If you have $10,000, $50,000, or even $100,000 or more in cash sitting idle, there are plenty of ways to earn a high return on it. This article compares bank and brokerage account-opening bonuses and converts them all to equivalent annualized returns, so you can earn more on a large balance. It’s a long article, so here’s a summary table first.
| Name | Funding requirement | Time funds are tied up | Equivalent annualized return | Application link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moomoo | $10,000-$100,000 | 60-180 days | Approx. 6.0%-26% (NVDA + stock voucher + high yield; expires October 31) | Sign-up link |
| TradeUP | $10,000-$1,000,000 | Approx. 2 months-2 years | Approx. 3.1%- 28.8% (NVDA stock bonus + high yield; expires October 31) | Sign-up link |
| E*TRADE Saving | $20,000-$100,000+ | Approx. 45-75 days | Approx. 7.9%-20.2% | Application link |
| Citibank Checking | $30,000-$200,000 | Approx. 45-90 days | Up to approx. 13.3% | Application link |
| HSBC Premier | $50,000-$500,000+ | 3 full calendar months | Approx. 5.4%-15% | Application link |
| J.P. Morgan Self-Directed | $25,000-$250,000+ | Approx. 45-90 days | Up to approx. 8.1% (account-opening bonus + Money Market Fund) | Application link |
| Capital One Saving | $20,000-$100,000 | Approx. 90-105 days | Approx. 8.1%-9.0% | Offer link |
| Barclays Select Savings | $40,000 | 120 days | Approx. 7% | Application link |
| Raisin | $10,000-$200,000+ | 90 days | Up to approx. 6.2%, depending on the selected account APY | Application link |
| Chase Private Client | $150,000-$500,000+ | Approx. 45-90 days | Approx. 2.4%-6.4% | Application link |
These offers require opening an account to earn the high returns. If you’re looking for a high yield over the long term, see: 2026 US High-Yield Cash Account Rankings: Where to Keep Cash Long Term? Up to 6% APY
Contents [Hide]
- 1 TradeUP (3.1%-28%)
- 2 Moomoo (6%-26%)
- 3 E*TRADE Saving (7.9%-20.2%)
- 4 J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing (5.9%-8.1%)
- 5 Citi Checking (6%-13.3%)
- 6 HSBC Premier (effective annualized return of up to about 16%)
- 7 Bask Bank 10%
- 8 Capital One Savings (8.1%–9.0%)
- 9 Barclays Select Savings (about 7% annualized equivalent)
- 10 Raisin (about 6.2%)
- 11 Chase Private Client (effective annualized return of about 4.8%-6.4%)
- 12 Calculation Method and Rationale
- 13 Account-Opening Bonus Roundup
TradeUP (3.1%-28%)
Offer overview
The promotion has been extended through December 31, 2026. If you already opened an account but have not deposited any funds, you can still participate. TradeUP has fully updated its account-opening rewards. Register through our channel and deposit funds or transfer assets to receive up to 50 shares of NVDA (about $214 per share), plus the existing drawing for up to 5 shares and the 3% transfer bonus.
- TradeUP registration link (If you have an SSN/ITIN, select USA; if not, select other country and enter a U.S. address.)
The best-value combination is a $2,500 deposit, which can earn you 1 share of NVDA, 3 stock-drawing entries, and 4% APY. If you have enough funds, you can deposit $10,000 to get 2 shares of NVDA and 4 stock-drawing entries. You can deposit funds or transfer assets. The reward tiers below can be combined:
- 【Site-exclusive reward】Open a TradeUP account, deposit funds, and keep them in the account for a specified number of days to receive additional NVDA shares. Earn up to 50 shares of NVDA.
- 【Stock drawing】When you open an account, you can draw up to 5 stocks, each worth up to $1,800. With net deposits of $100-$4,999, you get 2 draws; $5,000-$9,999, 3 draws; $10,000-$99,900, 4 draws; and $100,000+, 5 draws. The odds are 95% for $10-$10; 3% for $20-$30; 1% for $30-$50; 0.8% for $50-$100; and 0.2% for $1,800.
