Stock trading account bonus

Business/corporate accounts, investment club accounts, partnership accounts and certain types of fiduciary accounts held at merrill edge aren’t eligible for this offer.

My list of forex bonuses

Best brokerage account bonuses in January 2021, stock trading account bonus.

The offer also doesn’t apply to accounts, which include iras or cmas, held with other business units of MLPF&S. Assets from bank of america, merrill lynch, pierce, fenner & smith incorporated (MLPF&S), U.S. Trust, or 401(k) accounts administered by MLPF&S aren’t qualifying net new assets.

Best brokerage account bonuses in january 2021

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Brokerages are aggressively competing for your money. One way they do so is by offering competitive bonuses that you can add right to your brokerage account. It’s important to know the best offers so that you can decide whether it’s a good time to open a brokerage account and take advantage of what is often risk-free cash.

Here bankrate tracks the best brokerage account bonuses to help you compare active offers.

Best brokerage account bonuses in january 2021

Ally invest: $50 to $3,500

Merrill edge: $150 to $900

Charles schwab: $100 to $500 (personally referred friend offer)

E-trade: $50 to $2,500

Ally invest: $50, $200, $300, $600, $1,200, $2,500 or $3,500 bonus

New ally invest clients can earn up to a $3,500 cash bonus if they open a new account by march 31, 2021. The qualifying deposit must contain funds from outside of ally financial, and a person can only get the offer on one new ally invest securities LLC account. As an extra incentive, ally will credit your transfer fees from another brokerage, up to $150 as long as you bring at least $2,500 over to the new account.

Ally invest checks your deposit 60 days after your account is opened to determine the total qualifying deposit. You’ll receive your cash bonus within 10 business days after this review.

To receive a cash bonus, you must:

Deposit at least $10,000 in a new ally invest account.

Be a U.S. Resident.

Not be an existing ally invest account holder or a former ally invest account holder (which includes former tradeking securities LLC account holders). You’re not eligible to receive the cash bonus if you closed one of these ally invest accounts within the past 90 days.

You must use the “open account” button associated with this offer on ally invest’s site for opening your account to be eligible for this offer.

Here are the bonus tiers for this offer:

To receive the $50 bonus, deposit or transfer $10,000-$24,999.

To receive the $200 bonus, deposit or transfer $25,000-$99,999.

To receive the $300 bonus, deposit or transfer $100,000-$249.999.

To receive the $600 bonus, deposit or transfer $250,000-$499,999.

To receive the $1,200 bonus, deposit or transfer $500,000-$999,999.

To receive the $2,500 bonus, deposit or transfer $1 million -$1,999,999.

To receive the $3,500 bonus, deposit or transfer $2 million or more.

Once you receive your bonus, both the cash bonus and your qualifying deposit (minus any trading losses that are incurred) can’t be withdrawn for 300 days. A withdrawal may cause ally invest to revoke your bonus.

Read bankrate’s ally invest review to learn more.

Merrill edge: $150, $225, $375 or $900 bonus

When you open a merrill edge IRA or cash management account and make a qualifying deposit within 45 days of opening you can earn up to a $900 bonus. You need to use offer code 900ME during the account opening. This can be done while applying online or using it when speaking to a merrill edge financial adviser on the phone or at select bank of america branches. This offer expires april 15, 2021.

To receive a cash reward, you must:

Enroll for the offer at the time of account opening.

Deposit net new assets of at least $20,000 into your merrill edge account within 45 days of opening the account.

You must be enrolled in the preferred rewards program within 90 days of making the deposit.

Maintain that balance for at least 90 days.

The offer limits you to one IRA — rollover, traditional, roth and sole-proprietor SEP only — and one cash management account. Each account holder can’t have more than two enrolled accounts.

Assets from bank of america, merrill lynch, pierce, fenner & smith incorporated (MLPF&S), U.S. Trust, or 401(k) accounts administered by MLPF&S aren’t qualifying net new assets.

You’ll receive your cash reward two weeks after the initial 90-day period, assuming you meet eligibility requirements.

Business/corporate accounts, investment club accounts, partnership accounts and certain types of fiduciary accounts held at merrill edge aren’t eligible for this offer. The offer also doesn’t apply to accounts, which include iras or cmas, held with other business units of MLPF&S.

Here are the bonus tiers:

To receive the $150 cash reward, deposit $20,000 to $49,999.99.

To receive the $225 cash reward, deposit $50,000 to $99,999.99.

To receive the $375 cash reward, deposit $100,000 to $199,999.99.

To receive the $900 cash reward, deposit $200,000 or more.

Read bankrate’s merrill edge review to learn more.

Charles schwab: $100, $200, $300 or $500 (if you’re referred by a friend)

Schwab is offering personally referred friends the opportunity to earn up to $500 when they use a referral code, given to you by a current schwab customer, and open an eligible account at schwab.

To receive the bonus award, you must:

Receive a referral code from a friend or family member.

Be a new schwab client and make a qualifying net deposit within 45 days of both becoming a schwab customer and opening an eligible retail brokerage account.

You’re limited to one per account and only one account per client when you receive a referral.

Schwab retail brokerage accounts and iras are eligible for this offer. This includes accounts that are enrolled in schwab-sponsored investment advisery programs, such as schwab intelligent portfolios, schwab managed portfolios, schwab managed account select and connection and schwab private client.

