Best brokerage account bonuses for 2026
By Nicolas StrautTweed is committed to editorial integritySome links on this page are referral or affiliate links, which means Tweed is paid when you open an account or sign up through them. That payment never changes what we write.
Payment never influences our evaluations: every fee, rate, and rule on this page comes from the provider's own terms, observed on the date shown under the headline, and our verdict would read the same without the link. Providers can change or end their offers without notice, and they do not review our pages before we publish.
Tweed is paid when you open an account through a referral link on this page, including Charles Schwab's, Interactive Brokers', Wealthfront's, Public's, and Robinhood's.
The investing information provided on this page is for educational purposes only. Tweed does not offer advisory or brokerage services, and does not recommend or advise investors to buy or sell particular stocks, securities or other investments.
Key takeaways
- Charles Schwab pays referred new clients $100 to $1,000, starting at a $25,000 net deposit, and taxable accounts must keep that deposit at Schwab for a year.1
- When choosing a brokerage bonus, compare three things: the bonus at your deposit size, how long the money has to stay, and whether the broker takes the bonus back if you leave early.
- The best brokerage account bonuses for 2026 on $50,000 come from Betterment, tastytrade, and Public, because they pay the most at that amount, while J.P. Morgan pays up to $1,000 after a 90-day hold.
In this article
Key takeaways
- Charles Schwab pays referred new clients $100 to $1,000, starting at a $25,000 net deposit, and taxable accounts must keep that deposit at Schwab for a year.1
- When choosing a brokerage bonus, compare three things: the bonus at your deposit size, how long the money has to stay, and whether the broker takes the bonus back if you leave early.
- The best brokerage account bonuses for 2026 on $50,000 come from Betterment, tastytrade, and Public, because they pay the most at that amount, while J.P. Morgan pays up to $1,000 after a 90-day hold.
The best brokerage account bonuses pay $150 to $750 on a $50,000 deposit, and the hold behind each one runs from 90 days to 60 months. That hold, not the headline, decides what you keep. This guide compares 13 live offers on the bonus at your deposit size, how they pay, and what leaving early costs.
Best brokerage account bonuses at a glance
The best brokerage account bonuses at a glance, sorted by what each pays on a $50,000 deposit.
| Broker | Offer | Bonus at $10,000 | Bonus at $50,000 | Bonus at $100,000 | How it pays | Ends |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Betterment | Managed investing account | $125 | $750 | $1,250 | Paid now, reduced if you withdraw inside 37 months | Nov 30, 2026 |
| tastytrade | Self-directed brokerage account | $100 | $500 | $2,000 | Paid now, taken back inside 12 months | Nov 30, 2026 |
| Public | Transfer match | $100 | $500 | $1,000 | 60 monthly payments | No end date |
| Robinhood | IRA transfer and 401(k) rollover match | $100 | $500 | $1,000 | Paid now, taken back inside 60 months | No end date |
| Charles Schwab | Client referral offer | $0 | $300 | $500 | Paid now, taken back inside 13 months | No end date |
| E*TRADE | Self-directed brokerage account | $150 | $300 | $600 | Paid now, taken back inside 14 months | Oct 31, 2026 |
| E*TRADE | Retirement account (IRA or solo 401k) | $150 | $300 | $600 | Paid now, taken back inside 14 months | Oct 31, 2026 |
| TradeStation | Self-directed brokerage account | $50 | $250 | $400 | Paid after a 270-day hold | No end date |
| Wealthfront | Invite deposit match | $50 | $250 | $500 | 4 quarterly payments over about a year | No end date |
| Merrill | Cash Management Account or IRA (BofA Rewards) | $0 | $200 | $400 | Paid after a 90-day hold | No end date |
| Interactive Brokers | Refer-a-friend IBKR stock award | $33.33 | $166.67 | $333.33 | IBKR stock you can sell after a year | No end date |
| J.P. Morgan | Self-Directed Investing | $50 | $150 | $325 | Paid after a 90-day hold | Jan 21, 2027 |
| Merrill | Cash Management Account or IRA | $0 | $150 | $250 | Paid after a 90-day hold | No end date |
Terms read on each broker's own offer page, October 26, 2026. Dollar figures are computed from those terms.
