Best Brokerage Bonuses (Sorted by Effective ROI)

Broker	Details	Effective ROI
Stash	Deposit $5 to earn $30 in cash or stock. Stash charges $3/month, so you net about $21 after the 90-day hold.	17.04%
Tradestation	Deposit $500 to earn a $50 cash bonus. Funds must remain in the account for 270 days before the bonus becomes withdrawable.	13.75%
Frec	Deposit $20,000+ to earn a $250 cash bonus into a direct indexing portfolio. Funds must remain in the account for 90 days.	5.07%
E*TRADE	Transfer at least $5,000 to earn a $150 cash bonus. Funds must be deposited within 60 days and remain in the account for 12 months to keep the bonus.	5%
J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing	Deposit $5,000 to earn a $50 bonus. Funds must remain for about 90 days, with the bonus paid roughly 105 days after enrollment.	3.52%
Citi Self Invest	Deposit $10,000+ in new funds to earn a $100–$500 cash bonus. Funds must stay through Citi’s maintain-balance period, with payouts typically 4–6 months after funding.	3.07%
M1	Deposit $10,000+ to earn a $75 bonus credited within about 60 days. Bonus funds must remain in the account for an additional 90 days after posting.	2.30%
Public	Deposit $1,000 to earn $20 in free stock or ETFs. Must claim within 30 days; cash value locked for 12 months.	2.00%
Charles Schwab	Deposit $25,000+ to earn a $100–$1,000 bonus. Funds must remain in the account for 12 months, with the bonus credited shortly after the funding window closes.	0.40%
Acorns	Set up a $5 recurring investment to earn $20. Acorns charges $3/month; cancel after bonus posts for ~$14 net profit.	Small bonus, no hold after payout
Webull	Up to 3% IRA transfer match (max $7,500) plus ongoing contribution match and transfer fee reimbursement. Requires Premium subscription and 5-year hold.	Paid upfront, earned over time (5-year hold)
Robinhood	Earn a 2% match on IRA transfers and 401(k) rollovers during the Jan 8–Apr 30, 2026 promo with Robinhood Gold ($5/month). Bonus is paid shortly after settlement but requires 1 year of Gold and a 5-year IRA hold to avoid clawback.	Paid upfront, earned over time (5-year hold)

Brokerage bonuses can look impressive on the surface, but the headline number rarely tells the whole story. Many of the largest offers require high deposits or long holding periods, which can dramatically lower their true value.

That’s why I update this list at the start of every month and rank the latest brokerage promotions by effective ROI. This is the actual return you earn on your deposit once the bonus is credited and available as cash.

All calculations are done using my bonus ROI calculator, so you can double-check the numbers or run the math on any new promotion that comes up.

This list doesn’t judge the overall quality of each brokerage or whether an account fits your long-term investing goals. It’s designed for readers who want to maximize the short-term ROI of cash.

How I calculate effective ROI:

• Multiple tiers. If there are tiers, I highlight the one with the highest ROI. For example, a $50 bonus on $500 is a 10% return, while $100 on $10,000 is only 1%. I prioritize tiers with the highest ROI, not the biggest dollar amount.
• Formula. Annualized return based on the bonus amount, deposit requirement, and holding period.
• Holding period. I use the full time funds must remain in the account to keep the bonus, not just when the bonus is paid. If you withdraw early, brokers can claw back the bonus.
• Interest rates. I don’t factor in any interest the broker might pay, since rates change often. If you’re depositing a larger sum, you may want to weight this more heavily.

#1. Stash

Stash offers a Stash $30 referral bonus when you open an account and deposit $5.

The bonus is part of Stash’s It Forward referral program. Once your deposit clears, you get $30 in cash or stock. You need to keep both the $5 deposit and the $30 reward in the account for 90 days.

Stash charges $3/month, so you’ll pay $9 in fees over the hold period. Your net profit is about $21.

One tip: check Rakuten and Swagbucks before signing up. They sometimes run cashback offers for Stash that may be worth more than the referral bonus. I’ve seen them in the past, though there wasn’t one live as of my last check.

Stash is built for people who haven’t started investing yet. The round-ups, automated portfolios, and Stock-Back card exist to build the habit. If you’re already investing on your own, use something free. If you need the nudges to get started, Stash is a reasonable option and the $21 net bonus is a decent sweetener.