You’ll receive your bonus approximately a week or two after the 45-day period ends if you made a qualifying deposit when becoming a new schwab customer and enrolling in the referral offer.

Schwab may charge back its bonus award if taxable accounts aren’t kept at schwab for at least one year.

Here are the bonus tiers for this offer:

To receive a $100 bonus, deposit $1,000-$24,999.

To receive a $200 bonus, deposit $25,000-$49,999.

To receive a $300 bonus, deposit $50,000-$99,999.

To receive a $500 bonus, deposit $100,000 or more.

Read bankrate’s charles schwab review to learn more.

E-trade: $50, $100, $150, $200, $300, $600, $1,200 or $2,500 bonus

You can earn a cash bonus if you open a retirement or brokerage account and fund it with $5,000 or more within 60 days of account opening. Your account must be opened by jan. 31, 2021.

To receive a cash bonus, you must:

Use promo code WINTER21 when opening the account.

Open your new account with funds or securities from accounts outside of E-trade. You need to also keep the new account (minus any trading losses) for at least 12 months to keep the cash bonus.

Here are the cash bonus tiers for this offer:

To receive a $50 bonus, deposit or transfer $5,000-$9,999.

To receive a $100 bonus, deposit or transfer $10,000-$19,999.

To receive a $150 bonus, deposit or transfer $20,000-$24,999.

To receive a $200 bonus, deposit or transfer $25,000-$99,999.

To receive a $300 bonus, deposit or transfer $100,000-$249,999.

To receive a $600 bonus, deposit or transfer $250,000-$499,999.

To receive a $1,200 bonus, deposit or transfer $500,000-$999,999.

To receive a $2,500 bonus, deposit or transfer $1 million or more.

Read bankrate’s E-trade review to learn more.

Best brokerage account deals and bonuses right now: earn up to $3,500 with a new account

Get more cash to build wealth with these top brokerage deals and promotions.

Brokerage	brokerage bonus offer	bonus trigger
TD ameritrade	$350-$2,500	account opening and deposit minimum
M1 finance	$250-$2,500	account opening and transfer minimum
stash	$5	account opening and deposit minimum
betterment	1-12 months of free portfolio management	account opening and deposit minimum
blockfi	$15-$250 free bitcoin	account opening and deposit minimum
ally invest	$50-$3,500	account opening and deposit minimum
robinhood	$2.50-$200 worth of free stock	account opening
webull	$8-$1,600 of free stock	deposit minimum
charles schwab	$100-$500	account opening and deposit minimum
merrill edge self-directed	$100-$600	account opening and deposit minimum
E-trade	$25-$2,500	account opening and deposit minimum

If you’re unsure how to choose between this list of brokerage bonuses, these deciding factors on an investment brokerage will show you what to look for in a new account.

Best brokerage account bonuses right now

Building an investment portfolio can take time, but some top brokerage firms can help you with promotions, deals, referral bonuses and sign-up bonuses. Depending on how much money you have to invest, these brokers may offer to deposit a cash bonus into your account, give you free stock or provide fee-free investing for a set period.

If you’re looking for a new brokerage to help manage your portfolio, or if you’re a beginner investor who is excited to get started, check out these brokerage bonus offers to see how you can maximize your return.

1. TD ameritrade bonus: $350-$2,500

One of the largest brokers in the U.S., TD ameritrade provides a platform for all kinds of investors. It offers a robust set of resources and tools and doesn’t charge commissions on online trades of stocks, mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (etfs).

TD ameritrade’s requirements to earn a sign-up bonus are a bit steep, so less experienced investors may not qualify. But the broker’s platform is among the best. With commission-free on stocks, mutual funds and other securities, TD ameritrade is still worth considering for long-term investing needs.

Read our full review of the TD ameritrade bonus.

2. M1 finance bonus: $250-$2,500

If you’re looking for an online stock broker that provides both investing and banking services, M1 finance may be ideal. With just $100, you can open an account and start trading various securities — that includes fractional shares, which allow you to purchase portions of shares in publicly-traded companies and benefit from gains without needing a lot of money. Plus, as an added benefit, the platform offers free trades.

M1 finance’s transfer bonus requires new money to be deposited into your account by october 31, 2020.

While this robo-advisor doesn’t offer a cash bonus, the features alone make this online broker worth considering. In addition to DIY-investing and checking, M1 finance offers the chance to borrow on margin at a low interest rate, especially if you register for an M1 plus account. It even offers commission-free trading for both trade windows and cash-back rewards for everyday spending.

Read our full review of the M1 finance bonus.

3. Stash bonus: $5 slickdeals bonus

slick tip: use this slickdeals affiliate link to automatically receive your $5 bonus offer to invest.

If you’re relatively new to investing, meeting high deposit minimums may not be an option. With stash invest, though, you can get a bonus of $5 after you open a stash investment account and deposit $5 or more in new funds. While it may be a small incentive, it is a dollar for dollar match on your first $5 deposit.

That $5 sign-up bonus can be among your first dollars to invest with stash, and you can use it to trade stocks — including fractional shares — and etfs. Stash also offers a stock-back rewards program with its checking account, which means that you can earn rewards in the form of stocks when you make qualifying purchases with your stash debit card.