E*TRADE's code OFFER26 pays up to $10,000 at $5,000,000 or more, but only accounts opened by Oct 31, 2026 qualify. It isn't a pick below for that reason.
The best brokerage account bonuses reviewed
Each pick gets the same seven facts, so you can compare the bonus at your amount with the hold that comes with it.
Best for $5,000 to $250,000 with a short hold: J.P. Morgan
Ideal for
You have $5,000 or more of new money and want the bonus without locking it up for a year.
Our take
J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing pays $50 at $5,000 and $1,000 at $250,000, counted on what you add within 45 days. The bonus is paid once the money has stayed 90 days, and nothing is taken back after that. Taxable accounts, IRAs, and rollovers all qualify.
| Spec | J.P. Morgan |
|---|---|
| Bonus on $10,000 | $50 |
| Bonus on $50,000 | $150 |
| Bonus on $100,000 | $325 |
| Most you can earn | $1,000 |
| How it pays | Paid after a 90-day hold |
| Accounts | Taxable, IRA, 401(k) rollover |
| Offer ends | Jan 21, 2027 |
Best for active traders with $25,000 or more: tastytrade
Ideal for
You trade options or futures and can leave $25,000 or more in a new account for a year.
Our take
tastytrade pays $500 at $25,000 and $2,000 at $100,000, the largest bonus on this list at $50,000 and $100,000. The catch is the clawback: tastytrade takes all of it back if the money leaves within 12 months of your first deposit. Only individual taxable accounts qualify.
| Spec | tastytrade |
|---|---|
| Bonus on $10,000 | $100 |
| Bonus on $50,000 | $500 |
| Bonus on $100,000 | $2,000 |
| Most you can earn | $2,000 |
| How it pays | Paid now, taken back inside 12 months |
| Accounts | Taxable |
| Offer ends | Nov 30, 2026 |
Best for $25,000 or more at a full-service broker: Charles Schwab
Ideal for
You want Schwab's research, branches, and banking, and you're moving at least $25,000 that isn't at Schwab yet.
Our take
Schwab's referral offer pays $100 at $25,000, $300 at $50,000, $500 at $100,000, and $1,000 at $500,000. The net deposit is counted 45 days after you enroll and the bonus lands about a week later, but a taxable account has to keep the money a year or Schwab can take it back. Below $25,000 it pays nothing, so a smaller deposit earns more at J.P. Morgan.
The offer works only through a referral link, and Tweed's is below. Our Schwab review covers its fees and accounts.
| Spec | Charles Schwab |
|---|---|
| Bonus on $10,000 | $0 |
| Bonus on $50,000 | $300 |
| Bonus on $100,000 | $500 |
| Most you can earn | $1,000 |
| How it pays | Paid now, taken back inside 13 months |
| Accounts | Taxable |
| Offer ends | No end date |
Best uncapped transfer bonus: Public
Ideal for
You're moving a large account, including an IRA or old 401(k), and plan to stay five years.
Our take
Public adds 1% of everything you transfer in, with no cap, paid in 60 monthly payments.2 Nothing you've received is taken back, though a withdrawal shrinks the payments still to come. Public also covers up to $100 of your old broker's transfer fee.
If you're opening Public with new cash, its referral offer is a different deal: $100 in a stock or ETF you pick for a $1,000 deposit. Our Public referral code page covers it.
| Spec | Public |
|---|---|
| Bonus on $10,000 | $100 |
| Bonus on $50,000 | $500 |
| Bonus on $100,000 | $1,000 |
| Most you can earn | No cap |
| How it pays | 60 monthly payments |
| Accounts | Taxable, IRA, 401(k) rollover, Business |
| Offer ends | No end date |
Best robo-advisor bonus: Betterment
Ideal for
You want a managed portfolio, taxable or IRA, and won't touch the money for three years.
Our take
Betterment pays $125 at $10,000 and $2,000 at $200,000 for deposits made in the first 45 days. The reward arrives early, but it steps down if deposits leave within three years of the reward date. Our Betterment review covers what the managed account costs once the bonus is in.
| Spec | Betterment |
|---|---|
| Bonus on $10,000 | $125 |
| Bonus on $50,000 | $750 |
| Bonus on $100,000 | $1,250 |
| Most you can earn | $2,000 |
| How it pays | Paid now, reduced if you withdraw inside 37 months |
| Accounts | Taxable, IRA |
| Offer ends | Nov 30, 2026 |
Best robo bonus with a one-year wait: Wealthfront
Ideal for
You want a Wealthfront taxable account, managed or self-directed, and may need the money back within three years.
