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11 best new brokerage account promotions & bonus offers – february 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 (february 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.

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. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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.

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.

These brokerage account promotions are among the best in the biz.

Updated jan 26, 2021 . What changed?

Signup bonuses can help new investors choose a trading platform. Some have minimum deposit requirements, while others offer a bonus just for opening an account. While a signup bonus may not make or break your decision to open an account, it’s worthwhile to know which platforms offer the best signup perks in the industry.

Here are the best offers for the week of january 25.

Top offers

Best signup bonus: tradestation

Best signup bonus just for opening an account: sofi invest

Best free stock offer: tastyworks

Tradestation

$5,000 when investors make a deposit or account transfer of $5 million or more into their tradestation account.

Tradestation caters to experienced traders with commission-free stocks, top-notch charting tools, sophisticated screeners and third-party research. While it’s certainly not the most beginner-friendly platform, tradestation makes a name for itself with award-winning analytics, extensive educational resources and a custom-built coding language for traders to back-test strategies.

Among the drawbacks? Traders complain of the platform’s high learning curve, high fees for low volume trading and limited access to international assets.

While its $5,000 cash bonus is an appealing perk, the $5 million minimum deposit may be challenging to meet. Luckily, tradestation offers smaller signup bonuses for deposits below $5 million.

Signup bonus	deposit or transfer amount
$5,000	$5,000,000
$3,500	$2,000,000
$2,500	$1,000,000
$1,200	$500,000
$600	$200,000
$300	$100,000
$200	$25,000
$50	$5,000

option trade fee	$0 + $0.50/contract
account transfer fee	$125
available asset types	stocks bonds options mutual funds etfs cryptocurrency

Best signup bonus just for opening an account

Sofi invest

Get one free stock valued between $5 to $1,000 when you open a sofi invest active investing brokerage account.

Sofi’s brokerage signup bonus is available to any investor who opens a sofi invest active investing brokerage account. New investors have the opportunity to play sofi’s claw game: investors navigate the claw to the gift they want, drop the claw and receive a random stock worth $5 to $1,000. There are no funding requirements or account minimums to receive this bonus.

The promotion is not available to investors opening a sofi IRA or investing with sofi’s robo-advisor.

Sofi offers commission-free stocks, free portfolio management and a reliable, user-friendly mobile app. But its security lineup is limited to stocks, etfs and cryptocurrencies.

Intro or bonus offer	for a limited time, get one free stock worth up to $1,000 when you open a sofi invest active investing brokerage account.
Option trade fee	N/A
available asset types	stocks etfs cryptocurrency

Tastyworks

Get 100 shares of stock with an average total value of $200 to $220 when you open and fund a tastyworks cash or margin account with at least $2,000.

Tastyworks’ signup bonus offers investors 100 shares of stock that are randomly selected from a collection of 11 stocks priced between $1 and $6. The value of the stock is credited to the investor’s account but will not count toward the investor’s buying power until three months have passed.

Investors new to tastyworks can fund their account with as little as $1, but any investor keen on the platform’s signup bonus will need to deposit at least $2,000.

Tastyworks is a derivatives-focused trading platform that offers access to stocks, etfs, options and futures. While not the most beginner-friendly of platforms, its comprehensive research offerings and live access to tastytrade programs makes it a viable option for active investors seeking options trading.

Intro or bonus offer	fund your tastyworks account with at least $2,000 to receive 100 shares of stock.
Option trade fee	stocks & etfs: $1/contract to open, $0 to close, $10 max/leg futures: $2.50/contract to open, $0 to close
futures trade fee	$1.25/contract to open, $1.25 to close
available asset types	stocks

As of january 25, these are the signup bonuses available at 20 of the most popular brokerages. Each platform may have slightly different requirements for what they consider a qualifying deposit. Read the terms before you sign up to make sure you qualify for the bonus.