Just keep in mind that there’s a monthly fee that ranges from $1 to $9, depending on which features you want and how much you want to earn in stock-back rewards. However, like many online stock brokers, stash offers free trades which can help you to recover the cost of monthly fees.

Read our in-depth stash bonus review.

4. Betterment bonus: 1-12 months free portfolio management

One of the pioneers of robo-advising, betterment offers the chance to invest and bank all under one roof. On the investing side of things, the brokerage firm uses algorithms to manage your portfolio for you in exchange for a 0.25% annual fee. You can also upgrade to a premium plan with access to certified financial planners and advice for investments outside of betterment for a 0.40% annual fee.

For smaller investments, getting just one month for free may not amount to much. But it can give you some time to test-drive the platform and decide whether a robo-advisor is right for you.

5. Blockfi bonus: $15 – $250 in free bitcoin

slick tip: use this link and automatically earn your bonus after direct depositing the eligible bonus amount (see below).

Cryptocurrency is a relatively new investment option, and blockfi is taking innovative steps to allow investors to take advantage of it. You can use the broker’s platform to buy and sell various cryptocurrencies, interest on your investment and even use your cryptocurrency as collateral to borrow money.

Blockfi is currently running a new block interest account (BIA) promotion. Fund your new block interest account with $25 or more on or before november to earn a one-time bitcoin bonus of $15 to $250. You must be a new blockfi customer to qualify for this bonus.

Tier	deposit amount (new money)	BTC payout
tier 1	$25 – $249	$15
tier 2	$250 – $999	$20
tier 3	$1,000 — $4,999	$40
tier 4	$5,000 – $9,999	$75
tier 5	$10,000 – $19,999	$150
tier 6	$20,000+	$250

The blockfi interest account lets you put your crypto to work and earn monthly interest payments in the asset-type that you deposit with blockfi.

Blockfi bonus fine print

New clients who sign up through this referral link and fund their account during the current promotional period are eligible to receive $15 – $250 bitcoin bonus (in USDC) depending on their investment tier. The current promotional period is defined as the current calendar month ending at 23:59:59 UTC on the last day of the month.

Please note, this must be your first deposit, and you must maintain a minimum $25 crypto balance through the 14th of the month for two and a half months from the month of eligibility in order to remain eligible. Eligible payouts occur on the 15th of every month on a rolling basis. If the 15th falls on a weekend, then the bonus payout will occur by the end of the next business day. There is a maximum of one bonus per client. This offer cannot be combined with other trading offers. Trading qualifications are dependent upon geographical or regulatory restrictions. Terms subject to change.

Blockfi referral bonuses

Once you’ve become a blockfi customer, you are eligible for their referral program which provides referral links for you to share. For every person that signs up using your blockfi referral code and deposits $100 or more into their blockfi interest account, you and that friend will each earn $10 in BTC.

You can obtain a blockfi referral links by visiting the refer-a-friend landing page. Similarly, new promotions and past promotions are listed here on the blockfi promotions page.

6. Ally invest bonus: $50 – $3,500

Ally invest is an online-only bank that offers a variety of banking, lending and wealth management services. It also offers one of the biggest bonuses for new investing customers that we’ve seen. If you open an ally self-invest account by december 31, 2020 and fund it with a certain amount within the first 60 days of account opening, you can receive up to $3,500.

Ally invest features commission-free trades on eligible U.S exchange-listed stock, ETF, and option trades. In fact, at $0.50 per contract, ally invest offers low-cost fees for option trades and a wide selection of etfs from vanguard, globalx, ishares and more.

Ally invest offers high-yield etfs from market leaders that may complement your portfolio and help diversify your investing strategy

7. Robinhood bonus: $2.50 – $200 worth of free stock

Robinhood helped pioneer the mobile investing movement, as well as commission-free trades. The commission-free platform allows you to trade stocks (fractional shares included), options, cryptocurrencies and etfs, and there’s no minimum to get started.

What’s more, the broker’s bonus is easy to earn: simply open a new account, and you’ll receive a free stock worth between $2.50 and $200. With no barrier to entry, this one may be the best online stock option for inexperienced investors.

One thing to keep in mind, though, is that robinhood doesn’t offer retirement accounts. So you may want to consider another option if you’re hoping to open one of those.

8. Webull bonus: $8 – $1,600 of free stock

Another great mobile-first trading platform, webull offers the chance to invest in stocks, etfs and options (though you can’t trade fractional shares). Also, like robinhood, webull doesn’t require massive deposits to earn its welcome offer of free stocks. You can receive up to two free stocks each valued between $8 to $1,600 when you open an account with the broker and fund it with $100 or more.

The broker also offers several ways to earn more free stock, including through referral links and other ongoing promotions. If you’re just starting out or you’re not sure you want to move a lot of money, webull can get a great place to start.

In addition to offering free trades, another one of webull’s strengths is its investment in technical research, which can be a huge plus for experienced investors and others who want to learn.

9. Charles schwab: $100-$500

Like TD ameritrade, charles schwab is one of the largest brokers in the U.S., and offers a much wider range of investment options, resources, tools and other features than many of the smaller brokers on our list.

While the sign-up deposit requirements are a bit steeper than some other brokers, the lowest tier is still relatively accessible to investors with lower net worths.

10. Merrill edge self-directed account bonus: $100 – $600

Credit: merril

To earn the cash bonus, you’ll need to make your qualifying deposit of new funds within 45 days of opening your account, then keep it in the account for 90 days after that.

