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Brokerage Bonuses

Best Tiered Brokerage Bonuses & Transfer Matches

Compare brokerage signup and transfer bonuses by deposit size, payout timing, and holding period, with exact tiers and the catches that matter.

October 26, 2026 10 min read

Moving a $100,000 portfolio can earn $2,000 at tastytrade. A $1 million transfer can earn $3,000 at E*TRADE or a $10,000 match at Public, but Public spreads that payment over five years. The amount is only half the comparison. The time commitment matters just as much.

For someone with substantial cash or investments, the useful offers are the ones that reward a larger balance without requiring a different investment strategy. Several accept eligible stocks and ETFs transferred in-kind. Check that the receiving broker supports your holdings before starting a transfer, rather than selling just to qualify.

Key takeaways

  1. 1

    Several offers accept eligible investments transferred in-kind, so selling is not necessarily required.

  2. 2

    Payment can arrive long before the holding period ends. Public instead pays its match over five years.

  3. 3

    Fixed bonuses stop growing at their top tier. Percentage matches can scale further but carry longer commitments.

  4. 4

    Lost cash interest, transfer fees, and subscription costs can outweigh a bonus.

Compare the commitment first

Offer Example qualifying assets Total reward Holding period
tastytrade $100,000 $2,000 cash 12 months from initial deposit
E*TRADE $1,000,000 $3,000 cash 12 months after the 60-day funding window
Chase $250,000 $1,000 cash Through day 90 from enrollment
Public $1,000,000 $10,000 cash Paid monthly over 60 months
SoFi Plus $1,000,000 cash $10,000 cash Five-year clawback period

These are total promotional rewards, not annual yields. All figures are before fees and taxes. Tier tables show minimum qualifying amounts and total rewards, not cumulative bonuses.

tastytrade: $2,000 at $100,000

Holding period: Keep qualifying deposits and the bonus for 12 months from the initial deposit.

Returning customers: Previously closed accounts are excluded. Waiting after closure does not restore eligibility.

Minimum qualifying assets Cash bonus
$2,500 $50
$5,000 $100
$25,000 $500
$100,000 $2,000

Use SWEETBONUS. Make the first deposit by November 30, 2026, then settle additional funding within 30 days. External brokerage transfers qualify. The bonus arrives within two weeks after that funding window, but qualifying deposits plus the bonus must stay for 12 months from the initial deposit.

Eligible never-funded accounts may qualify, but previously closed accounts and previously funded customers do not. Eligible individual taxable accounts only, limited to one bonus per customer or household. No trading is required. The reward stops growing at $100,000, where it equals 2% of qualifying assets. Official tastytrade terms.

View the tastytrade SWEETBONUS offer

Brokerage Account

Tastytrade

BONUS

$2,000

MONTHLY FEE

None

To Qualify

$100,000 Transfer

AVAILABILITY

Nationwide

FEATURES

StocksOptionsIRA

E*TRADE: tiers through $5 million

Holding period: Keep qualifying assets for 12 months after the 60-day funding window.

Returning customers: Existing clients opening a new account can qualify under a different payout table. The limit is three new-account offers per client. No closure waiting period is stated, so confirm which table applies before reopening.

Minimum qualifying assets Cash bonus
$1,000 $50
$5,000 $150
$20,000 $300
$100,000 $600
$200,000 $1,000
$500,000 $1,500
$1,000,000 $3,000
$1,500,000 $5,000
$2,000,000 $6,000
$5,000,000 $10,000

Open an eligible non-retirement account with OFFER26 by October 31, 2026. Fund with external cash or securities within 60 days. Payment follows within seven business days, but qualifying assets must remain for another 12 months.

This table is for new clients opening one account. Existing-client and multiple-account calculations differ. Original-offer-recipient restrictions also apply. Official E*TRADE terms.

View the E*TRADE OFFER26 offer

Chase: $1,000 with a shorter holding period

Holding period: Maintain qualifying funding through day 90 from enrollment.

Returning customers: The limit is one bonus per customer per year. No waiting period after account closure is defined. Confirm returning-customer eligibility before reopening.

Minimum qualifying assets Cash bonus
$5,000 $50
$25,000 $150
$100,000 $325
$250,000 $1,000

Open a new J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing account through the offer by January 21, 2027. Add qualifying external cash or securities within 45 days and maintain the qualifying funding through day 90 from enrollment. Payment follows within 15 days.

JPMorganChase-affiliated assets do not qualify. The offer is limited to one bonus per customer per year. At $250,000, the reward is 0.4%, with no increase for larger balances. Official Chase offer.

View the Chase $1,000 offer

Brokerage Account

J.P. Morgan Chase

BONUS

$50

MONTHLY FEE

None

To Qualify

$5,000 Transfer

AVAILABILITY

Nationwide

FEATURES

StocksIRA

Citi Self Invest: existing accounts can qualify

Holding period: Maintain qualifying funding through the end of Month 3, counting the initial-funding month as Month 1.

