Best brokerage signup bonuses in October 2021

• $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.

• Pros and cons

  Pros

  • Analytical tools and market updates
  • Extensive educational resources
  • Easy language coding system
  • Free trading for active-duty military

  Cons

  • No fractional shares
  • No forex trading
  • Many fees
  • No robo-advisors

• More details

  Option trade fee	$0 + $0.50/contract
  Available asset types	Stocks, Bonds, Options, Mutual funds, ETFs, Cryptocurrency

• 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.

• Pros and cons

  Pros

  • Low minimum investment amount
  • Fee transparency
  • Free personalized help
  • Membership perks
  • IPO investing

  Cons

  • No tax optimization
  • Limited account options
  • Limited securities
  • Limited support

• More details

  Option trade fee	N/A
  Available asset types	Stocks, ETFs, Cryptocurrency

• 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.

• Pros and cons

  Pros

  • No minimum deposit
  • Convenient access
  • Referral program

  Cons

  • Poorly reviewed app
  • Limited investment products
  • Limited support

• More details

  Option trade fee	Stocks & ETFs: $1/contract to open, $0 to close, $10 max/leg Futures: $2.50/contract to open, $0 to close
  Available asset types	Stocks, Options, ETFs, Cryptocurrency