And remember, the sign-up bonus only works for merrill edge self-directed accounts, which is where you manage your own portfolio. If you open a guided investing account with a professional manager, you’ll be ineligible for the promotion. Merrill edge’s bonus is more accessible than many other broker bonuses, but still requires a good amount of cash to get the minimum amount.

11. E-trade brokerage and retirement accounts: $25 – $2,500

Credit: etrade

Once you meet the requirements, you’ll receive your cash bonus within seven business days. The offer is valid on new accounts opened by dec. 31, 2020, but you’ll have 60 days after that deadline to meet your deposit requirement. You also need to maintain the funds in the account (minus any trading losses you incur) for 12 months.

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12 best new brokerage account promotions & bonus offers – january 2021

As a savvy investor, you’re no doubt aware dozens of banks and credit unions entice new business with account-opening promotions. Some reward first-time customers with bonuses worth hundreds of dollars just for opening an account and making qualifying deposits. The best land on our regularly updated roundup of the top new bank account promotions.

You’ve probably seen credit card issuers get in on the action too. Many of the best cash-back credit cards and travel rewards credit cards come with irresistible welcome offers, the best of which rival the most generous new bank account promotions.

If it’s been years since you switched brokerage firms or you’re entirely new to investing, you might be unaware america’s top self-directed and managed investment platforms also offer impressive new-account bonuses. Top-tier new brokerage account promotions dwarf the leading bank and credit card promotions — promising thousands to new customers bringing substantial assets to the table.

Best new brokerage account promotions (january 2021)

These are the best new brokerage account promotions from north america’s top online stock brokers for this month. All are subject to change, so check back often for updates.

Whichever you choose, pair your new brokerage account with a subscription to trade ideas, the most powerful paper trading and market research subscription around.

1. Acorns — $10 bonus

Open a new acorns account using the link below to earn a $10 credit. It’s that simple — no minimum deposit or balance required. You’ll receive the credit after completing your account registration.

Moving forward, acorns offers three attractively priced plans that support everyday money management, longer-term saving, and market investing:

Lite. For just $1 per month, take advantage of a powerful investing platform (invest) that allows you to invest spare change left over from everyday purchases (round-ups) and earn bonus investments from more than 350 found money partners.

Personal. For just $3 per month, acorns adds a tax-advantaged retirement account that updates regularly to match your goals and a checking account with 55,000+ fee-free atms worldwide and up to 10% bonus investments.

Family. For just $5 per month, you’ll get everything included in the lower-priced plans, plus early, a kid-friendly investment account featuring automatic recurring investments, exclusive bonus investments, family-centered financial advice, and potential tax savings.

2. Robinhood — up to $200 (or more) in free stock

Open a new robinhood account and to get up to $200 (or more) in free stock. Here’s how it works:

Apply for a new robinhood brokerage account and get approved.

Robinhood adds 1 free share of stock worth between $2.50 and $200 (or more) per share, chosen randomly from its inventory of settled shares.

You can hold the share indefinitely or sell it after 2 trading days.

Bear in mind that you may not receive the same stock as other applicants and your share’s value may fluctuate with market movements. Once open, use your account to trade stocks, etfs, and other market-traded instruments.

3. Webull — free stocks up to $3,700 total value & 3 months free level 2 advance (nasdaq totalview) subscription

Open and fund a new webull account with at least $100 to get up to four free stocks worth up to $3,700 in total. Participating stocks include google, facebook, procter & gamble, starbucks, kraft heinz, and snap.

Plus, sign up to receive a three-month level 2 advance (nasdaq totalview) subscription for free. Here’s how these promotions work:

Account opening bonus (2 free stocks)

Simply sign up and open a qualifying webull account to receive two free stocks valued between $2.50 and $250. You must complete the account opening process by the stated offer end date at the time you apply. This date is subject to change at webull’s discretion.

Deposit bonus (2 free stocks)

Make an initial deposit of $100 or more to your new account by the end of the offer period to claim two free stocks valued between $8 and $1,600 each per share.

Account opening bonus (nasdaq totalview subscription)

Sign up and open your account to receive a three-month level 2 advance (nasdaq totalview) subscription for free. After the promotional period ends, the standard subscription fee applies.

These offers apply only to webull cash and margin accounts.

4. Blockfi — up to $250 BTC bonus

Open and fund a blockfi interest account (BIA) for the first time and make qualifying deposits within the first 30 days of opening. In return, you could earn a special one-time bonus worth up to $250 BTC. The payout tiers work as follows:

$15 BTC: deposit $25 to $249

$20 BTC: deposit $250 to $999

$40 BTC: deposit $1,000 to $4,999

$75 BTC: deposit $5,000 to $9,999

$150 BTC: deposit $10,000 to $19,999

$250 BTC: deposit $20,000 or more

To ensure that you receive the bonus, you must maintain a crypto balance of $25 or greater through the 14th of the month two and a half months from your eligibility month (account opening month). Eligible payouts occur on a rolling basis on or about the 15th of every month.

5. Ally invest — up to $3,500 cash bonus

Open a new self-directed account with ally invest by march 31, 2021, and make a qualifying deposit of new money or assets to earn up to $3,500 bonus cash. The bonus thresholds are:

$50: deposit $10,000 to $24,999 in new funds or assets.

