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- Cost per stock/ETF trade: charles schwab is the original discount broker and it’s made the leap to online broker with ease. Schwab is as investor-friendly as they come, and offers a full range of features, which will help you as you make your way from novice to confident investor.
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Best online stock brokers for beginners in january 2021
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You’ve decided it’s time to take the plunge to get a brokerage account. But the task probably sounds a bit daunting, especially after the intense fluctuations in the stock market in 2020. But it can actually be easy to get started, and many brokers are investor-friendly, especially for beginners.
While options abound, you probably want a brokerage that includes accessible educational resources, an easy-to-navigate app and website, zero commissions, low fees and attainable minimums — all attractive qualities if you’re getting started. Here are several options to consider.
The best online stock brokers for beginners:
Overview: top online brokers for beginners in january 2021
TD ameritrade
TD ameritrade is good for beginners because of all of the information it makes available to guide you into the world of investments. New investors can take advantage of all kinds of educational material, including more than 200 instructional videos, tutorials and more.
TD ameritrade also makes it easy to ask investment questions without worrying about whether you’re getting judged for asking something “too basic.” you can also interact with the brand on apps you already use, like facebook messenger and amazon alexa devices.
Two mobile trading apps, TD ameritrade mobile and TD ameritrade mobile trader, give you trading access and much more wherever you are.
(charles schwab has purchased TD ameritrade, and will eventually integrate the two companies.)
- Cost per stock/ETF trade: $0
- Minimum balance to open an account: $0
E-trade financial
E-trade is considered by many as the online brokerage pioneer, but it’s kept up with the times, too, offering two mobile apps. On the E-trade mobile app, you can move money using mobile check deposit in addition to other features, such as tracking the market or trading stocks and etfs. Its other mobile app is called power E-trade, and allows you to enter orders, including complex options trades, on a single ticket. You’ll also get streaming news, quotes and a customizable options chain.
Importantly, E-trade is great for beginners because it also offers all kinds of content to help you understand what you’re doing — videos, articles and live education sessions included.
- Cost per stock/ETF trade: $0
- Minimum balance to open an account: $0
Ally invest
Ally invest is a newer entrant to the brokerage space, launching a few years ago after purchasing tradeking. Ally is a solid offering for those who already do business with ally bank and would like an easy way to expand their relationship into investing.
You can also access your account on ally’s mobile app to get quotes and make trades. The direct bank is also widely recognized for its excellent customer service and its progressive digital banking features, and you can quickly move cash from your bank account to your investment account.
It also offers a resource center with helpful content written in a more enjoyable way than most — think headlines like “what mutual funds and pizza have in common,” for instance.
- Cost per stock/ETF trade: $0
- Minimum balance to open an account: $0
Merrill edge
With no minimum investment, bank of america’s merrill edge is another good option for beginning investors — particularly if you’re a bank of america bank customer. As one of the bank’s customers, you’ll have immediate access to cash transfers to your brokerage account, and you’ll be able to access a merrill adviser at more than 2,000 bank of america locations.
Merrill edge’s integrated mobile experience lets you make credit card payments and place trades — assuming you’re a bank customer and investor.
Merrill edge also provides ample research to help you make trading decisions and a wealth of educational materials can help you get up to speed on investing.
- Cost per stock/ETF trade: $0
- Minimum balance to open an account: $0
Robinhood
Robinhood is the poster child for fintech disruptors, and subscriber growth has been meteoric, especially when it was among the only brokers offering free trades. This mobile-first broker made phone-based trading its standard, and its app retains that easy functionality.
If you’re just getting started, robinhood will give you immediate access of up to $1,000 when you make a deposit, so you can start trading immediately. While the app’s basic functionality does not include much research or educational material, you can opt for robinhood gold (at $5 per month) and receive morningstar reports on 1,700 companies as well as margin trading.
- Cost per stock/ETF trade: $0
- Minimum balance to open an account: $0
Charles schwab
Charles schwab is the original discount broker and it’s made the leap to online broker with ease. Schwab is as investor-friendly as they come, and offers a full range of features, which will help you as you make your way from novice to confident investor.
Schwab offers stock reports, morningstar reports and news from reuters, while the broker’s ETF screener will help you search for a winning fund. Schwab also provides great educational materials for beginners, so you’ll be able to learn all the fundamentals of good investing.
A fully featured mobile app allows you to do virtually all you can do on the desktop platform. Also a nice feature for beginners: you can receive a $100 bonus with just a $1,000 initial deposit, with a referral code from a friend.
- Cost per stock/ETF trade: $0
- Minimum balance to open an account: $0
Fidelity investments
Fidelity may be the most investor-friendly broker out there, making it a great choice for beginners. This broker offers it all and does it at a high level, with remarkable customer service, too, especially by phone, where you can get an answer to your detailed question in seconds.
The research resources here are deep, with a variety of reports available. You’ll get all the basics on how to invest smartly and so much more. You can attend webinars or view recorded ones, that cover almost any area of investing, so you’ll be knowledgeable in no time.