Visit Stash.

#2. TradeStation

TradeStation is the go-to brokerage for many active investors due to its powerful trading platform, commission-free stock trades, and diversified list of tradable assets.

Their current promotion allows new customers to earn a one-time cash reward based on the amount of their initial deposit. To claim the bonus, you must enter the promo code FNMZAGAO during the sign-up process.

Cash Reward	Qualifying Assets
$50	$500
$250	$25,000
$400	$100,000
$800	$200,000
$3,000	$1,000,000
$5,000	$2,000,000

The cash reward will be deposited into your account the month following a 270-day holding period.

The offer is only available for Entity (non-institutional), Individual, or Joint equities and futures accounts.

IRAs and other tax-qualified accounts are not eligible. Additionally, the assets must be new to TradeStation, and any withdrawals or redeposits during the holding period will disqualify the account.

Visit TradeStation.

#3. Frec

Frec is a direct indexing platform. Instead of buying an S&P 500 index fund, you own the individual stocks in the index.

The main benefit is tax-loss harvesting, which can add roughly 0.20% to 1% per year in after-tax returns depending on your tax bracket, according to Vanguard’s research.

New customers can earn a Frec $250 bonus by opening an account, creating a direct index portfolio, and funding it with at least $20,000 (some indexes require $50,000).

The requirements are straightforward:

• Keep your portfolio fully funded for 90 days without withdrawing or moving assets.
• After 90 days, Frec deposits $250 in cash directly into your account.
• No promo code required.

This bonus makes the most sense for investors who were already considering direct indexing. If you have a large taxable account, are in a high tax bracket, and plan to contribute regularly, the tax-loss harvesting benefits can meaningfully improve after-tax returns.

If you’re investing primarily in tax-advantaged accounts like IRAs or 401(k)s, direct indexing doesn’t help, and a simple index fund is the better choice.

For a full breakdown of fees, comparisons to Wealthfront and Schwab, and questions to ask before committing to direct indexing, read my Frec direct indexing review.

#4. E*TRADE

E*TRADE is offering a tiered cash bonus for new clients who open and fund a self-directed brokerage account. The bonus amount depends entirely on how much new money you deposit during the initial funding window.

To qualify, you must open one new eligible E*TRADE brokerage account, enter the promo code RETIRE26 during account opening, and fund the account with at least $1,000 in new funds or securities from an external institution.

Once funded, your bonus is determined based on the total amount deposited during the 60-day funding period.

Deposit Amount	Cash Bonus
$1,000 – $4,999	$50
$5,000 – $19,999	$150
$20,000 – $99,999	$300
$100,000 – $199,999	$600
$200,000 – $499,999	$800
$500,000 – $999,999	$1,000
$1,000,000 – $1,499,999	$3,000
$1,500,000 – $1,999,999	$5,000
$2,000,000 – $4,999,999	$6,000
$5,000,000+	$10,000

• If you add more funds during the 60-day window and move into a higher tier, E*TRADE may issue an additional cash credit so that your total bonus matches the highest tier reached.
• You have 60 days from account opening to fund the account and qualify for a bonus. Cash credits are typically paid within seven business days after that 60-day funding period ends.
• To keep the bonus, qualifying assets must remain in the account for at least 12 months after the funding window closes. Withdrawing funds early can result in partial or full forfeiture of the cash credit.
• This offer is available only to new E*TRADE clients opening one self-directed brokerage account. Retirement accounts, advisory accounts, and certain other account types are excluded.
• Cash bonuses are taxable and reported on IRS Form 1099.

Visit E*TRADE to learn more.

#5. J.P. Morgan Self-Directed

J.P. Morgan is offering a cash bonus of up to $1,000 for new customers who open and fund a Self-Directed Investing account.

Deposit amount	Bonus
$5,000 – $24,999	$50
$25,000 – $99,999	$150
$100,000 – $249,999	$325
$250,000+	$1,000

To qualify:

• Open a J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing account through the designated offer page.
• Transfer or roll over at least $5,000 in new money within 45 days of coupon enrollment. (Assets from J.P. Morgan or Chase accounts do not qualify.)
• At day 45, your bonus tier will be determined based on your qualifying balance.
• Maintain the required balance for 90 days after enrollment.
• Your cash bonus will be credited within 15 days of meeting the requirements.