Our take
Wealthfront's invite matches 0.5% of what you deposit or transfer in the first three months, on up to $100,000, so $500 at most.3 It pays in four quarterly installments after those three months, and each one shrinks if your balance falls below what you put in. That's $250 on $50,000, vs Betterment's $750, with a hold about a third as long.
Only taxable individual accounts count. Our Wealthfront review covers the fees and the Cash Account.
| Spec | Wealthfront |
|---|---|
| Bonus on $10,000 | $50 |
| Bonus on $50,000 | $250 |
| Bonus on $100,000 | $500 |
| Most you can earn | $500 |
| How it pays | 4 quarterly payments over about a year |
| Accounts | Taxable |
| Offer ends | No end date |
Best for an IRA transfer or 401(k) rollover: Robinhood
Ideal for
You're moving an old IRA or 401(k) into a self-directed IRA and will leave it there five years.
Our take
Robinhood adds 1% to every IRA transfer and 401(k) rollover into a self-directed IRA, with no cap and no Gold subscription needed. Move money out within five years and Robinhood charges back the match on what you remove, plus $100 for an outgoing transfer. Its bonus for taxable transfers closed on October 16, 2026.4
Opening an account through a referral link also gets you $5 to $200 in a stock you pick; about 99% get $5. Our Robinhood IRA review covers the contribution match, and the Robinhood referral code page covers the stock. The best IRA match roundup compares it with the other IRA matches.
| Spec | Robinhood |
|---|---|
| Bonus on $10,000 | $100 |
| Bonus on $50,000 | $500 |
| Bonus on $100,000 | $1,000 |
| Most you can earn | No cap |
| How it pays | Paid now, taken back inside 60 months |
| Accounts | IRA, 401(k) rollover |
| Offer ends | No end date |
Best for Bank of America customers: Merrill
Ideal for
You bank with Bank of America and can move $20,000 or more of new money for 90 days.
Our take
Merrill's code 600ME pays $100 at $20,000 and $600 at $200,000, set by the new assets in the account on day 90. If you're enrolled in BofA Rewards, code 1000BR pays more at most levels, up to $1,000 at $250,000. Money moved from another Merrill or Bank of America account doesn't count.
| Spec | Merrill |
|---|---|
| Bonus on $10,000 | $0 |
| Bonus on $50,000 | $150 |
| Bonus on $100,000 | $250 |
| Most you can earn | $600 |
| How it pays | Paid after a 90-day hold |
| Accounts | Taxable, IRA |
| Offer ends | No end date |
Best for a smaller first deposit: TradeStation
Ideal for
You have less than $5,000 to move and want a cash bonus anyway.
Our take
TradeStation pays $50 from just $500, the lowest floor on this list, and scales to $5,000 at $2,000,000. The cash is paid after the money stays 270 days from your last qualifying deposit. IRAs don't qualify.
| Spec | TradeStation |
|---|---|
| Bonus on $10,000 | $50 |
| Bonus on $50,000 | $250 |
| Bonus on $100,000 | $400 |
| Most you can earn | $5,000 |
| How it pays | Paid after a 270-day hold |
| Accounts | Taxable, Joint |
| Offer ends | No end date |
Best for a long-term global account: Interactive Brokers
Ideal for
You want Interactive Brokers for its margin rates and global markets, and the bonus is a small extra.
Our take
Interactive Brokers' referral gives you $1 of IBKR stock for every $300 you deposit in your first year, up to $1,000 of stock at $300,000.5 That's $333.33 on $100,000, less than most cash offers here, and the shares can't be sold for a year, so their value moves with IBKR's share price. IRAs don't qualify.
Pick it for the account, not the bonus. Our Interactive Brokers review covers the costs.
| Spec | Interactive Brokers |
|---|---|
| Bonus on $10,000 | $33.33 |
| Bonus on $50,000 | $166.67 |
| Bonus on $100,000 | $333.33 |
| Most you can earn | $1,000 |
| How it pays | IBKR stock you can sell after a year |
| Accounts | Taxable |
| Offer ends | No end date |
How do brokerage account bonuses work?