Provider	highest signup bonus	requirements	lowest signup bonus	requirements	learn more
ally invest	$3,500	deposit or transfer $2,000,000+	$50	deposit or transfer $10,000–$24,900	read review
charles schwab	$500	make a qualifying deposit of $100,000+ in cash or securities	$100	make a qualifying deposit of $1,000–$24,999 in cash or securities	read review
chase you invest	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	read review
E-trade	$2,500	open an account using the promo code WINTER21 and deposit $1,000,000+ within the next 60 days	$50	open an account using the promo code WINTER21 and deposit $5,000–$9,999 within the next 60 days	read review
fidelity	$200	deposit $200+	$50	deposit $50 to $99	read review
firstrade	get up to $200 in transfer fee rebates	open an account and transfer at least $2,500 in securities	N/A	N/A	read review
gatsby	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	read review
interactive brokers	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	read review
merrill edge	$900	deposit qualifying assets of $200,000+ and use offer code 900ME	$150	deposit qualifying assets of $20,000 and use offer code 900ME	read review
robinhood	free stock (chosen randomly with a value anywhere between $2.50 and $200)	sign up using the promotional link	N/A	N/A	read review
sofi invest	win a stock valued between $5 and $1,000	sign up for an active investing brokerage account and play the claw game	N/A	N/A	read review
stash invest	$5	add at least $5 to your invest account	N/A	N/A	read review
stockpile	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	read review
tastyworks	get 100 shares of stock (worth $1 to $6 a share)	open and fund a new cash or margin account with $2,000+	N/A	N/A	read review
TD ameritrade	$2,500	deposit $2,000,000+	$350	deposit $250,000+	read review
tradestation	$5,000	deposit qualifying assets of $5,000,000+ and use promo code CASHAFRV	$50	deposit qualifying assets of $5,000+	read review
vanguard	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	read review
webull	get 4 free stocks with values ranging from $2.50 to $1,600	open an account and deposit at least $100	get two free stock valued between $2.50 and $250	open an account	read review
wellstrade	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	read review
zacks trade	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	read review

Bottom line

When selecting a brokerage account, consider its tools, fees, asset classes and more. Signup bonuses may be appealing, but consider your options across multiple platforms before you make a decision.

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.

Best brokerage account bonuses in february 2021

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Bankrate.Com is an independent, advertising-supported publisher and comparison service. We are compensated in exchange for placement of sponsored products and, services, or by you clicking on certain links posted on our site. Therefore, this compensation may impact how, where and in what order products appear within listing categories. Other factors, such as our own proprietary website rules and whether a product is offered in your area or at your self-selected credit score range can also impact how and where products appear on this site. While we strive to provide a wide range offers, bankrate does not include information about every financial or credit product or service.

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 february 2021

Ally invest: $50 to $3,500

Merrill edge: $150 to $900

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

TD ameritrade: $350 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, if you are or will soon be a member of merrill’s preferred reward program. 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 advisor 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.

If you’re not in the preferred rewards program, you can still use promo code 600ME to receive $100, $150, $250 and $600 with the same respective deposits as above.

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 advisory programs, such as schwab intelligent portfolios, schwab managed portfolios, schwab managed account select and connection, as well as 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.

TD ameritrade: $350, $700, $1,500 or $2,500 bonus

If you open a new individual, joint or IRA TD ameritrade account, you can earn up to a $2,500 bonus. This offer is available through june 30, 2021.

To receive a bonus, you must:

Fund the new account with a qualifying deposit of $250,000 or more within 60 calendar days of account opening.

Note: the offer isn’t valid with internal transfers, for TD ameritrade institutional accounts or an account managed by TD ameritrade investment management, LLC. It’s also not valid for current TD ameritrade accounts and you can’t use other offers.

There is a limit of one offer per client. Your account value must remain at least equal to its value after the net deposit was made for 12 months – minus any losses due to trading or market volatility or margin debit balances. Otherwise, TD ameritrade may charge the account for the offer amount.

(charles schwab has purchased TD ameritrade, and will eventually integrate the two companies.)

Here are the bonus tiers for this offer:

To receive a $350 bonus, deposit $250,000-$499,999.

To receive a $700 bonus, deposit $500,000-$999,999.

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

To receive a $2,500 bonus, deposit $2,000,000 or more.

Read bankrate’s TD ameritrade review to learn more.

Brokerage and savings account sign up bonuses

Today I want to explore the world of brokerage and savings account bonuses. For those who don’t know, for similar purposes to credit card hacking big banks and brokerages often provide a bonus for transferring money into their accounts. We here at full time finance love something for nothing, but are these bonuses worth your time?

No history of using savings account bonuses

Up until recently I have never explored brokerage or savings account bonuses. Instead I have focused on credit card cash back and sign up bonuses. On the face of it I might be missing out. A quick survey shows bonuses anywhere from $200 to $500. If I am happy to do a credit card bonus for $500 why am I not cashing in on one of these?

My recent experience with a savings account bonus

Well recently I did take advantage of one of the savings account deals. We had some money sitting in the bank for an upcoming purchase. The money was under only my wife’s name, a legacy account. We needed to move the money into a joint account since honestly this money represents our only fully liquid funds. (if you recall much of our emergency funds are locked up in CD ladders, a level of slightly less liquidity.

Also if you recall from our recent post on married finance, in the case of a spouse’s incapacitation it’s important to have access to joint account funds. Unlikely though it is, I wouldn’t want this money to slip out of reach for a period of time around said purchase if something were to happen to my wife.)

So as part of the decision to move this decent chunk of change I began to explore sign up bonuses. I looked at a few aggregators of savings account sign up bonuses as well as several banks themselves. On the surface the best sign up bonuses were in the $500 range. But then I looked a little deeper.