This offer applies to general investment, traditional IRA, Roth IRA, and trust accounts. You may only receive one bonus per customer in a 12-month period. To receive the reward, your account must remain open and unrestricted at the time of payout.

Visit J.P. Morgan.

#6. Citi Self Invest

Citi Self Invest is Citigroup’s low-cost, commission-free brokerage platform for self-directed investors. It’s separate from Citi Personal Wealth Management, which provides dedicated advisory services.

Citi Self Invest is currently offering a cash bonus of up to $500 when you fund your account with new-to-Citi money:

Initial Deposit	Bonus
$10,000 to $49,999	$100
$50,000 to $199,999	$200
$200,000 or more	$500

Key details:

• Limit of one bonus per customer. If multiple accounts are funded, Citi will apply the offer to the account with the highest balance.
• Funds must be new-to-Citi (not transfers from existing Citi accounts).
• You must deposit at least $10,000 within your funding period and stay enrolled in eDelivery.
• Funds must remain in the account through the Maintain Funds Period (roughly 90 days).
• Even if you fund on day 1, the bonus won’t be paid until within 90 days after the Maintain Funds Period ends, so realistically you may wait 4–6 months to receive it.

Visit Citi Self Invest.

#7. M1

M1 is actually my brokerage of choice — it’s where I hold my IRA.

What I like most is their done-for-you, automated portfolios that mimic what robo-advisors offer, but with zero management fees. At the same time, you can customize your own portfolio with stocks, ETFs, and even crypto if you want more control.

You can learn more in my M1 review.

Right now, new customers who join through a referral link can earn a $75 cash bonus.

How it works:

• Open a new M1 brokerage or retirement account using a referral link.
• Fund the account with at least $10,000 within 30 days of signup.
• Keep the funds in the account for at least 30 days after funding.
• Your $75 bonus is credited to your Payment Account within about 14 business days.
• Bonus funds must remain in the account for an additional 90 days after posting.

This promotion is available to new M1 customers only.

Visit M1 to learn more. 

#8. Public

Public offers a $20 sign-up bonus when you open a brokerage account through a referral link and deposit $1,000. You choose $20 worth of stock or an ETF from Public’s list once the deposit clears.

Two catches: you have 30 days to claim the reward or it expires, and the cash value can’t be withdrawn for 12 months. Withdraw early and Public charges up to $20, wiping out the bonus entirely.

I like Public more than Robinhood because it doesn’t push active trading or leverage. The app now offers IRAs, direct indexing, and commission-free stock trades in a cleaner interface than Webull, moomoo, or TradeUP.

For more details, read my Public investing app review.

#9. Charles Schwab

Charles Schwab is a popular low-cost brokerage known for its selection of mutual funds, outstanding research tools, and solid customer service.

Schwab’s referral bonus requires you to sign up using a referral link from an existing Schwab customer.

The tiered structure looks like this: 

Initial Deposit	Bonus
$25,000 to $49,999	$100
$50,000 to $99,999.99	$300
$100,000 to $499,999.99	$500
$500,000 or more	$1,000

To qualify, new clients must:

• Open an eligible Schwab brokerage account with a referral link.
• Fund the account within 45 days of enrollment.
• For taxable accounts, Schwab requires you to maintain the qualifying deposit (minus any market losses) for at least 12 months after the 45-day period, or it may revoke the bonus.
• The bonus is credited about a week after the 45-day funding window closes.

Visit Schwab.

#10. Acorns

Acorns offers an Acorns $20 sign-up bonus when you set up a recurring investment of at least $5.

The bonus posts about five weeks after your first recurring investment. Acorns charges $3/month, so you’ll pay roughly $6 in fees before the bonus arrives.

Based on the offer terms, there’s no hold period after the bonus is invested. Once it hits your account, you can withdraw and cancel.

Net profit: about $14 for roughly 20 minutes of setup.

Acorns is a micro-investing app.

The round-ups, automated portfolios, and $5 minimums are designed for people who haven’t started investing yet. If you’re already investing through another brokerage, there’s no reason to keep the subscription running after the bonus posts.

Active-duty military members get $30 instead of $20, which bumps the net to about $24.

Visit Acorns.

#11. Webull

Webull is running three promotions right now, with the IRA offers ending June 30, 2026.