Fidelity’s site is easy to navigate, and you’ll find what you’re looking for quickly without much fuss.
- Cost per stock/ETF trade: $0
- Minimum balance to open an account: $0
Other options
If getting started is still too daunting and you want a low-cost option that manages a portfolio of investments for you, then a robo-adviser is a great option. A robo-adviser will create a portfolio based on your risk tolerance and time horizon, and you’ll pay a low fee based on how much you have in the account. And it still takes only a few minutes to get started.
Two of the largest independent robo-advisers are betterment and wealthfront.
The online brokerage
that makes you a
smarter investor
Our knowledgeable professionals and industry
leading tools are united to do one thing: make
you a smarter, more confident investor.
Coming together to better serve you
TD ameritrade and schwab are now part of one company. As we work to combine our complementary strengths and create a unique firm for the industry, we remain committed to delivering a best-in-class experience for self-directed investors and traders.
Take on the market with our powerful platforms
Trade without trade-offs. Our desktop, web, and mobile platforms are designed for performance and built for all levels of investors.
Personalized education just for you
There's no ROI on TMI. That's why we created a learning experience that is customizable to give you exactly the information you need, and none of the information you don't.
Why choose TD ameritrade?
Wide selection of investment choices
Interactive courses and webcasts
Free, powerful trading platforms
Commission-free online trading †
Objective, third-party research
#1 overall broker stockbrokers.Com
Dependable, professional service
Check the background of TD ameritrade on FINRA's brokercheck
Where smart investors get smarter SM
Call us 800-454-9272
#1 overall broker
Carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of any investment company before investing. A prospectus contains this and other important information. Contact us at 800-669-3900 for a copy. Read carefully before investing.
Market volatility, volume, and system availability may delay account access and trade executions.
Reviewed against 14 other online brokers, TD ameritrade was named #1 overall broker in the stockbrokers.Com 2020 online broker review (2 years in a row). We rated #1 in several categories, including "customer service" (4 years in a row), "platforms & tools" (9 years in a row), "education" (8 years in a row), and "beginners" (8 years in a row). We also received several industry awards, "trader app" (TD ameritrade mobile trader, 4 years in a row), "trader community" (5 years in a row) and "desktop platform" (thinkorswim®) (8 years in a row). We were also rated best in class (within the top 5) for "offering of investments" (6 years in a row), "research" (9 years in a row), "mobile trading" (8 years in a row), "ease of use" (4 years in a row), "active trading" (10 years in a row), and "options trading" (10 years in a row). Read the full article.
† applies to U.S. Exchange-listed stocks, etfs, and options. A $0.65 per contract fee applies for options trades, with no exercise or assignment fees.
This is not an offer or solicitation in any jurisdiction where we are not authorized to do business or where such offer or solicitation would be contrary to the local laws and regulations of that jurisdiction, including, but not limited to persons residing in australia, canada, hong kong, japan, saudi arabia, singapore, UK, and the countries of the european union.
Brokerage services provided by TD ameritrade, inc., member FINRA/SIPC, and a subsidiary of TD ameritrade holding corporation. TD ameritrade holding corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of the charles schwab corporation. TD ameritrade is a trademark jointly owned by TD ameritrade IP company, inc. And the toronto-dominion bank. © 2021 charles schwab & co., inc. All rights reserved. Member SIPC.
Best broker promotions, deals, and bonuses of 2021
Modified date: january 20, 2021
Below is a list of 8 brokerage firms and their promotions, deals and bonuses. It’s up to you to decide which is the best offer for your particular situation, so we’ve listed them in alphabetical order for you to peruse. Enjoy!
Compare best brokerage promotions
Ally invest
Ally invest is currently offering a terrific cash promotion where new account holders can earn up to $3,500 when signing up. Details are as follows.
- Up to $3,500 cash bonus – depending on how much money you have available to deposit, ally invest is prepared to give you a cash bonus of up to $3,500 on top of your deposit.
- To qualify, accounts must be funded within 60 days of account opening. The qualifying deposit to open the new account must be made from outside ally invest. To receive the minimum cash bonus, you must invest a minimum of $10,000. This minimum must remain in the account (minus any trading losses) for a minimum of 90 days from the date of funding.
Robinhood
Once you sign up and open the app, you’ll click the link to get a free stock. From there, robinhood will add one share of free stock to your account at random. The value of the share you receive may be anywhere between $2.50 and $200, and fluctuates based on market movements. You’ll be able to keep the stock or sell it after 2 trading days. Check out our full robinhood review to learn more.
Betterment
There are tiered levels for free bonus management, which as a reminder, will wipe away the 0.25% management fee that betterment normally charges. And you have to deposit this money within 45 days after you sign up for an account. The offer is only available to U.S. Residents.
The current tiers are as follows:
- $15,000 to $99,999, one month free
- $100,000 to $249,999, six months free
- $250,000 or more, one year free
So in order to get the full year free, you have to deposit at least $250,000 to your account. However, that’s a substantial savings when you consider even the 0.25% management fee. Make sure to check out our full betterment review for more information.