$200: deposit $25,000 to $99,999 in new funds or assets.

$300: deposit $100,000 to $249,999 in new funds or assets.

$600: deposit $250,000 to $499,999 in new funds or assets.

$1,200: deposit $500,000 to $999,999 in new funds or assets.

$2,500: deposit $1,000,000 to $1,999,999 in new funds or assets.

$3,500: deposit $2,000,000 or more in new funds or assets.

To qualify for the bonus, you must fund the account within 60 days of opening. Once ally invest credits the bonus to the account, the combined bonus and qualifying deposit (less any trading losses) must remain in the account for 300 days. Otherwise, ally invest reserves the right to revoke the bonus.

Deposited funds must come from accounts that aren’t ally or ally subsidiary accounts. You must fund the new account with a minimum qualifying deposit of $10,000 or more to qualify for the minimum cash bonus.

The bonus is available to U.S. Residents, excluding current ally invest account holders, and ally invest account holders who closed their accounts within 90 days of applying.

Account transfer fee credit

Separately, ally invest credits up to $150 in transfer fees charged by other brokerages when you complete a first-time account transfer totaling $2,500 or more. That credit hits your account within 30 days of the transfer.

For more information about ally invest’s taxable brokerage accounts and iras with commission-free trades, read our ally invest review. To learn more about ally bank, ally invest’s parent institution, check out our ally bank review.

6. Citi wealth management — up to $3,500 cash bonus

Open a new eligible citi personal wealth management account by june 30, 2021, and make a qualifying deposit of new money or assets to earn a cash bonus up to $3,500. The bonus thresholds are as follows:

$500: deposit $50,000 to $199,999 in new funds or securities.

$1,000: deposit $200,000 to $499,999 in new funds or securities.

$1,500: deposit $500,000 to $999,999 in new funds or securities.

$2,500: deposit $1,000,000 to $1,999,999 in new funds or securities.

$3,500: deposit $2,000,000 or more in new funds or securities.

To earn this bonus, you must do the following:

Open and enroll your new citi private wealth management account

Make the qualifying new money deposit within 2 months of account opening

Enroll the account into e-delivery of statements within 2 months of account opening.

Maintain the new funding at least through the end of the third month (statement cycle) after account opening.

Eligible funds must be new to citibank and can’t come from or be combined with funds from any other citi accounts. This offer is available to new citi private wealth management clients only.

7. M1 finance — up to $2,500 transfer bonus

Open a new M1 finance account and initiate an account transfer within 60 days of sign-up to earn a transfer bonus of up to $3,500.

Plus, get a free year of M1 plus (a $125 value) when you open a new account by jan. 31, 2021.

The bonus thresholds for the cash bonus are:

$40 bonus: transfer an account worth $10,000 to $19,999.99.

$75 bonus: transfer an account worth $20,000 to $49,999.99.

$150 bonus: transfer an account worth $50,000 to $99,999.99.

$250 bonus: transfer an account worth $100,000 to $249,999.99.

$500 bonus: transfer an account worth $250,000 to $499,999.99.

$1,000 bonus: transfer an account worth $500,000 to $999,999.99.

$2,500 bonus: transfer an account worth $1,000,000 to $1,999,999.99.

$3,500 bonus: transfer an account worth $2,000,000 or more.

Your new M1 finance account type must match your old account type. The offer isn’t valid on ACH deposits, wire transfers or direct 401k rollovers. Once the transfer is received, you’ll receive payment within 90 days.

8. E-trade — up to $2,500 cash bonus

Open a new E-trade securities nonretirement brokerage account by jan. 31, 2021, using the promo code ‘BONUS20’, to earn up to $2,500 bonus cash. The bonus thresholds are:

$25: deposit or transfer $5,000 to $9,999 in new money.

$50: deposit or transfer $10,000 to $24,999 in new money.

$200: deposit or transfer $25,000 to $99,999 in new money.

$300: deposit or transfer $100,000 to $249,999 in new money.

$600: deposit or transfer $250,000 to $499,999 in new money.

$1,200: deposit or transfer $500,000 to $999,999 in new money.

$2,500: deposit or transfer $1,000,000 or more in new money.

You must transfer or deposit new funds or securities within 60 days of enrollment. All deposited or transferred funds must come from accounts outside E-trade and remain in the account (less any trading losses) for at least 12 months.

9. Betterment — up to 1 year managed free

Get up to one year managed free when you open a betterment robo-advisor account and make a qualifying deposit within 45 days. Bonus thresholds are:

1 month free: fund your account with $15,000 to $99,999 within the qualification period.

6 months free: fund your account with $100,000 to $249,999 within the qualification period.

12 months free: fund your account with $250,000 or more within the qualification period.

You can’t combine this offer with any other promotions, and it’s available to U.S. Residents only.

For more about betterment’s benefits, check out our lists of the best high-yield savings accounts and cash management accounts on the market today.

10. Sofi invest — win up to $1,000 in free stock

For a limited time, download the sofi invest app and open a new sofi active invest account for the chance to win up to $1,000 in free stock. Moving forward, enjoy commission-free stock trades and access to fractional shares in select securities with no account minimums.

Terms and conditions apply. See offer for details.

11. Charles schwab — up to $500 cash referral bonus

Open a new qualifying charles schwab account with a qualifying referral from an existing schwab client to earn a cash bonus of up to $500.

