8 best brokerage account bonuses and promotions
If you're in the market for a new online broker, you're in luck. These days, plenty of companies have ongoing brokerage account promotions you can take advantage of to earn free cash. And, with a large enough qualifying deposit, it's possible to earn thousands of dollars from some of the most competitive companies.
This is our list of some of the very best online stock broker promotions running right now.
- J. P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing – Up to $700
- E*TRADE - Up to $6,000
- Merrill Edge – Up to $600
- Webull – Free stock worth up to $3,000
- SoFi Invest – Up to $1,000
- Wealthfront - $50 bonus deposit
- Acorns - $20 sign-up bonus
- Stash - invest $5, get $5
J. P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing – Up to $700
- Broker bonus: Up to $700
- Minimum deposit to earn: $5,000
- Holding period: 90 days
J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing is one of our favorite brokers for mutual funds since it doesn't charge commissions, which is hard to find. Plus, it has one of the best broker promotions right now and pays new customers up to $700 for opening and funding a new account. Here's how the promotional tiers work:
You have 45 days to fund your account from opening to receive the bonus. You must maintain the balance for 90 days to remain eligible for the bonus. Note that this stock broker offer is set to expire on April 15, 2025, but has been extended in the past and may be extended again.
Disclosure: Investment and insurance products are: Not a deposit, not FDIC-insured, no bank guarantee and may lose value.
E*TRADE - Up to $6,000
- Broker bonus: Up to $6,000
- Minimum deposit to earn: $50
- Holding period: 60 days
With up to $1,000 or more in cash up for grabs, E*TRADE has one of the best stock broker promos currently running. All you have to do is open an E*TRADE brokerage or retirement account with a qualifying deposit of $50 or more and use the code OFFER24 when signing up.
The offer is set to expire Jan. 31 2025, but has been extended in the past and is likely to continue in the future.
Merrill Edge – Up to $600
- Broker bonus: Up to $600
- Minimum deposit to earn: $20,000
- Holding period: 90 days
Merrill Edge is a discount broker from Bank of America that's known for its extensive research offerings and ESG investing options. It also has an excellent stock broker bonus of up to $600 in cash. There are four different promotional tiers ranging from $100 to $600 in cash bonuses:
You have 45 days to make your deposit and must hold funds in your account for at least 90 days to receive your cash bonus. Use code 600ME when signing up to qualify.
Webull – Free stock worth up to $3,000
- Broker bonus: Free stock worth up to $3,000
- Minimum deposit to earn: $500
- Holding period: None
Once you make a deposit, you’ll can get fractional shares worth up $3 to $3,000. You get 20 fractional shares for an initial deposit of $500 to $1,999.99 and 40 fractional shares for a deposit of $2,000 or more. Offer expires December 18, 2024 11:59 PM EST.
If you're switching to Webull or want an easy way to start investing with little money, it's a nice broker bonus. Stocks appear in your account roughly 10 business days after you qualify and you can sell them any time you want.
If you’re moving a larger amount to WeBull from another brokerage, you can earn even more.
SoFi Invest – Up to $1,000
- Broker bonus: Up to $1,000
- Minimum deposit to earn: $25
- Holding period: None
SoFi is an online-only bank that offers a range of financial services, including its Automated Investing program, Active Investing, a rewards credit card, and a rewards checking and savings account.
If you open a new Active Investing account, you can earn between $5 and $1,000 just for opening the account and funding with at least $25.
Wealthfront – Up to $50
- Broker bonus: up to $50
- Minimum deposit to earn: $500
- Holding period: N/A
You won't find this promotion offered anywhere else because Wealthfront's $50 bonus deposit is exclusive to Moneywise. Other brokers may offer lower investment minimums. But to take advantage of their bonuses, you'll generally need to deposit a lot more than their minimums.
Acorns – Up to $20
- Broker bonus: up to $20
- Minimum deposit to earn: $3/month
- Holding period: N/A
It's one of the easiest ways to start investing, and the concept is simple: Acorns can round up your everyday purchases and invest your spare change in the stock market. And with their $20 account bonus, you can start stronger and you'll be $20 closer to your investing goals.
Stash – Invest $5, get $5
- Broker bonus: $5
- Minimum deposit to earn: invest $5, get $5
- Holding period: N/A
You could spend hundreds of dollars to buy a single share of a hot stock, or you could buy a fraction of a share, and still grow your money at the same rate as any other investor. That's one of the things that makes investing with Stash so accessible. And if you've got $5 to invest, Stash can match your investment and help you kick off your investing journey.
The bottom line
The world of online brokers is a competitive one, and companies are willing to pay for new business. So if you're looking for a new broker or are unhappy with your current one, make sure you capitalize on stock broker promotions when signing up somewhere new.
Of course, you should also consider the broker's fees, research offerings, and other features to make sure it has what you're looking for. And, be careful with transfer fees since they can take a healthy chunk out of cash bonuses if you're not careful.
FAQs About the Best Broker Promos for December 2024
Advertiser Disclosure – This advertisement contains information and materials provided by Robinhood Financial LLC and its affiliates (“Robinhood”) and Moneywise, a third party not affiliated with Robinhood. All investments involve risk and the past performance of a security, or financial product does not guarantee future results or returns. Securities offered through Robinhood Financial LLC and Robinhood Securities LLC, which are members of FINRA and SIPC. Moneywise is not a member of FINRA or SIPC.
Tom Blake is a staff writer who specializes in cryptocurrency, investing, and passive income.
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