Charles schwab
In order to qualify, you need to open a new account and make a net deposit of $50,000 or more. The deposit must be made within 45 days of opening the new account.
Fidelity investments
Fidelity investments also uses a sliding scale but only two tiers for free trades
- $50,000 – $99,999 deposit – 100 free trades
- $100,000+ deposit – 200 free trades
The offer is open to both new and existing account holders. You must designate an existing eligible fidelity brokerage IRA or brokerage account or open and fund a new eligible fidelity brokerage IRA or brokerage account. The bonus will be calculated on net deposits into the qualifying account over a 60-day period from the time of registration.
Firsttrade
Firsttrade is offering up to 500 commission-free trades for 30 days. Eligibility rules require you to open a new account and deposit at least $2,000 into it within 30 days of opening. That’s on top of their already low stock trading fee of $6.95 per trade.
They are also offering cash bonuses for larger deposits, in addition to 500 commission-free trades for 30 days:
- 500 free trades on $2,000 minimum deposit
- $100 bonus + free trades on deposits between $25,000 and $49,999
- $200 bonus + free trades on deposits between $50,000 and $99,999
- $300 bonus + free trades on deposits over $100,000
The account must remain open for 12 months with the minimum funding or assets required for participating in the offer. If not, firsttrade may charge the account for the cash and commission credits awarded to the account. Qualified IRA account holders must also have a brokerage account with firsttrade to receive cash rewards.
Firsttrade does disclose that they will issue a form 1099 on bonuses paid of $600 or more during the calendar year.
Firsttrade is also offering to rebate up to $200 in transfer fees if you transfer at least $10,000 from another brokerage firm.
Merrill edge
Along with the free trades, they are also offering the following bonus schedule:
- $20,000 or more, $100 bonus
- $50,000 or more, $150 bonus
- $100,000 or more, $250 bonus
- $200,000 or more, $600 bonus
On the surface, this doesn’t look as generous as the previous broker bonuses, but on closer inspection, you’ll see that the $600 kicks in at $200,000, while the others all require $250,000 to get the same bonus money.
The offer applies to new accounts only. You must make a qualifying deposit to your new account within 45 days and maintain the deposit for a minimum of 90 days. Like firsttrade, merrill edge confirms that they may issue a 1099 on the cash bonus.
To be eligible the trade must be an equity security, 1,000 shares or less, priced greater than $1, and placed through a self-service channel. Options are not subject to the free trades. After 50 free trades or 90 days (whichever comes first) the account will revert to your gold or platinum fee schedule, depending on asset and activity levels. The offer is good through december 31, 2015.
Best brokerage account deals and bonuses right now: earn up to $3,500 with a new account
Get more cash to build wealth with these top brokerage deals and promotions.
| Brokerage | brokerage bonus offer | bonus trigger |
| TD ameritrade | $350-$2,500 | account opening and deposit minimum |
| M1 finance | $250-$2,500 | account opening and transfer minimum |
| stash | $5 | account opening and deposit minimum |
| betterment | 1-12 months of free portfolio management | account opening and deposit minimum |
| blockfi | $15-$250 free bitcoin | account opening and deposit minimum |
| ally invest | $50-$3,500 | account opening and deposit minimum |
| robinhood | $2.50-$200 worth of free stock | account opening |
| webull | $8-$1,600 of free stock | deposit minimum |
| charles schwab | $100-$500 | account opening and deposit minimum |
| merrill edge self-directed | $100-$600 | account opening and deposit minimum |
| E-trade | $25-$2,500 | account opening and deposit minimum |
If you’re unsure how to choose between this list of brokerage bonuses, these deciding factors on an investment brokerage will show you what to look for in a new account.
Best brokerage account bonuses right now
Building an investment portfolio can take time, but some top brokerage firms can help you with promotions, deals, referral bonuses and sign-up bonuses. Depending on how much money you have to invest, these brokers may offer to deposit a cash bonus into your account, give you free stock or provide fee-free investing for a set period.
If you’re looking for a new brokerage to help manage your portfolio, or if you’re a beginner investor who is excited to get started, check out these brokerage bonus offers to see how you can maximize your return.
1. TD ameritrade bonus: $350-$2,500
One of the largest brokers in the U.S., TD ameritrade provides a platform for all kinds of investors. It offers a robust set of resources and tools and doesn’t charge commissions on online trades of stocks, mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (etfs).
TD ameritrade’s requirements to earn a sign-up bonus are a bit steep, so less experienced investors may not qualify. But the broker’s platform is among the best. With commission-free on stocks, mutual funds and other securities, TD ameritrade is still worth considering for long-term investing needs.
Read our full review of the TD ameritrade bonus.
2. M1 finance bonus: $250-$2,500
If you’re looking for an online stock broker that provides both investing and banking services, M1 finance may be ideal. With just $100, you can open an account and start trading various securities — that includes fractional shares, which allow you to purchase portions of shares in publicly-traded companies and benefit from gains without needing a lot of money. Plus, as an added benefit, the platform offers free trades.