Brokerage account bonuses pay you for bringing new money or an existing account to a broker, and they pay in one of three ways. J.P. Morgan, Merrill, and TradeStation pay after the money has stayed a set time. Schwab, tastytrade, and Robinhood pay up front and take it back if you leave early.
The third way spreads the bonus out: Public pays monthly for five years and Wealthfront quarterly over about a year, so leaving early forfeits only the payments you haven't received. Read the clawback line before the headline number, because it's what you'll pay if your plans change.
Are brokerage bonuses worth it?
Brokerage bonuses are worth it when the bonus, spread over the months the money has to stay, beats what you'd give up by moving. At $50,000, J.P. Morgan pays the most per month held, about $50. If you'd move the account anyway, the hold costs you nothing and the biggest bonus wins.
| $50,000 in a taxable account | Bonus | Months the money stays | Bonus per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| J.P. Morgan, Self-Directed Investing | $150 | 3 | $50 |
| Merrill, Cash Management Account or IRA | $150 | 3 | $50 |
| tastytrade, Self-directed brokerage account | $500 | 12 | $41.67 |
| TradeStation, Self-directed brokerage account | $250 | 9 | $27.78 |
| Charles Schwab, Client referral offer | $300 | 13 | $23.08 |
| E*TRADE, Self-directed brokerage account | $300 | 14 | $21.43 |
| Wealthfront, Invite deposit match | $250 | 12 | $20.83 |
| Betterment, Managed investing account | $750 | 37 | $20.27 |
| Interactive Brokers, Refer-a-friend IBKR stock award | $166.67 | 12 | $13.89 |
| Public, Transfer match | $500 | 60 | $8.33 |
Months are each offer's hold rounded to whole months, including any funding window the terms add.
Methodology for choosing the best brokerage account bonuses
We started from the offers in Tweed's brokerage bonus data, each read on the broker's own offer or terms page on October 26, 2026, and added the referral offers of brokers Tweed has a referral link with. We left out offers open only to people leaving one named broker, and an offer leaves this page once it ends or goes 14 days without a recheck.
Each pick answers one situation, so the order isn't a ranking, and the table sorts by the bonus on $50,000. Tweed is paid when you open some of these accounts through its links, and that never moves an offer up the table. For free stock rather than cash, see the apps that give free stocks, and for the account itself, the best brokerage accounts.
To see which offer pays the most on your amount and how long you'd stay, run the Tweed brokerage account bonus calculator.
Free calculator
See what you'd keep from each brokerage bonus
Frequently asked questions about brokerage account bonuses
Are brokerage account bonuses taxable?
Yes, brokerage account bonuses in a taxable account count as income in the year you get them. Schwab reports its referral bonus on Form 1099-INT, while tastytrade and Interactive Brokers use Form 1099-MISC. A match paid inside an IRA is treated as earnings in the account, so you owe nothing until you withdraw.
Can you get a brokerage bonus for transferring stocks instead of cash?
Yes, most brokerage bonuses count stocks and ETFs moved in by an ACATS transfer, and Public and Robinhood pay only on transfers. A transfer moves your shares without selling them, so it triggers no tax. Check two things first: whether the new broker supports every holding, and what your old broker charges to send it.
Can you get more than one brokerage bonus at the same time?
Yes, at different brokers, though each broker usually pays one bonus per client. E*TRADE won't combine its brokerage and retirement codes, and Schwab allows one enrolled account per client. You can also take offers one after another with the same money, once each hold ends, which is how the Tweed brokerage account bonus calculator plans a sequence.
Sources
- https://www.schwab.com/client-referral
- https://public.com/transfer-account
- https://www.wealthfront.com/invited/AFFB-GXNZ-DV4F-WRF0
- https://robinhood.com/us/en/support/articles/2026-Hood-Month-ACAT-Match/
- https://www.interactivebrokers.com/referral/nicolas9415
Offer terms are as each broker published them on October 26, 2026, and offers change or end without notice, so confirm the terms on the broker's own page before you move money. Tweed describes these offers and doesn't recommend one for your situation.
Personal finance writer, former Forbes contributor and This Week in Fintech writer. He isn't a financial advisor or a CPA.
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