- 【3% transfer bonus】If you can fund your account by transferring assets, you can also activate a transfer bonus of up to 3% (see the transfer section below for details).
- 【High APY】The cash account offers a high APY for the first three months (the rate may fluctuate slightly over time).
- Once you meet the requirements, the stocks will be distributed according to the table below.
【Note】Users in mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand are excluded. Users without an SSN who cannot provide a U.S. mailing address are also excluded. Compliant users in other regions can claim the stock bonus. You can open an account with an SSN/ITIN, as long as you have a U.S. address. You can provide a utility bill, credit card statement, bank statement, or another document showing the address you entered as proof.
Note that the NVDA shares are not distributed all at once. See the specific distribution rules below (terms). Different tiers require you to keep funds in the account for different periods, with the longest being 2 years. If you withdraw funds during the reward period and fall below a tier’s requirements, subsequent rewards will not be issued.
Here is a summary of common questions discussed in the group to help you open an account, deposit funds, and claim rewards.
- If I transfer assets from another brokerage via ACATS, can I still qualify for the new-user NVDA bonus and the transfer bonus? Yes! You can also activate the random stock drawing. So if you have another brokerage account, transferring via ACATS is your best bet—it’s like a triple dip! (More details)
- Do I need to sign up separately for the high-interest cash account? Yes. After opening the account, enroll on the promotion page.
- Also, if your initial deposit is very small, you can contact customer service to ask for help applying for additional stock-drawing entries.
Return calculation
TradeUP is currently offering NVDA shares, and idle cash in the account can also earn interest through the TradeUP Cash+ Program. So if you deposit funds and don’t buy stocks right away, you can count both sources of return.
Based on the current NVDA price of about $219.74 per share, the estimated value of the stock bonus at each tier is:
- Deposit $10,000: Get 2 shares of NVDA, currently worth about $439
- Deposit $50,000: Get 5 shares of NVDA, currently worth about $1,099
- Deposit $200,000: Get 12 shares of NVDA, currently worth about $2,637
- Deposit $500,000: Get 24 shares of NVDA, currently worth about $5,274
- Deposit $1,000,000: Get 50 shares of NVDA, currently worth about $10,987
TradeUP also currently offers the Cash+ Program. After enrolling, idle cash earns 0.10% APY for the first 15 days and currently 3.15% APY from day 16 through day 105. Starting on day 106, tiered rates apply based on the account’s idle cash balance. Cash+ rates can change with market conditions, so these estimates use the current rates.
Take the best-value $10,000 tier as an example:
- 2 shares of NVDA are currently worth about $439, or 4.39% of the principal
- With the funds held for about 2 months, the NVDA reward works out to an equivalent annualized return of about 26.4%
- Cash+ earns 0.10% for the first 15 days and about 3.15% for the following 45 days, for an average annualized return of about 2.4% over two months
- Combined, the current equivalent annualized return is about 28.8%
The other tiers offer lower returns on the funds used because the number of shares, funding requirements, and required holding periods vary. Based on the current NVDA share price and Cash+ rate, the rough estimates are:
- $10,000 tier: Total equivalent annualized return of about 28.8%
- $50,000 tier: Total equivalent annualized return of about 7.3%
- $200,000 tier: Total equivalent annualized return of about 3.9%
- $500,000 tier: Total equivalent annualized return of about 3.1%
- $1,000,000 tier: Total equivalent annualized return of about 3.1%
So, in terms of return on the funds used, the $10,000 tier is clearly the best deal right now. Holding the funds for two months gets you 2 shares of NVDA, while your idle cash continues to earn Cash+ interest. This estimate also excludes other potentially stackable rewards, such as stock drawings.
Moomoo (6%-26%)
Offer overview
Sign up for Moomoo through this site’s exclusive link and meet the deposit requirements to qualify for up to three rewards: up to $1,000 in Anthropic stock, $100 in trading coupons, and up to 8.1% APY on idle cash. You can also enjoy one year of Moomoo Engine’s premium features for free. Here’s a closer look at each offer. I think the best value is depositing $2,000 to get $200. If you have enough funds, you can deposit $10,000 to get $300. Idle cash can also earn 8.1% APY. The promotion expires on November 30!
