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Best brokerage bonuses for October 2026

Updated October 16, 2026 · Offer data last verified 2026-10-16 · Not financial or tax advice.

Brokerages pay cash, stock or a percentage match to win new assets. Right now we track 16 live brokerage and robo-advisor offers. The headline figure is the least useful number on any of them. What counts is how much you have to move, how long it has to stay put, and what the bonus works out to as a yearly return. This page lists every live offer and then shows how to read the list.

All live brokerage offers, biggest first

"Best yield" = (bonus ÷ deposit) × (365 ÷ hold days) at the best tier. Click any offer to see every tier, or open the official terms directly.

Biggest headline vs. best real return

The largest bonus on the list is E*TRADE at up to $10,000. Large bonuses usually need large deposits, though, and sometimes a hold of a year or more. Among offers with a hold of about a year or less, the best annualized return is Moomoo at 36.50% on its best tier. If you only have a modest amount to move, that second number matters more.

The top offers by annualized return (hold ≤ ~1 year):

How to pick between them

1. Start with what you can actually move. Bonus tiers go up in steps. If you have $30,000, a tier that needs $100,000 doesn't help you. Our calculator takes an amount and splits it across the offers that pay the most for it.

2. Check the hold period against your plans. Most offers require you to keep the new money (or the transferred assets) in the account for a set number of days. Pull it early and the bonus may be clawed back. Multi-year payout schedules, such as percentage matches paid monthly over five years, tie you to a broker for a long time. Read our guide to holding periods and clawbacks.

3. Note who is eligible. Some offers need a referral, a promo code, existing banking relationships or new-to-firm money. Currently, offers requiring a referral include Merrill Edge, Charles Schwab, Interactive Brokers. The notes on each offer page summarise these conditions.

4. Factor in transfer fees. Moving a portfolio by ACATS often costs $50 to $150 at the outgoing broker. Many receiving brokers reimburse that, but not all. See how ACATS transfer bonuses work.

5. Remember taxes. Bonuses are generally taxable income. A 3% bonus is worth less after tax. Our tax basics guide covers the forms you're likely to get.

Notes on each offer

• E*TRADE: Promo code OFFER26. Open by 10/31/26, fund within 60 days. ~12-month hold per DoC.
• Citi Personal Wealth Management: Advisor-managed account; New-to-Citi funds. Oct funding must complete by 12/31/26 and be maintained through 1/31/27. Manual, slow setup.
• Public: 3% on up to $1M transferred from Webull ($30k max), paid over 72 months. Official disclosure page did not render for automated check.
• Robinhood: Flat 3% for ACATS from Webull initiated Oct 7–16, 2026; others get personalized 1-3%. 5-year proportional chargeback; possibly targeted.
• tastytrade: Promo code SWEETBONUS; new customers only; deposit within 30 days of first deposit. 1-year hold per DoC.
• TradeUP: 2% base + 1% bonus on $100k+ transfers, paid quarterly; up to $300 transfer-fee credit. Official terms page still shows campaign ending 9/30/26; Bonus Professor reports extension to 12/31/26.
• Betterment: New-client tiered Investing Reward; ~3-year holding period with early-removal fee. Bonus Professor lists expiry 11/30/26. Management fee (~0.25%/yr) not netted out.
• J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing: New money maintained for 90 days. Brokerage or IRA. Extended through 1/21/27 per Bonus Professor.
• Merrill Edge: Offer code 1000BR. Amounts shown require BofA Preferred Rewards enrollment; otherwise $100/$150/$250/$600.
• Moomoo: Paid in NVDA fractional shares; ACH/wire only (no ACATS). First deposit must settle by 10/31/26. Stacks with 8.1% APY sweep promo.
• Public: Uncapped 1% match on ACATS & IRA transfers, paid monthly over 5 years ($100k example).
• Charles Schwab: Must be referred by an existing Schwab client. Only top tier captured (lower tiers per referral terms).
• Interactive Brokers: $1 in IBKR shares per $300 deposited, up to $1,000; referral required.
• CIT Bank / First Citizens Self-Directed Investing: Limited-time offer for CIT Bank customers; bonus paid to CIT Savings/eChecking after 60-day qualifying period.
• Moomoo: 3% match on first $20,000 transferred, paid as cash coupons in 4 installments at 90/180/270/360 days. Transfer must settle by 12/31/26.
• TradeStation: 'Trading Walk' promo. Hold 270 days per Bonus Professor (DoC lists 60 days for the $150 tier).

Every figure above comes from our offer database, which is checked against each institution's official promotion page. Offers change without notice, so the official terms always win.

FAQ

What is the best brokerage bonus right now?

By headline size, E*TRADE (up to $10,000). By annualized return with a hold of about a year or less, Moomoo (36.50%). The better choice depends on how much you can move and for how long.

Can I get more than one brokerage bonus?

Yes. Offers from different firms are independent, so you can split money across several. Each firm usually limits you to one bonus per person or account, and some exclude existing customers.

Do I have to buy stocks to get the bonus?

Usually not. Most offers count deposited cash or transferred assets. You can generally hold cash or a money market fund, but check the specific terms.

How often does this list change?

Offers launch, change and expire often. Bonusfolio rechecks official pages regularly and this page is rebuilt from the latest data each time.

More guides

• Best IRA bonuses
• How ACATS transfer bonuses work
• Are brokerage bonuses taxable?
• How to calculate a bonus's real return
• Free stock offers compared
• Bonuses with no or low minimum deposit
• Bonuses ending soon
• Roth IRA transfer bonuses
• How long you must keep funds (clawbacks)