M1 finance’s transfer bonus requires new money to be deposited into your account by october 31, 2020.
While this robo-advisor doesn’t offer a cash bonus, the features alone make this online broker worth considering. In addition to DIY-investing and checking, M1 finance offers the chance to borrow on margin at a low interest rate, especially if you register for an M1 plus account. It even offers commission-free trading for both trade windows and cash-back rewards for everyday spending.
Read our full review of the M1 finance bonus.
3. Stash bonus: $5 slickdeals bonus
| slick tip: use this slickdeals affiliate link to automatically receive your $5 bonus offer to invest. |
If you’re relatively new to investing, meeting high deposit minimums may not be an option. With stash invest, though, you can get a bonus of $5 after you open a stash investment account and deposit $5 or more in new funds. While it may be a small incentive, it is a dollar for dollar match on your first $5 deposit.
That $5 sign-up bonus can be among your first dollars to invest with stash, and you can use it to trade stocks — including fractional shares — and etfs. Stash also offers a stock-back rewards program with its checking account, which means that you can earn rewards in the form of stocks when you make qualifying purchases with your stash debit card.
Just keep in mind that there’s a monthly fee that ranges from $1 to $9, depending on which features you want and how much you want to earn in stock-back rewards. However, like many online stock brokers, stash offers free trades which can help you to recover the cost of monthly fees.
Read our in-depth stash bonus review.
4. Betterment bonus: 1-12 months free portfolio management
One of the pioneers of robo-advising, betterment offers the chance to invest and bank all under one roof. On the investing side of things, the brokerage firm uses algorithms to manage your portfolio for you in exchange for a 0.25% annual fee. You can also upgrade to a premium plan with access to certified financial planners and advice for investments outside of betterment for a 0.40% annual fee.
For smaller investments, getting just one month for free may not amount to much. But it can give you some time to test-drive the platform and decide whether a robo-advisor is right for you.
5. Blockfi bonus: $15 – $250 in free bitcoin
| slick tip: use this link and automatically earn your bonus after direct depositing the eligible bonus amount (see below). |
Cryptocurrency is a relatively new investment option, and blockfi is taking innovative steps to allow investors to take advantage of it. You can use the broker’s platform to buy and sell various cryptocurrencies, interest on your investment and even use your cryptocurrency as collateral to borrow money.
Blockfi is currently running a new block interest account (BIA) promotion. Fund your new block interest account with $25 or more on or before november to earn a one-time bitcoin bonus of $15 to $250. You must be a new blockfi customer to qualify for this bonus.
The blockfi interest account lets you put your crypto to work and earn monthly interest payments in the asset-type that you deposit with blockfi. Blockfi bonus fine print New clients who sign up through this referral link and fund their account during the current promotional period are eligible to receive $15 – $250 bitcoin bonus (in USDC) depending on their investment tier. The current promotional period is defined as the current calendar month ending at 23:59:59 UTC on the last day of the month. Please note, this must be your first deposit, and you must maintain a minimum $25 crypto balance through the 14th of the month for two and a half months from the month of eligibility in order to remain eligible. Eligible payouts occur on the 15th of every month on a rolling basis. If the 15th falls on a weekend, then the bonus payout will occur by the end of the next business day. There is a maximum of one bonus per client. This offer cannot be combined with other trading offers. Trading qualifications are dependent upon geographical or regulatory restrictions. Terms subject to change. Blockfi referral bonuses Once you’ve become a blockfi customer, you are eligible for their referral program which provides referral links for you to share. For every person that signs up using your blockfi referral code and deposits $100 or more into their blockfi interest account, you and that friend will each earn $10 in BTC. You can obtain a blockfi referral links by visiting the refer-a-friend landing page. Similarly, new promotions and past promotions are listed here on the blockfi promotions page. 6. Ally invest bonus: $50 – $3,500 Ally invest is an online-only bank that offers a variety of banking, lending and wealth management services. It also offers one of the biggest bonuses for new investing customers that we’ve seen. If you open an ally self-invest account by december 31, 2020 and fund it with a certain amount within the first 60 days of account opening, you can receive up to $3,500. Ally invest features commission-free trades on eligible U.S exchange-listed stock, ETF, and option trades. In fact, at $0.50 per contract, ally invest offers low-cost fees for option trades and a wide selection of etfs from vanguard, globalx, ishares and more. Ally invest offers high-yield etfs from market leaders that may complement your portfolio and help diversify your investing strategy 7. Robinhood bonus: $2.50 – $200 worth of free stock Robinhood helped pioneer the mobile investing movement, as well as commission-free trades. The commission-free platform allows you to trade stocks (fractional shares included), options, cryptocurrencies and etfs, and there’s no minimum to get started. What’s more, the broker’s bonus is easy to earn: simply open a new account, and you’ll receive a free stock worth between $2.50 and $200. With no barrier to entry, this one may be the best online stock option for inexperienced investors. