Top offers
- Best signup bonus: Tradestation
- Best signup bonus just for opening an account: SoFi Invest
- Best free stock offer: Tastyworks
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Best brokerage signup bonuses
These brokerage account promotions are among the best in the biz.
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 11/23/2020.
Best signup bonus 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.
TradeStation
$5
Stock trade fee
$500
Minimum deposit
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
Corporate bond trade fee
$14.95
Option trade fee
$5 + $0.50/contract
Mutual fund trade fee
$14.95
Account transfer fee
$125
Available asset types
Stocks
Bonds
Options
Mutual funds
ETFs
Futures
Best signup bonus just for opening an 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.
Sofi Invest
$0
Stock trade fee
$1
Minimum deposit
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
Best free stock offer 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.
Tastyworks
$0
Stock trade fee
$0
Minimum deposit
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
Options
ETFs
Futures
Compare all signup bonuses
As of 11/23/2020, 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 | Deposit or transfer $1,000,000+ | $25 | Deposit or transfer $5,000–$9,999 | 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 before November 30 | 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 |
Disclaimer: The value of any investment can go up or down depending on news, trends and market conditions. We are not investment advisers, so do your own due diligence to understand the risks before you invest.
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.
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