Returning customers: New and existing accounts can qualify, but previous bonus recipients are excluded. No waiting-period reset is stated.

Minimum qualifying assets Cash bonus
$10,000 $100
$50,000 $200
$200,000 $500
$500,000 $1,000

New and existing Citi Self Invest accounts can qualify, but previous recipients cannot earn the bonus again. External cash and ACAT securities transfers count. Accounts are not combined to reach a tier.

The initial-funding month is Month 1. Add funds through the end of Month 2 and maintain them through the end of Month 3. Payment can take another 90 calendar days. No fixed expiration is stated in the current terms.

Fixed-income investors should note that transferred bonds can be held, but purchases are unavailable and sales require a representative. Official Citi terms.

View the Citi Self Invest offer

Public: an uncapped 1%, paid over five years

Holding period: The match is paid over 60 months. Withdrawals can reduce future installments.

Returning customers: Existing accounts in good standing can qualify through eligible transfers. Closing an account is not required.

Public matches eligible external brokerage ACATS transfers at 1%, including qualifying cash and securities. It pays the reward in 60 monthly installments, beginning about one month after settlement. Withdrawals can reduce future payments. Market fluctuations alone do not.

These are calculated examples, not funding tiers:

Eligible transfer Total 1% match Regular monthly installment*
$100,000 $1,000 $16.66
$250,000 $2,500 $41.66
$500,000 $5,000 $83.33
$1,000,000 $10,000 $166.66

*Monthly installments round down to cents, with the remainder in the final payment.

The standard match has no cap or fixed expiration stated in the current terms. Special source-broker promotions can have separate rules. A normal bank deposit into a taxable account is not an ACATS transfer. Public match terms.

View Public's 1% transfer-match offer

Separate referral offer: The Public card below links to our $20 stock referral offer. It is separate from the 1% transfer match above. Do not assume the offers combine.

Brokerage Account

Public

BONUS

$20

MONTHLY FEE

None

To Qualify

$1,000 Transfer

AVAILABILITY

Nationwide

FEATURES

StocksIRA

SoFi Plus: 1% on cash, with a five-year clawback

Holding period: Eligible deposits have a five-year clawback period.

Returning customers: Eligible deposits into new or existing accounts can qualify with Plus active when the deposit settles. Closing an account is not required.

SoFi Plus offers an unlimited 1% match on eligible cash deposits into non-retirement Invest accounts. ACH and instant SoFi Bank transfers qualify. ACATS and securities transfers do not.

These are calculated examples, not funding tiers:

Eligible cash deposit 1% match
$100,000 $1,000
$250,000 $2,500
$500,000 $5,000
$1,000,000 $10,000

Payment normally arrives within five business days after settlement. Withdrawals during the five-year retention period can trigger a match-recovery fee, including after investment losses. ACAT transfers out can forfeit the applicable unvested match.

Plus must be active when the deposit settles. Its listed subscription price is $10 per month. No fixed offer expiration is stated. Check the investment and cash-yield options before committing. SoFi match terms and Plus membership details.

View the SoFi Plus 1% Invest match

Schwab: referral bonuses up to $1,000

Holding period: Keep taxable-account qualifying assets for one year to avoid potential recovery of the award.

Returning customers: Formal terms require no current Schwab account other than Stock Plan Services. Former customers are not expressly excluded and no waiting period is stated, but a repeat referral award is not guaranteed.

Minimum qualifying assets Cash bonus
$25,000 $100
$50,000 $300
$100,000 $500
$500,000 $1,000

Clients with no current Schwab account, apart from Stock Plan Services, need a valid existing-client referral link or code. Fund the enrolled account with qualifying cash or securities within 45 days. Payment follows about one to two weeks after the 45-day window. Taxable-account qualifying assets must remain for one year to avoid potential recovery of the award.

Schwab checking deposits do not qualify. No fixed expiration is listed. The $50 Starter Kit is a separate offer, not this referral schedule. Official Schwab referral terms.

View Schwab's referral offer

IBKR: up to $1,000 in shares

Holding period: Each share award is restricted for one year from its award date. Withdrawals during the first year reduce awards.

Returning customers: Prior account holders are excluded, and the referral award is available only once. Waiting after closure does not restore eligibility.

Interactive Brokers awards $1 in IBKR shares per $300 of net deposits, capped at $1,000. That is approximately 0.33%, not the older 1% rate.

Calculated examples under the current formula:

Qualifying net deposits Initial share award value
$30,000 $100
$150,000 $500
$300,000 $1,000
$1,000,000 $1,000 cap

New clients must apply through an eligible referral link. Cash and other assets added during the first year count, while withdrawals reduce awards. Each share award is restricted for one year from its award date, so later funding creates later unlock dates.