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that robinhood doesn’t offer retirement accounts. So you may want to consider another option if you’re hoping to open one of those. 8. Webull bonus: $8 – $1,600 of free stock Another great mobile-first trading platform, webull offers the chance to invest in stocks, etfs and options (though you can’t trade fractional shares). Also, like robinhood, webull doesn’t require massive deposits to earn its welcome offer of free stocks. You can receive up to two free stocks each valued between $8 to $1,600 when you open an account with the broker and fund it with $100 or more. The broker also offers several ways to earn more free stock, including through referral links and other ongoing promotions. If you’re just starting out or you’re not sure you want to move a lot of money, webull can get a great place to start. In addition to offering free trades, another one of webull’s strengths is its investment in technical research, which can be a huge plus for experienced investors and others who want to learn. 9. Charles schwab: $100-$500 Like TD ameritrade, charles schwab is one of the largest brokers in the U.S., and offers a much wider range of investment options, resources, tools and other features than many of the smaller brokers on our list. While the sign-up deposit requirements are a bit steeper than some other brokers, the lowest tier is still relatively accessible to investors with lower net worths. 10. Merrill edge self-directed account bonus: $100 – $600To earn the cash bonus, you’ll need to make your qualifying deposit of new funds within 45 days of opening your account, then keep it in the account for 90 days after that. And remember, the sign-up bonus only works for merrill edge self-directed accounts, which is where you manage your own portfolio. If you open a guided investing account with a professional manager, you’ll be ineligible for the promotion. Merrill edge’s bonus is more accessible than many other broker bonuses, but still requires a good amount of cash to get the minimum amount. 11. E-trade brokerage and retirement accounts: $25 – $2,500Once you meet the requirements, you’ll receive your cash bonus within seven business days. The offer is valid on new accounts opened by dec. 31, 2020, but you’ll have 60 days after that deadline to meet your deposit requirement. You also need to maintain the funds in the account (minus any trading losses you incur) for 12 months. Best brokerage bonuses – earn up to $3,500Our posts on the best bank account bonuses and best credit card bonuses are some of the most popular on the site, recently I’ve been trying to post more brokerage bonuses as I know some people use these to make some extra money and it helps them grow their investments. This post will be for the best brokerage bonuses, I’m relatively new to these so I’d welcome your input on bonuses we might have missed and any relevant important information you think should be included. Unlike other sites we don’t use affiliate links for brokerage bonuses so you can ensure you’re getting the best possible deal, rather than the one that pays us the most. Tastyworks – 100 shares (worth average of $220 total)Requires a deposit of $2,000+ Citi wealth management – up to $3,500Huge bonus and it works for self directed accounts, main issue is that account set up is all manual and extremely slow.
Schwab – up to $500This offer is for new schwab members who get referred from a friend; ask a friend who is an existing schwab member. Largest bonus of $500 requires an investment of $100,000+.
E*trade – up to $3,500Largest bonus requires an investment of $1,000,000+, so might be worth focusing on this for higher rollers who have already done the bonuses where funds need to be maintained for a shorter period of time.
Interactive brokers – up to $1,000Promotion is a bit confusing as it’s not that clear when/how long the funds need to be in your account for. You also get the bonus in the form of interactive brokers shares and these can’t be sold for one year. Ally invest – up to $3,500$3,500 level needs $2MM+ invested
Merrill edge – up to $1,000Tradestation – up to $2,500Maximum bonus requires a transfer of $1,000,000+ but the smallest bonus requires $25,000+ M1 finance – up to $2,500Maximum bonus requires a transfer of $1,000,000+, but the smallest bonus of $100 just requires $20,000. Sofi invest – invest $1,000+, get $50 bonus$100 bonus is in the form of a fractional share of a company. Only available via referral. Not as good as when it was $75. Tradestation – deposit $500, get $100Small deposit requirement, although some people have had issues with tradesation so remember to read the comments. Tradeup – $50 + free stocksRequires a deposit or transfer of $3,000+ Smaller bonuses – no requirementThere are a number of smaller brokerages that offer sign up bonuses with no deposit requirement. The bonuses are much smaller, but might still be worth picking up for some people. Stash invest – $50Requires a direct deposit of $300+ Acorns – $23$13.50 is from swagbucks, other $10 is from acorns.
Robinhood – free stockYou only get a free stock worth $3-$150, but better than nothing and robinhood offers commission free trading.
Webull – free stockBasically the same as robinhood, you get a stock valued between $3 and $1,000.
Firstrade – free stockSame as the above offers.
Dough – free stockFree stock valued at $5-$10.
Bonuses not listedBelow are some brokerage bonuses we don’t want listed under the ‘best brokerage bonuses’, we are including them here so that readers know they have been intentionally left out and why.