To qualify, ask a friend or family member with a schwab account to send you their unique referral code. Then use the code to open a new schwab account with an initial deposit or deposits totaling at least $1,000. Make one or more qualifying deposits within 45 days of your account opening date, and you’ll receive your cash bonus about a week later.

Your bonus amount depends on how much you deposit during the 45-day qualifying period:

$100: deposit $1,000 to $24,999 in new money or assets.

$200: deposit $25,000 to $49,999 in new money or assets.

$300: deposit 50,000 to $99,999 in new money or assets.

$500: deposit 100,000 and above in new money or assets.

Once your account is open, monthly fees may apply. Multiple members of the same household may qualify for bonuses individually, as long as they open separate schwab accounts.

12. Nvstr — up to $1,000 cash

Open a new nvstr account using this link to earn up to $1,000 in cash. There’s no minimum funding threshold or other hoops to jump through — just open your account, and nvstr rewards you with $10 to $1,000 cash.

There is one catch: nvstr chooses your reward amount at random, and it’s impossible to predict how much you stand to receive. Once the bonus is in your account, you must make at least one trade within three months and keep the bonus funds on deposit for a full year.

The cash offer is available to new nvstr users on live trading accounts only. Simulated trading accounts aren’t eligible.

Final word

If you’re a satisfied investor, you’d be forgiven for feeling no urgency to switch brokerages. Why fix something that’s not broken?

But the prospect of earning hundreds or thousands of dollars in brokerage bonuses is often reason enough.

Most of these brokerages take pains to ensure their new-account bonuses qualify as easy money. In many cases, moving assets to a newly opened account requires little more than completing an account application and authorizing an electronic funds transfer or asset rollover, a process that’s quick and painless enough to complete in a spare 15 minutes.

Even if you’re not ready to take advantage of these brokerage account bonuses, it still pays to add a review of the top brokerage promotions to your due-diligence to-do list for whenever you’re ready to start investing on a new trading platform.

The ascent is reader-supported: we may earn a commission from offers on this page. It’s how we make money. But our editorial integrity ensures our experts’ opinions aren’t influenced by compensation.

Man at desk with stocks and shares information smiles and points at camera.

Image source: getty images

If you're looking to get started with investing, here are some of the best offers.

If you want to start investing in stocks, you'll need some cash you can put to work and some knowledge of what you want to invest in. You'll also need a brokerage account to buy and sell stocks.

They say there's no such thing as a guaranteed return in investing, but we disagree. Some brokers will give you free money just for opening an account. We've looked at current offers from dozens of our favorite brokers, and here are five of the best sign-up bonuses you might want to check out.

Merrill edge: up to $600

Merrill edge is an excellent brokerage for all types of investors. It has tons of fee-free mutual funds and a highly-rated mobile investing app. But it's an especially good choice for bank of america customers, as that's merrill's parent company. Customers can access their account funds through bank of america atms and get face-to-face help at bank of america branches. They can even qualify for the bank's excellent preferred rewards program based on their investment account balances. Check out our merrill edge review for more details.

Customers who deposit $20,000 or more into a new merrill edge account are eligible for a cash bonus of at least $100, and the top bonus tier of $600 requires $200,000 or more.

The ascent's picks for the best online stock brokers

Find the best stock broker for you among these top picks. Whether you're looking for a special sign-up offer, outstanding customer support, $0 commissions, intuitive mobile apps, or more, you'll find a stock broker to fit your trading needs.

E*TRADE: bonuses from $50 to $2,500

E*TRADE was one of the online brokerage industry pioneers. It has a fantastic trading platform and mobile app, a convenient branch network, and numerous research and education tools. Our E*TRADE review will help decide if it's a good fit for you.

As far as sign-up bonuses go, E*TRADE offers cash bonuses of as much as $2,500 to customers who deposit $1 million or more into their new accounts. However, there are eight smaller bonus tiers, starting at $50 for deposits of $5,000 to $9,999. And the $100 bonus for a deposit of $10,000 is one of the most lucrative offers in the industry for that account size.

Tradestation: bonuses from $50 to $5,000

Tradestation has a pretty advantageous cash bonus offer, whether you're a high-net-worth investor or on the lower end of the spectrum. The $5,000 cash bonus for investors with $5 million or more in assets is the largest we know of. And the $5,000 asset threshold to get a $50 cash bonus is also one of the lowest cash bonus requirements in the industry.

Designed primarily for active traders, tradestation has one of the top trading platforms in the business. It's also got some of the lowest commissions on options and mutual funds. Check out our full tradestation review to see if it's a good fit for you.

Robinhood: free stock

This may not be the most valuable sign-up bonus in the industry, but it is the easiest to get. In fact, you don't even need to put any specific amount of money in your account to get it.

If you sign up for a robinhood account through this page and link your bank account, robinhood will deposit a free share of stock into your brokerage account. Most will be a share worth between $2.50 and $10, but some lucky investors will get a share of a high-dollar stock like apple, visa, or microsoft.

Robinhood is best suited to investors who want the occasional ability to buy stock through a user-friendly app. On the other hand, it might not be the best choice for investors who want features like educational tools and investment research. Check out our robinhood review for more information.