Bonuses and interest tend to be mutually exclusive

Most of those $500 bonus accounts were for an account earning .05% interest or some other horrendously low number. If you were to earn a $500 bonus on an account where you deposited $25K, you are essentially getting the same result as 2% interest for the first year and nothing the next. The problem of course is most online high yield savings accounts provide 1.7% interest anyway. In essence in exchange for the interest up front and $75 in additional interest you chose their bank.

Savings account sign up bonuses are taxed

But wait, it gets worse. Any sign up bonus you get for a bank account, unlike a credit card sign up bonus, is taxed as interest. You see the IRS views credit card signup bonuses and rewards as a discount on purchase. But they view a bonus on a savings account as essentially interest on the account (similar to our comparison). So, if we look only at the $75 portion beyond normal interest you might receive $50 dollars of it after taxes (depending on your tax rate). Now look closer at the banks rules. Many of these same banks are the ones charging higher fees. In essence this move in money can potentially cost you money.

Is chasing savings account sign up bonuses worth the hassle?

Even if that extra $75 is not eaten by fees and taxes, is it worth the hassle? Well we were already with a high yield online savings account earning 1+%. In order to do the transfer I had to first setup the new account. After all the application setup because of money laundering rules I also had to prove my identity. That meant scanning my drivers license and sending it in for review. A week later I had approval. Then I had to transfer our funds from our existing savings to checking. Close out the existing account. Finally transfer in the new funds. For under $50 it wouldn’t have been worth it for me to move around the money only for the bonus.

Exceptions to interest and bonus being mutually exclusive

Now don’t get me wrong. There are the occasional exceptions to the above rule. I found one such exception, where discover offered 1.7% interest and $200 sign up bonus for $25K deposit. An account that will benefit us during the move, and as we hold it in future years with the same interest. This is the one I ultimately used. But from what I saw this was one of the 2 currently available options with any return for me. Now sure, you could’ve that $25K in rapid succession between accounts to capture that bonus in a shorter time period then a years of interest. The thing is many of the companies seem to have policies in place that require holding the funds for extended period of time, 3-6 months at minimum. IE, there is limited opportunity to game the system here. I just can’t see it being worth it.

Opportunity cost of sign up bonus money

Want one more reason not to play the savings account sign up bonus game? There is a huge opportunity cost of keeping $25K sitting around in cash. $25K last year in the stock market would have returned 16%. Currently in a 5 year cd you’d get 3%, in a 10 year you’d be reaching 4%. All of these would have to be forgone to capture a savings account sign up. In order to play this game you have to have $25,000 liquid in the first place.

My conclusion is savings account sign up bonuses are only worth it if you are already moving funds. Then it’s only advantageous if you really scrutinize the sign up bonus and interest as a whole against other offerings. We chose the only option that was advantageous to us across an entire year. On the plus side it appears like it will work beyond a year for whatever remains after our purchase.

Brokerage account sign up bonuses

But this post is not only about savings account bonuses. It’s also about brokerage bonuses. Surely I think it’s worth it to move money to another brokerage for a brokerage account sign up bonus? In short no, again I do not. In this case it’s not an interest versus sign up bonus question, though again the bonus is usually taxable. No this time there are some other problems.

Transfer of assets and brokerage account sign up bonuses

The first is the transfer of assets. Not all brokerages allow the transfer of invested assets, either in or out. Thus often time to take advantage you would have to liquidate your holdings and reinvest in the new account. You could miss out on the hottest trading day of the year while dinking around with a brokerage bonus. And yes, studies do show most of the markets gains come on a handful of days. Furthermore you would have to potentially pay spreads or trading fees to liquidate and repurchase your holdings, further cutting into any gains.

Finally we have the same regulatory hurdles to moving brokerages that we do savings accounts. A huge amount of self identification and waiting. A major hassle for little money when we compare to the 30 mins a month I spend on credit card sign up bonuses. Again I wouldn’t recommend it unless you are moving your money anyways.

Simplicity of accounts is important

There is one final reason for not playing either game, brokerage or savings account sign up bonuses. Ultimately it’s my main reason, complexity. Even with a fairly simple money map we have a significant number of accounts. Moving your money from account to account makes it altogether harder to manage and keep track of. Asset allocation across constantly changing brokerage accounts sounds like a nightmare. Avoiding escheatment on small stranded amounts of interest in savings accounts sounds like an exercise in futility. Simplicity is better with your finances, and chasing a few hundred dollars in sign up bonuses is not worth the complexity in my honest opinion.

Do you move money around frequently to take advantage of brokerage and savings account sign up bonuses? Anyone have a different experience?

So, let's see, what was the most valuable thing of this article: money crashers what do you want to do with your money? Make money careers college & education small business extra income manage money banking at brokerage sign up bonus