Tax-advantaged accounts and same-household referrals are excluded. No fixed deadline is listed. The stock's value can change before it becomes sellable. Current IBKR referral terms.

View the IBKR referral offer

Referral card note: The card below retains our referral link, but its displayed $1-per-$100 reward formula is outdated. Current terms award $1 per $300, as shown in the table above.

Brokerage Account

Interactive Brokers

BONUS

$100

MONTHLY FEE

None

To Qualify

$10,000 Transfer

AVAILABILITY

Nationwide

FEATURES

StocksOptionsIRA

Merrill: up to $600

Holding period: Maintain qualifying funding for 90 days after meeting the funding requirement.

Returning customers: A new account is required, with an aggregate limit of one CMA bonus and one IRA bonus per accountholder. The 24-week lookback concerns withdrawn assets, not account closure. Confirm eligibility if you received a prior bonus.

Minimum qualifying assets Cash bonus
$20,000 $100
$50,000 $150
$100,000 $250
$200,000 $600

Enroll with 600ME when opening an eligible new account. Bring qualifying external cash or securities within 45 days, then maintain the qualifying funding for 90 days after meeting that requirement. Payment follows within two weeks.

Certain affiliated transfers are excluded, and recent withdrawals can reduce net-new-asset calculations. Eligible individual CMAs and specified IRAs qualify. The current public schedule stops at $600, even if you transfer more than $200,000. No fixed expiration is listed. Official Merrill offer.

View the Merrill 600ME offer

Two other offers worth distinguishing

Wells Fargo Premier: a bank relationship bonus

Holding period: Maintain $250,000 in qualifying linked assets through day 90.

Returning customers: You must not have a current Premier account or have received a Premier bonus within the past 12 months. The clock runs from the bonus, not account closure.

Minimum new qualifying linked assets Cash bonus
$250,000 $2,500

Open or upgrade to Premier Checking in a branch by November 9, 2026. Bring qualifying assets within 45 days and maintain $250,000 through day 90. Payment follows within 30 days.

Eligible linked Wells Fargo Advisors investments count, so qualifying does not necessarily require leaving $250,000 in checking. The $35 monthly fee is waived at the required $250,000 linked balance. This is a checking relationship offer, not a standalone brokerage bonus. Prior Premier bonus recipients within 12 months are excluded. Official Wells Fargo terms.

View the Wells Fargo Premier offer

NinjaTrader: a small, capped futures promotion

Holding period: Maintain the original qualifying net deposit for 180 days from confirmation of that deposit.

Returning customers: Only first-ever NTC live-account customers qualify. Waiting after closing a NinjaTrader, Tradovate, or Kraken Derivatives US live account does not reset eligibility.

Minimum first qualifying deposit Account credit
$250 $50
$500 $100
$1,000 $150
$2,500 $250

Fund within 14 days of creating a profile, then maintain the original qualifying net deposit for 180 days. Credit posts the following calendar month. Later deposits do not increase the original tier.

Only first-ever live individual NTC customers qualify, including the relevant Tradovate and Kraken Derivatives US account history. Joint accounts and IRAs are excluded. No fixed expiration is stated. Futures involve substantial risk, including losses beyond the initial investment. This is not a place to transfer a conventional stock portfolio, and the bonus stops scaling at $2,500. Official NinjaTrader offer.

Check the fee schedule too. Free plans that log in to the trading platform but make no live trades every 30 days face a $35 minimum-activity fee. Taking trading risk just to avoid a fee can cost more than the bonus.

View the NinjaTrader deposit offer

Brokerage Account

NinjaTrader

BONUS

$250

MONTHLY FEE

None

To Qualify

$2,500 Transfer within 14 days, hold 180 days

AVAILABILITY

Nationwide

FEATURES

Stocks

Keep the bonus from costing more than it pays

  • Compare cash yield. A one-percentage-point yield difference on $250,000 is about $2,500 a year before compounding. A bonus can disappear into lower interest if you leave cash idle.
  • Check the exact link and code. Referral, transfer, IRA, and public offers can differ at the same broker. Do not assume they stack.
  • Check transferability and fees. Confirm supported securities, fractional-share handling, outgoing transfer charges, reimbursements, and any subscription cost before moving assets.
  • Track the clawback date. Receiving the bonus does not always mean it is fully earned. Record both the payment date and the earliest safe withdrawal date under the terms.
  • Do not overfund a capped tier. Once an offer reaches its maximum, extra assets earn no additional bonus. Keep enough margin for the offer's net-funding requirements and avoid unnecessary transfers.

Start with brokers you would be comfortable using anyway. Compare the net reward, retention period, and investment options before moving assets.

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