Buying your first stocks: do it the smart way

Once you’ve chosen one of our top-rated brokers, you need to make sure you’re buying the right stocks. We think there’s no better place to start than with stock advisor, the flagship stock-picking service of our company, the motley fool. You’ll get two new stock picks every month from legendary investors and motley fool co-founders tom and david gardner, plus 10 starter stocks and best buys now. Over the past 17 years, stock advisor’s average stock pick has seen a 569% return — more than 4.5x that of the S&P 500! (as of 1/15/2021). Learn more and get started today with a special new member discount.

Ally invest: up to $3,500 cash bonus

Ally invest is one of our favorite all-around brokers. It has an excellent trading platform and app, and some of the more competitive commission rates on options and mutual funds. Check out our full ally invest review for all the details.

Ally also has a pretty generous sign-up bonus, especially for large accounts. To get the top bonus of $3,500, you'll have to deposit $2 million or more. Obviously, most investors can't do that. But the cash bonuses start at $50 with a deposit of $10,000 or more, so if you're looking for an introductory bonus, ally definitely deserves a spot on your list.

Using the wrong broker could cost you serious money

Over the long term, there's been no better way to grow your wealth than investing in the stock market. But using the wrong broker could make a big dent in your investing returns. Our experts have ranked and reviewed the top online stock brokers - simply click here to see the results and learn how to take advantage of the free trades and cash bonuses that our top-rated brokers are offering.

About the author

Matt is a certified financial planner® and investment advisor based in columbia, south carolina. He writes personal finance and investment advice, and in 2017 he received the SABEW best in business award.

5 broker deals that'll pay you to open an account

If you're looking for a new brokerage, consider opening your account with one of these institutions. They’ll pay you a new account bonus on certain account types if you meet minimum deposit requirements and keep your account open for a specified length of time. (all promotional data presented is accurate as of may 2020.)

Key takeaways

With discount brokers cutting client fees and offering $0 trading commissions, the competitive landscape has never been better for individual investors and savers.

In order to lure in new clients (or steal them from the competition), many financial firms offer financial incentives to those who qualify.

Here, we present just five such offers that include cash bonuses, free trading, and higher-than-market incentive rates on savings products.

Charles schwab: $100 bonus or 500 commission-free trades

Charles schwab is offering a $100 referral bonus with a $1,000 deposit into a new schwab brokerage account. You can also get 500 commission-free trades with a $100,000 deposit; this deal is good for two years following the opening of the new account.

Schwab also offers unlimited commission-free online trading on most stocks and etfs for all clients.

Motif investing: 3 free months

On offer now at motif investing is 3 free months of their motif BLUE unlimited automated investment service. The offer is good only for first-time customers and is available when the new brokerage account application is approved.

For subscriptions starting at $4.95 per month, motif BLUE provides automated investing and rebalancing, real-time quotes, unlimited trading, and more.

$100 bonus + 3.75% 40-month IRA CD at navy FCU

Navy federal credit union is offering a $100 bonus, and it's available nationwide. Investors taking advantage of this deal will also have access to an attractive CD rate of 3.75 percent APY when you open a new IRA CD.

To qualify for the bonus, the new account must be funded with an opening balance of at least $100 within 45 days of account opening. The bonus will be deposited into the account within 30 days of the qualifying opening deposit.

Ally invest $3,500 cash bonus + 90 days of commission-free trades

Available at ally is an ally invest $3,500 cash bonus offer, which offers a $3,500 cash bonus and commission-free trades for 90 days when you open a new ally invest account. To qualify, you must do the following:

1. Open a new self-directed trading account by january 31, 2019.

2. Fund your account within 60 days of account opening to earn a bonus based on your deposit amount:

$3,500 bonus + free trades for $2,000,000+ deposit or transfer

$2,500 bonus + free trades for $1,000,000+ deposit or transfer

$1,200 bonus + free trades for $500,000+ deposit or transfer

$600 bonus + free trades for $250,000+ deposit or transfer

$300 bonus + free trades for $100,000+ deposit or transfer

$200 bonus + free trades for $25,000+ deposit or transfer

$50 bonus + free trades for $10,000+ deposit or transfer

3. Receive the bonus cash credit to your account within 10 business days of meeting the promotional requirements.

4. Once the account is credited, the bonus and initial qualifying deposit are not available for withdrawal for 300 days after the requirements have been met.

Get up to 500 commission-free trades at E*TRADE, plus up to a $600 cash credit

If you decide to go with an E*TRADE account, there are a few things you'll need to know. First, you must fund your account within 60 days by transferring funds from an external source. Here's how it works:

Deposit at least $10,000 into your new account.

Get up to 500 commission-free trades for stocks or options within 60 days of funding your new trading account. This excludes options contract fees.

Your first 29 stock or options trades are charged $6.95 (plus $0.75 cents for each options contract), while trades after that are charged $4.95 (plus $0.50 per options contract) up to 500 trades.

Commissions are credited back to your account within a week of the settled trade.

E*TRADE does not compensate for any unused commission-free trades.

There is a separate commission schedule for stock plan account transactions.