E*TRADE brokerage promotions 2021: up to $2,500 cash offer
*it’s worth mentioning to use robo-advisors like betterment and wealthfront if you’d like to have a professional handle your investments.* E*TRADE offer includes $0 commissions for online stock, ETF, & options trades. Join E*TRADE today! About E*TRADE promotionsE*TRADE is a financial services company headquartered in new york city. It is an online discount stock brokerage firm for self-directed investors. Investors can buy and sell such securities as stocks, bonds, options, mutual funds, and exchange-traded funds via electronic trading platforms or by phone. This innovative site has made a name for itself in online brokerage with its streamlined trading process, outstanding customer service, and various trading tools. E*TRADE also provides banking services to retail investors, such as sweep deposits and savings products. Editor’s note: in addition to E*TRADE promotions, take advantage of other popular brokerage bonuses such as ally invest, chase you invest, and TD ameritrade.
E*TRADE summaryE*TRADE is offers $0 commissions for online stock, ETF, & options trades. Join E*TRADE today!
(visit E*TRADE to learn more) E*trade up to $2,500 bonus cashOffer valid for new E*TRADE securities customers opening one new eligible retirement or brokerage account by 1/31/2021 and funded within 60 days of account opening with $5,000 or more. Promo code ‘WINTER21‘.
How to earn bonus
Offer terms
Bottom lineE*TRADE has always been a leading financial services company and pioneer in the online brokerage industry. Having executed the first-ever electronic trade by an individual investor more than 30 years ago, the company has long been at the forefront of the digital revolution, focused on delivering complete and easy-to-use solutions for traders, investors and stock plan participants. Most people like the ease of website navigation, features of their industry-leading mobile app, and the abundance of educational materials that are available. Make sure you check out the current offers and choose the right account for you. E*trade is only applicable to US based person. If you want to check up on the internet’s most complete list of brokerage promotions, keep coming back to HMB for more! Bookmark this page and check back often for E*TRADE promotions, bonuses, and offers.   
About anthony nguyenAnthony nguyen, founder of hustlermoneyblog.Com, has a passion for finding the best deals, bank promotions, credit card offers, cash back, points & miles, and everything in between. Contact anthony for media/advertising. CommentsWhy my account just sign up and deposit but after that, I can’t deposit more from my bank to trade account, and it shows it takes 60 days. WHAT HAPPEN TO MY ACCOUNT Does this work if you are an existing customer? Can I get the bonus if I deposit $5000 in my EXISTING etrade account ? Did anyone got the bonus yet ? Yes I got the bonus within 7 days after account opening, I used this link only. Is etrade affiliated with ally invest? Here is a line from your information above: “E*TRADE is offering a $200 up to a $2,500 bonus when you sign up for a new ally invest account.” Thank you for catching that typo – it has been corrected. Online brokerage new account promotions in canada (2021)There are a lot of online brokerage new account promotions available right now in canada. We are looking for a new joint brokerage account and since I am a fan of new bank account promotions (such as a free ipad from RBC or $300 cash) to entice you to sign up, I thought we might as well do so with an online investment brokerage right? For our joint online brokerage account, wanted a different online brokerage from what we use for our individual accounts (we have separate and joint finances). My husband uses TD direct investing and I use questrade. We use TD direct investing for our RESP. Why not, I thought. I always like trying different online brokerage platforms.
 Here are some new client online brokerage new account promotions in canada for 2020/ 2021 that might either lure you to switch to a new brokerage or encourage you to start up a new online brokerage account with their platform. While I wouldn’t advocate for signing up for a discount or online brokerage account just for the cash back offer, I have to admit a big cash back offer is very attractive. Especially if you don’t intend to trade very often and plan to just play it safely and index and chill. Choosing an online brokerage in canadaAs a canadian investor, there are other things to look at when you are selecting an online brokerage, including things like issues with downtime, how the dashboard or interface looks like and the ease of use, the regular trading fee, whether there is a fee for etfs, are just a few things to consider. Another factor to think about is whether you will be trading a lot. Some of these offers cater more to active traders whereas other offers cater to the cash hungry (dangle that carrot, I’ll take it). More importantly, is the customer service decent? Easy passive income is pretty tempting just for signing up since you won’t have to get direct deposits or pre authorized transactions like for a banking promotion. Finally, if you are transferring from another brokerage, you have to look for whether this new brokerage will cover or rebate your transfer out fee. Usually this can cost upwards to $150. Not all online brokerages will cover the fee. Some do, some don’t. This post will review some promotions available for online brokerages in canada and their deadlines. Also the qualifying criteria will be reviewed including the minimum amount for the desired cash bonus. Some online brokerages participating in these promotions and offers are: scotia itrade, TD direct investing (their webbroker platform is amazing), BMO investorline, CIBC investor’s edge, RBC direct investing, national bank direct brokerage, and ongoing promotions from questrade a discount brokerage, and wealthsimple trade, a zero commission based brokerage. Here are some online brokerage new account promotions available in canada. Scotia itrade promotion
You have to keep the funds in your scotia itrade account until at least june 30, 2021 to receive the cash or commission rebate. You must maintain all of your accounts at scotia itrade in good standing, and not be in a disallowed debit position. Also, you cannot have any outstanding margin calls due
For more information, you can click here for the scotia itrade promotion. Personally I think the cash and $6.99 pricing is a more palatable option than the free equity trades because we don’t anticipate much trading going on. If you have a scotiabank ultimate banking package which normally costs $30.95 per month but it is waived if you keep $5000 minimum balance or $30,000 balance between the ultimate package and your momentum PLUS savings account, you can get 5 free equity trades per year from scotiaitrade. For the first year you can get 10 free equity trades at scotia itrade in your first year (about a $100 value). These online brokerage new account promotions are based on calendar year, so if you sign up early in 2021, you will get the 10 free equity trades to use for all of 2021. Here’s my review of the scotiabank ultimate package, we ‘upgraded’ recently from the preferred package. Here’s a chart of the scotiabank itrade reward:
 This post may contain affiliate links. Please see genymoney.Ca’s disclaimer for more information. TD direct investing promotionFor more on the TD direct investing offer, click here. BMO investorline promotion
For more information on the BMO investorline campaign offer, click here.