- Moomoo signup link (SSN/ITIN required to open an account)
First reward: New-user deposit bonus, worth up to $1,000 in Anthropic stock
- Make an initial cumulative deposit of $500 to receive $30 worth of Anthropic stock -> 60-day holding period
- Make an initial cumulative deposit of $2,000 to receive a cumulative total of $100 worth of Anthropic stock -> 60-day holding period
- Make an initial cumulative deposit of $10,000 to receive a cumulative total of $200 worth of Anthropic stock> 60-day holding period
- Make an initial cumulative deposit of $50,000 to receive a cumulative total of $400 worth of Anthropic stock -> 120-day holding period ($200 released after 60 days and the remaining $200 after 120 days)
- Make an initial cumulative deposit of $100,000 to receive a cumulative total of $1,000 worth of Anthropic stock -> 180-day holding period ($200 released after 60 days, $400 after 120 days, and the remaining $400 after 180 days)
You can trade with your deposit or simply leave it in your account to earn interest. If you plan to trade, I recommend depositing a bit more so losses don’t bring your balance below the required threshold!
Second reward: Trading coupons. New users who deposit $100 receive 10 $10 trading coupons
- You can use one coupon for each trade of $100 or more, which is basically an incentive to trade more. If you just want to cash out, you can buy SGOV.
- You can also get another $10*10 in trading coupons if you refer a friend who signs up for Moomoo.
Third reward: High yield for new users, with up to 8.1% APY through the account-opening Cash Sweep bonus
- New customers can participate in Cash Sweep as soon as they open an account. The coupon will be sent to the account and must be activated in the app.
- Idle cash can earn 3.35% APY plus a 2-month 4.75% APY booster (with deposits and withdrawals available at any time and automatic trade settlement). This 8.1% APY applies only to the first $20,000 in cash deposits.
Note: This article covers Moomoo U.S. benefits and product features. Applicants using an SSN or ITIN can receive the rewards as usual by entering a U.S. address.
Return calculation
Moomoo currently lets you combine a deposit stock bonus, a $100 trading coupon, and a high yield through Cash Sweep. All three should be included when calculating the equivalent annualized return. The $500 and $2,000 tiers mentioned earlier involve smaller amounts, so I’ll leave them out here. Starting with the $10,000 tier, the approximate returns on the main tiers are:
- $10,000 tier: Equivalent annualized return of about 26.1%
- $50,000 tier: Equivalent annualized return of about 7.3%
- $100,000 tier: Equivalent annualized return of about 5.9%
The $10,000 tier is the best value. Here’s a simple calculation:
- Deposit $10,000 and hold it for about 60 days
- Earn $200 in NVDA plus a $100 trading coupon, for about $300 in total rewards
- $300 ÷ $10,000 = a 3% reward; annualized simply over the roughly two-month holding period, that’s about 18%
- The entire $10,000 also falls within the Cash Sweep Booster’s first $20,000 balance tier, which currently earns up to about 8.1% APY for the first 60 days
- Combined, the current equivalent annualized return is about 26.1%
It may be easier to think about the actual dollar amount: keeping $10,000 in the account for two months would earn roughly $135 in Cash Sweep interest. Add $200 in NVDA and the $100 trading coupon, and the total value is about $435.
The $50,000 and $100,000 tiers offer higher total rewards, but the extra Cash Sweep Booster applies only to the first $20,000 and is available only for the first 60 days. The rest of the idle cash, as well as funds after the Booster ends, can currently earn the 3.35% base APY if you continue to meet the Moomoo Engine membership requirements. The full stock bonuses also require holding the assets for 120 and 180 days, respectively, bringing the equivalent annualized returns for these two tiers to about 7.3% and 5.9%.
E*TRADE Saving (7.9%-20.2%)
Offer overview
E*TRADE’s new Premium Savings Account offer has been updated. It still offers 4.00% APY for six months, after which the rate reverts to the standard rate in effect at that time. The current Base APY is 3.50%. You can also earn a bonus of up to $800 by depositing New Money within 30 days of opening the account. The offer ends January 10, 2027. Use promo code SAVE800.
