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Aven: 2025 Home Equity Review

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At a glance

NMLS: 462289

Bankrate Score
4.6
Rating: 4.6 stars out of 5
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Bankrate Score

Customer Rating
3.2
Rating: 3.23 stars out of 5

31 ratings

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Loan amount

Up to $400,000 (up to $100,000 in some states)

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Min. credit score required

640

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Repayment terms

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

Funds available in

With 7 business days

Editor’s take

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 home equity loan overview

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 home equity products offered

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. 

Pros and cons of Aven

Pros

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    No annual, origination, appraisal, notary or pre-payment fees.

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    You can be approved in as fast as 15 minutes.

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    Unique product that provides a convenient way to tap equity for both big draws and small purchases.

Cons

  • Aven charges a 2.5 percent fee on balance transfers and cash-outs.

  • Not available in all states. Line of credit size is limited in 15 states.

  • Convenience of the card could encourage irresponsible use of home equity.

How Bankrate scored Aven

Affordability: 5/5

  • APR: Aven now provides a lowest rate guarantee. If you're able to get a lower HELOC rate with another lender, it will beat the offer or send you $100. Its APRs for primary residences run between 7.74% and 15.24% (depending on your credit) — low compared to most credit cards. Also, Aven’s maximum APR won’t exceed 18 percent during the life of your account. 
  • Fees:  There are no annual, sign-up, or prepayment fees, but you’ll pay a 2.5% fee on cash outs and balance transfers. You will also be on the hook for a $29 late fee if you miss the minimum payment.

The absence of fees, competitive APRs and the lowest rate guarantee all help Aven score a 5 out of 5 affordability rating.

Availability:  4.9/5

  • Credit score: You will need a FICO score and VantageScore of at least 640, which is typical of home equity lenders.
  • Loan products: Aven’s credit card allows you to tap into your home equity while offering cash rewards. All purchases you make with the Aven card will earn you unlimited 2 percent cash back.   
  • Where to find it:  Aven is available in most U.S. states except Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New York, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Vermont, Washington and West Virginia. The company has a goal of reaching all 50 states by 2025.

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.

Borrower experience: 4.0/5

  • Rate transparency: While you won’t see your APR until you receive your offer, Aven only performs a “soft pull” on your credit report, which doesn’t affect your credit score. (If you do accept the offer, a hard inquiry follows, which can temporarily impact your score.) 
  • Convenience: Borrowers can use their Aven card to purchase anything wherever Visa cards are accepted. However, it can’t be used for cash withdrawals from an ATM or bank. 
  • Customer service: The application process can be completed completely online and if you need support, Aven is reachable by phone, email, online form, online chat and text message.

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.

Aven’s reputation

While it’s a relative newcomer in the home equity lending space, Aven gets a 4.9 out of 5 review on Trustpilot.

What consumers say about Aven

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.”

How to qualify for a HELOC card with Aven

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. 

How to apply with Aven

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.

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Bankrate insight

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.

Aven customer ratings and reviews

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3.2

Rating: 3.23 stars out of 5

31 ratings

This lender has 28 recent reviews.

Knowledge
Rating: 3.3 stars out of 5
Level of service
Rating: 3.2 stars out of 5
Professionalism
Rating: 3.2 stars out of 5
Responsiveness
Rating: 3 stars out of 5
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
32%
26%
3%
10%
29%

61% of customers would recommend this lender.

10 of 28 reviews

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.

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Rating: 2 stars out of 5

, Was happy till I paid it off

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.

Knowledge
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
Level of service
Rating: 2 stars out of 5
Professionalism
Rating: 1 stars out of 5
Responsiveness
Rating: 1 stars out of 5

Simple application process?

Yes

Closed loan with this lender?

Yes

Received funds when promised?

No

Would you recommend this lender?

No

John
Rosemount Minnesota (March 11, 2025)

Rating: 1 stars out of 5

Never Heard From Any

I’m beyond surprised that absolutely no one followed up on our request. We’ll look for a lender that actually wants our business.