 CIBC investors edge promotion
 For more information on the CIBC investor’s edge cash back promotion, click here. The general online reviews of CIBC’s investor’s edge are not glowing (poor customer service and old looking interface). RBC direct investing promotionFor more information on the 25 free commissions offer from RBC direct investing, click here.
 National bank direct brokerage promotion
Questrade promotion
 I use questrade (and have been a user since 2009) and like it. It is very no frills, sometimes there is downtime, but you get what you pay for. The charts are pretty basic but I use wealthica to supplement. Here’s what wealthica (known as personal capital of canada) looks like. Using passiv in conjunction with questrade for etfs is a great way to rebalance your portfolio. Here’s a review of passiv. I love the free ETF commissions and it makes it very easy for me to dollar cost average on a monthly basis and not let my lizard brain take over my investing decisions. You can also set up a questrade drip (it’s synthetic) when your dividends and distributions get paid out and save money on commissions. Wealthsimple trade promotionWealthsimple trade is probably known as the robinhood of canada because of the zero dollar commissions of individual stocks (and the get rich quick in canada kind of mentality). It would probably make it much more tempting to invest reguarly for me, but I do prefer a small amount of commission so that I at least think about how much I am investing before I press the “BUY” button too easily. However, for people who plan to invest in etfs and plan to dollar cost average, the savings of $0 commission will likely outweigh $100 cash back over time! Think about that, saving commission on 10 ETF trades is $100 already for a typical online brokerage in canada. Online brokerage new account promotions summaryAll of these online brokerage new account promotions are quite enticing (minus the RBC direct investing one, hopefully they come up with something better soon) but the one we are probably most interested in right now is the scotia itrade promotion (tempting since we have a scotiabank preferred account already, here’s my review) or the CIBC investor’s edge promotion as they give the most cash back for amount invested- however, online reviews of CIBC investor’s edge mention that it has an archaic interface. Since we are not planning to trade very much in our joint investing account (especially not 25 trades a year) having a trade rebate won’t be very meaningful in our situation. Hopefully this review of online brokerage new account promotions in canada will be useful for you in your next search of the best brokerage for you (and a little icing on top in the form of cash back won’t hurt either). Don’t forget to link your online investment brokerage with wealthica, one of the best net worth and investment trackers in canada (and best of all, it’s free). I personally think it’s one of the best personal finance apps in canada available. Which online brokerage do you use, and would you jump ship for an online brokerage promotion? GYM is a 30 something millennial interested in achieving financial freedom through disciplined saving, dividend and ETF investing, and living a minimalist lifestyle. Before you go, check out my recommendations page of financial tools I use to save and invest money. Don’t forget to subscribe for blog updates and a free dividend yield spreadsheet. Sign up for the 22,000+ word young money bootcamp ecourse. 5 broker deals that'll pay you to open an accountIf you're looking for a new brokerage, consider opening your account with one of these institutions. They’ll pay you a new account bonus on certain account types if you meet minimum deposit requirements and keep your account open for a specified length of time. (all promotional data presented is accurate as of may 2020.) Key takeaways
Charles schwab: $100 bonus or 500 commission-free tradesCharles schwab is offering a $100 referral bonus with a $1,000 deposit into a new schwab brokerage account. You can also get 500 commission-free trades with a $100,000 deposit; this deal is good for two years following the opening of the new account. Schwab also offers unlimited commission-free online trading on most stocks and etfs for all clients. Motif investing: 3 free monthsOn offer now at motif investing is 3 free months of their motif BLUE unlimited automated investment service. The offer is good only for first-time customers and is available when the new brokerage account application is approved. For subscriptions starting at $4.95 per month, motif BLUE provides automated investing and rebalancing, real-time quotes, unlimited trading, and more. $100 bonus + 3.75% 40-month IRA CD at navy FCUNavy federal credit union is offering a $100 bonus, and it's available nationwide. Investors taking advantage of this deal will also have access to an attractive CD rate of 3.75 percent APY when you open a new IRA CD. To qualify for the bonus, the new account must be funded with an opening balance of at least $100 within 45 days of account opening. The bonus will be deposited into the account within 30 days of the qualifying opening deposit. Ally invest $3,500 cash bonus + 90 days of commission-free tradesAvailable at ally is an ally invest $3,500 cash bonus offer, which offers a $3,500 cash bonus and commission-free trades for 90 days when you open a new ally invest account. To qualify, you must do the following: 1. Open a new self-directed trading account by january 31, 2019. 2. Fund your account within 60 days of account opening to earn a bonus based on your deposit amount:
3. Receive the bonus cash credit to your account within 10 business days of meeting the promotional requirements. 4. Once the account is credited, the bonus and initial qualifying deposit are not available for withdrawal for 300 days after the requirements have been met. Get up to 500 commission-free trades at E*TRADE, plus up to a $600 cash creditIf you decide to go with an E*TRADE account, there are a few things you'll need to know. First, you must fund your account within 60 days by transferring funds from an external source. Here's how it works:
E*TRADE makes credits for cash or securities within 60 days of the account open, depending on deposits to the account from external sources. Credits are made within a week after the 60-period. Here's how the credit is broken down:
E*trade offers unlimited commission-free online trading on most stocks and etfs for all clients. The bottom lineThese promotions aren’t a good way to make a quick buck, and the bonuses are relatively small, often 1 percent or less of the amount you’re required to deposit. What's more, in many cases, taxes or commissions will erode the value of your bonus. An account-opening bonus is, however, a good incentive to give a brokerage, bank or credit union a closer look if you were thinking about opening a new account anyway. Just make sure the account type you’re opening is the best option for your long-term needs, that you’ll still come out ahead after any fees and that you aren’t depositing money you might need in the near term. 5 broker deals that'll pay you to open an accountIf you're looking for a new brokerage, consider opening your account with one of these institutions. They’ll pay you a new account bonus on certain account types if you meet minimum deposit requirements and keep your account open for a specified length of time. (all promotional data presented is accurate as of may 2020.) Key takeaways
Charles schwab: $100 bonus or 500 commission-free tradesCharles schwab is offering a $100 referral bonus with a $1,000 deposit into a new schwab brokerage account. You can also get 500 commission-free trades with a $100,000 deposit; this deal is good for two years following the opening of the new account. Schwab also offers unlimited commission-free online trading on most stocks and etfs for all clients. Motif investing: 3 free monthsOn offer now at motif investing is 3 free months of their motif BLUE unlimited automated investment service. The offer is good only for first-time customers and is available when the new brokerage account application is approved. For subscriptions starting at $4.95 per month, motif BLUE provides automated investing and rebalancing, real-time quotes, unlimited trading, and more. $100 bonus + 3.75% 40-month IRA CD at navy FCUNavy federal credit union is offering a $100 bonus, and it's available nationwide. Investors taking advantage of this deal will also have access to an attractive CD rate of 3.75 percent APY when you open a new IRA CD. To qualify for the bonus, the new account must be funded with an opening balance of at least $100 within 45 days of account opening. The bonus will be deposited into the account within 30 days of the qualifying opening deposit. Ally invest $3,500 cash bonus + 90 days of commission-free tradesAvailable at ally is an ally invest $3,500 cash bonus offer, which offers a $3,500 cash bonus and commission-free trades for 90 days when you open a new ally invest account. To qualify, you must do the following: 1. Open a new self-directed trading account by january 31, 2019. 2. Fund your account within 60 days of account opening to earn a bonus based on your deposit amount:
3. Receive the bonus cash credit to your account within 10 business days of meeting the promotional requirements. 4. Once the account is credited, the bonus and initial qualifying deposit are not available for withdrawal for 300 days after the requirements have been met. Get up to 500 commission-free trades at E*TRADE, plus up to a $600 cash creditIf you decide to go with an E*TRADE account, there are a few things you'll need to know. First, you must fund your account within 60 days by transferring funds from an external source. Here's how it works:
E*TRADE makes credits for cash or securities within 60 days of the account open, depending on deposits to the account from external sources. Credits are made within a week after the 60-period. Here's how the credit is broken down:
E*trade offers unlimited commission-free online trading on most stocks and etfs for all clients. The bottom lineThese promotions aren’t a good way to make a quick buck, and the bonuses are relatively small, often 1 percent or less of the amount you’re required to deposit. What's more, in many cases, taxes or commissions will erode the value of your bonus. An account-opening bonus is, however, a good incentive to give a brokerage, bank or credit union a closer look if you were thinking about opening a new account anyway. Just make sure the account type you’re opening is the best option for your long-term needs, that you’ll still come out ahead after any fees and that you aren’t depositing money you might need in the near term. So, let's see, what we have: you’ve decided it’s time to take the plunge to get a brokerage account. You probably want an account that includes an easy-to-navigate app and website, with low or no fees and attainable minimums — all attractive qualities if you are just getting started. Here are several options to consider. At online brokerage promotions Contents of the article
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