Yes
Closed loan with this lender?
Yes
Received funds when promised?
No
Would you recommend this lender?
No
Trying does not end successfully.
Louis A.
Little Rock, AR (Oct. 18, 2024)
I tried to submit my information to Aven for a review of my outstanding credit report. The program would not allow my address to be recorded (after 10 attempts of various configurations). I finally gave up. Two days later a letter arrives saying my application is denied "Not enough information in credit report"... Go figure. FIx your program and get more business!
Simple application process?
No
Closed loan with this lender?
No
Would you recommend this lender?
No
Simple application process?
No
Closed loan with this lender?
No
Would you recommend this lender?
No
Incredibly Easy!
Darren
Southern California (Sept. 3, 2024)
Never had a loan experience go as fast and as easy as Aven. Thoroughly impressed w/ the business model, and ease of execution. These guys have a great model, that is very convenient.
Simple application process?
Yes
Closed loan with this lender?
Yes
Received funds when promised?
Yes
Would you recommend this lender?
Yes
Simple application process?
Yes
Closed loan with this lender?
Yes
Received funds when promised?
Yes
Would you recommend this lender?
Yes