There’s no special link or promo code needed. Open a Webull account, set up an IRA if you want the match offers, and check the promotions tab in the app.

What you qualify for depends on whether you’re a free user or a Premium subscriber ($3.99/month or $40/year):

• IRA transfer match (up to 3%). Move an existing IRA to Webull and Premium subscribers get a 3% match, maxing out at $7,500 on up to $250,000 in transfers. The match lands in your account within days of the transfer settling. You can make multiple transfers during the offer period. Ends June 30, 2026.
• IRA contribution match (up to 3.5%). An ongoing promotion. Premium subscribers get 3.5% on new IRA contributions, non-subscribers get 1%. At 3.5% on the 2026 contribution limit of $7,500, that’s $262 before subtracting the $40/year Premium fee.
• Transfer fee reimbursement (up to $175). Transfer a brokerage account with $2,000+ and Webull covers up to $100 in fees. Transfer an IRA with $5,000+ and you get up to $75 back. This only covers actual fees your old brokerage charges. You have 30 days to claim it through the app. Ends June 30, 2026.

Key details to understand before committing:

• Cancel Premium before 12 months and Webull claws back the entire IRA match.
• Withdraw within five years and you’ll get hit with fees if your balance drops too low.
• The referral bonus that was previously available expired March 31, 2026.

The IRA transfer match is the standout offer. The payout is faster than Webull’s older promotions, which paid in installments over five years. But the five-year hold means you’re locked out of chasing new brokerage offers for half a decade. If you’re a passive index fund investor, that’s not really a sacrifice. If you like to move money around, it’s a dealbreaker.

One thing to consider: Webull is a fully registered U.S. brokerage with SIPC protection up to $500,000, but it is Chinese-owned. In 2024, 14 states opened a probe into Webull’s data privacy practices. That doesn’t make it illegitimate, but it’s worth factoring in before transferring a large IRA.

For a full breakdown of eligibility and risks, read more on the Webull promo page.

Visit Webull.

#12. Robinhood

Robinhood offers one of the most generous IRA transfer incentives available — but only if you understand the strings attached.

During the promo period (Jan 8–Apr 30, 2026):

• Robinhood Gold members ($5/month) earn a 2% bonus on IRA transfers and 401(k) rollovers
• Gold members also earn a 3% match on new annual IRA contributions
• Non-Gold users earn 1% on transfers and contributions
• The bonus is paid shortly after funds settle

Key requirements to keep the bonus:

• Maintain Robinhood Gold for at least 1 year
• Keep transferred funds in your Robinhood IRA for 5 years
• Withdrawing early triggers a bonus clawback

There’s no dollar cap on the transfer bonus. A $100,000 rollover earns $2,000 during the promo (or $1,000 outside the promo for non-Gold users). That’s an immediate, guaranteed boost on money you were already planning to invest.

For long-term, buy-and-hold investors who are comfortable staying with Robinhood, this is one of the strongest IRA transfer deals available. Just don’t treat it as “free money” — the 5-year holding requirement is real.

For more analysis, read Robinhood’s IRA Match: Is It a Good Deal?

Visit Robinhood.

Free Stock Promotions

If you’re not moving large sums, a number of brokers offer free stock promotions. The value is usually lower, but they can still be a good way to get started.

I track these separately — see my full list of free stock promotions — but here’s the effective ROI compared to deposit requirements:

Company	Offer
Robinhood free stock	Up to $200 in fractional shares, no deposit. Most people get $5.
Stash sign-up bonus	$30 when you deposit $5. Stash charges $3/month, so you net about $21 after three months.
moomoo free stock	$30 in NVDA at $500. $100 at $2K. $200 at $10K. $400 at $50K. $1,000 at $100K. Hold 60–180 days.
TradeUP bonus code	1 NVDA share (~$185) at $2K. Up to 50 shares at $1M. Code “wealth.” 30-day hold + 10 trades required.
Public free stock	$20 in stock when you deposit $1,000.
Frec $250 bonus	$250 cash when you deposit $20,000+ into a direct indexing portfolio. Must hold 90 days.
Acorns sign-up bonus	$20 when you set up a $5 recurring investment. Acorns charges $3/month, so you break even after about seven months.

Best Broker Account Cash Sign Up Bonus FAQs