Knowledge
Rating: 1 stars out of 5
Level of service
Rating: 1 stars out of 5
Professionalism
Rating: 1 stars out of 5
Responsiveness
Rating: 1 stars out of 5

Simple application process?

No

Closed loan with this lender?

No

Received funds when promised?

N/A

Would you recommend this lender?

No

Keith
East Tennessee (Feb. 23, 2025)

Rating: 2 stars out of 5

ERROR

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

Knowledge
Rating: 2 stars out of 5
Level of service
Rating: 1 stars out of 5
Professionalism
Rating: 2 stars out of 5
Responsiveness
Rating: 1 stars out of 5

Simple application process?

Yes

Closed loan with this lender?

No

Received funds when promised?

N/A

Would you recommend this lender?

No

JS
Rural Oregon (Feb. 21, 2025)

Rating: 1 stars out of 5

Can not talk to a human

I have tried to call, emailed to get a call and still nothing!

Knowledge
Rating: 1 stars out of 5
Level of service
Rating: 1 stars out of 5
Professionalism
Rating: 2 stars out of 5
Responsiveness
Rating: 1 stars out of 5

Simple application process?

No

Closed loan with this lender?

No

Received funds when promised?

N/A

Would you recommend this lender?

No

Russ
Fleming Island FL (Feb. 2, 2025)

Rating: 1 stars out of 5

No one ever reached out

All these ads and mailers about Aven and when I finally did the pre-application, no one bothered to reach out.

Knowledge
Rating: 1 stars out of 5
Level of service
Rating: 1 stars out of 5
Professionalism
Rating: 1 stars out of 5
Responsiveness
Rating: 1 stars out of 5

Simple application process?

No

Closed loan with this lender?

No

Received funds when promised?

N/A

Would you recommend this lender?

No

Richard R.
Kissimmee, FL (Dec. 26, 2024)

Rating: 1 stars out of 5

Never contacted

Submitted a request for a possible HELOC loan through Bankrate but never was contacted by the lender.

Knowledge
Rating: 1 stars out of 5
Level of service
Rating: 1 stars out of 5
Professionalism
Rating: 1 stars out of 5
Responsiveness
Rating: 1 stars out of 5

Simple application process?

Yes

Closed loan with this lender?

No

Received funds when promised?

N/A

Would you recommend this lender?

No

Roger B.
Chandler, AZ (Oct. 20, 2024)

Rating: 1 stars out of 5

Totally Inept company

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.

Knowledge
Rating: 1 stars out of 5
Level of service
Rating: 1 stars out of 5
Professionalism
Rating: 1 stars out of 5
Responsiveness
Rating: 1 stars out of 5

Simple application process?

Yes

Closed loan with this lender?

Yes

Received funds when promised?

No

Would you recommend this lender?

No

Paul
CA (Oct. 18, 2024)

Rating: 1 stars out of 5

Trying does not end successfully.

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!

Knowledge
Rating: 1 stars out of 5
Level of service
Rating: 1 stars out of 5
Professionalism
Rating: 1 stars out of 5
Responsiveness
Rating: 1 stars out of 5

Simple application process?

No

Closed loan with this lender?

No

Received funds when promised?

N/A

Would you recommend this lender?

No

Louis A.
Little Rock, AR (Oct. 18, 2024)

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Incredibly Easy!

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.

Knowledge
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
Level of service
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
Professionalism
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
Responsiveness
Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Simple application process?

Yes

Closed loan with this lender?

Yes

Received funds when promised?

Yes

Would you recommend this lender?

Yes

Darren
Southern California (Sept. 3, 2024)

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

The loan company is okay, but it always feels like there is something missing from this loan process.

Knowledge
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Level of service
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Professionalism
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Responsiveness
Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Simple application process?

No

Closed loan with this lender?

No

Received funds when promised?

N/A

Would you recommend this lender?

Yes

Anonymous Reviewer
(July 1, 2024)