E*TRADE makes credits for cash or securities within 60 days of the account open, depending on deposits to the account from external sources. Credits are made within a week after the 60-period. Here's how the credit is broken down:

Deposit $1,000,000+, receive $2,500 + commission-free trades

Deposit $500,000–$999,999, receive $1,200 + commission-free trades

Deposit $250,000–$499,999, receive $600 + commission-free trades

Deposit $100,000–$249,999, receive $300 + commission-free trades

Deposit $25,000–$99,999, receive $200 + commission-free trades

Deposit $10,000–$24,999, receive only commission-free trades

E*trade offers unlimited commission-free online trading on most stocks and etfs for all clients.

The bottom line

These promotions aren’t a good way to make a quick buck, and the bonuses are relatively small, often 1 percent or less of the amount you’re required to deposit. What's more, in many cases, taxes or commissions will erode the value of your bonus.

An account-opening bonus is, however, a good incentive to give a brokerage, bank or credit union a closer look if you were thinking about opening a new account anyway. Just make sure the account type you’re opening is the best option for your long-term needs, that you’ll still come out ahead after any fees and that you aren’t depositing money you might need in the near term.

Bonus

Day trading with bonus funds can give your account a boost. From no deposit bonus schemes to explaining why free bonuses are usually not free at all, we explore the bonus and promotion offers at a range of brokers. We detail the types of bonus available, why forex trading bonuses might differ and which strategy can maximise bonus returns. We also reveal why the key to bonuses is always to read the terms and conditions…

This page also lists all bonus offers and similar promotions available to traders in the united kingdom 2021.

Bonus offers january 30 2021

What is a bonus?

A bonus provides you with free money for trading and is normally offered by a broker as an incentive to attract new clients who can then try trading with little or no risk.

There are different types of bonus offers and requirements for getting the bonus paid out to your account. We detail these below.

No deposit bonus

The “no deposit bonus” is the most lenient of bonuses, as it does not require you to deposit any funds at all before you get the bonus. Normally a broker wants you to at least deposit some funds with them before you can get your bonus, but with a “no deposit” bonus they allow anyone to get the bonus after creating a new account.

Note that there might still be requirements to fulfil before you can get your trading profits paid out, and those requirements might be stricter for this kind of bonus than for others. Normally you have to trade a certain total volume before you can withdraw the profits derived from the bonus money.

Considering how generous it is to hand out free money to new traders, that makes a lot of sense. Make sure you are ok with those requirements before you sign up.

Welcome bonus

A “welcome bonus” is a way to reward new traders who sign up for an account, to make them feel welcome and to make it easier for new clients to start trading right away. A welcome bonus might require you to make a deposit, so make sure you agree with the bonus requirements before you sign up.

Deposit match bonus

The “deposit match bonus” will match a percentage of your deposit, up to a certain maximum amount.

For example, if the bonus is a 30% match up to $5,000, and you deposit $1,000, you will get an additional $300 from the broker ($1,000 * 30%). With this example offer the most you can get is $5000, which you would get when depositing at least $16,667 ($16,667 * 30% = $5,000). Even if you deposit more than that, you will still only get the maximum $5,000.

Note – we have seen alternate definitions of the maximum amount, where 30% match up to $5,000 would rather mean that even if you deposit more that $5,000, you will only get the 30% paid out on $5,000. In other words, the maximum amount pertains to the maximum deposit on which you will get the 30% bonus, and NOT how much bonus you can maximally get.

OBS! For a serious trader the distinction between the two maximum amount definitions can make a big difference, so make sure you understand the requirements before signing up and depositing.

Considerations

Most bonus types have requirements regarding how much you have to trade before you can withdraw profits. For some traders this is ok, while to others it becomes a source of frustration.

Due to bonus abuse by many unscrupulous traders, the requirements have by necessity become so strict that you might be better off without one. However, it’s impossible to give individual advice, as it comes down to how much money you want to trade with and how long you can wait before you make a withdrawal.

In the long run a bonus will not make a huge difference to many traders, and might make things feel more complicated and thus spoil the joy of trading. Only use a bonus if you feel it makes sense to you personally.

Do I have to accept a broker's trading bonus?

Normally you don’t have to accept a bonus deal just because a broker is offering one. You might have to explicitly opt out of a bonus however, so make sure to check the terms and conditions when signing up.

Is a bonus basically free money?

While a bonus offer can sometimes sound like free cash with no requirements involved, there are always terms and conditions attached. If this wasn’t the case, what would stop dishonest traders from just withdrawing the funds without trading?

Image source: getty images

If you're looking to get started with investing, here are some of the best offers.

If you want to start investing in stocks, you'll need some cash you can put to work and some knowledge of what you want to invest in. You'll also need a brokerage account to buy and sell stocks.

Merrill edge: up to $600

Customers who deposit $20,000 or more into a new merrill edge account are eligible for a cash bonus of at least $100, and the top bonus tier of $600 requires $200,000 or more.

The ascent's picks for the best online stock brokers

E*TRADE: bonuses from $50 to $2,500

Tradestation: bonuses from $50 to $5,000

Robinhood: free stock

This may not be the most valuable sign-up bonus in the industry, but it is the easiest to get. In fact, you don't even need to put any specific amount of money in your account to get it.

Buying your first stocks: do it the smart way

Ally invest: up to $3,500 cash bonus

Using the wrong broker could cost you serious money

About the author

So, let's see, what we have: if you have extra cash that you’re looking to invest, brokerages are looking to reward new clients with attractive bonuses. Are you happy with your current broker or is it time for a change? Here are some of the best brokerage account bonuses. At stock trading account bonus