Bonus tiers:
- Deposit $20,000-$99,999: $400 bonus
- Deposit $100,000 or more: $800 bonus
Key requirements:
- Open a new Premium Savings Account on etrade.com by 1/10/2027 using promo code SAVE800.
- Add funds to earn a boosted 4.00% APY for 6 months. Plus, you'll earn a cash bonus when you deposit at least $20,000 of qualifying new money within the first 30 days of account opening.
- Maintain the required average daily balance for 45 additional days after the 30-day funding period ends to earn the cash bonus.
Return Calculation
The $20,000 deposit for a $400 bonus tier is still the best deal, with the bonus equal to 2% of the principal. There is a 30-day Funding Period after account opening, followed by a 45-day Maintenance Period. If you transfer most of the funds late in the Funding Period, the period during which the larger balance is tied up can be close to 45 days. The bonus portion then works out to a simple annualized return of about 16.2%; combined with the 4.00% Promotional APY, the effective annualized return can reach about 20.2%.
If you deposit the full $20,000 soon after opening the account, the funds may be tied up for close to 75 days. In that case, the bonus portion works out to a simple annualized return of about 9.7%; combined with the 4.00% APY, the effective annualized return is about 13.7%.
The $100,000 deposit for an $800 bonus tier has a lower bonus rate. Based on a 45- to 75-day period during which the funds are tied up, the effective annualized return, including the 4.00% APY, is about 7.9%-10.5%. So, purely in terms of capital efficiency, the $20,000 tier is still the best.
J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing (5.9%-8.1%)
Offer Details
J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing currently offers a cash bonus of up to $1,000 for opening an account. The offer runs through January 21, 2027. You must transfer in new cash or securities from outside the Chase / J.P. Morgan ecosystem. Your final bonus tier is determined 45 days after account opening.
Bonus tiers:
- Transfer in $5,000-$24,999: $50 bonus
- Transfer in $25,000-$99,999: $150 bonus
- Transfer in $100,000-$249,999: $325 bonus
- Transfer in $250,000 or more: $1,000 bonus
Return Calculation
The default rate on uninvested cash in Self-Directed Investing is not very high, but you can buy a Money Market Fund in the account. The average 7-Day SEC Yield for the money market funds currently shown by Chase is about 3.24%. So, if you do not plan to buy stocks right away, you can temporarily hold the transferred cash in a money market fund and continue earning a return while completing the requirements for the account-opening bonus.
Based on this article’s focus on comparing amounts of $10,000 or more, the $25,000 tier offers the best capital efficiency. Here’s a simple calculation:
- Transfer in $25,000 to earn a $150 cash bonus
- There is a 45-day Funding Period after account opening, and the bonus tier is determined on day 45. The funds must remain in the account through day 90 of the offer Enrollment period.
- If you transfer most of the funds late in the Funding Period, the period during which the larger balance is tied up can be close to 45 days.
- $150 ÷ $25,000 = 0.6% in bonus value, equivalent to a simple annualized return of about 4.9% over 45 days.
- Adding the current money market fund yield of about 3.24% brings the effective annualized return to as much as 8.1%.
If you transfer the full $25,000 soon after opening the account, the funds will be tied up for close to 90 days. The account-opening bonus then works out to an annualized return of about 2.4%; after adding the money market fund yield, the overall effective annualized return is about 5.7%.
For the other main tiers, assuming the larger balance is tied up for close to 45 days and adding the current money market fund yield of about 3.24%, the estimated returns are:
- $25,000 tier: up to about 8.1%
- $100,000 tier: up to about 5.9%
- $250,000 tier: up to about 6.5%
So, if you’re opening the account just for the bonus, the $25,000 tier offers relatively good capital efficiency. If you already hold a large number of stocks at another brokerage, you can also transfer securities directly through ACATS to qualify for a higher tier; you don’t necessarily need tens of thousands of dollars in cash.
Citi Checking (6%-13.3%)
Offer Details
Citi’s current Regular Checking account-opening bonus is up to $1,500. The offer runs through October 26, 2026.
The deposit requirements are straightforward:
- Deposit at least $30,000 in New-to-Citibank Funds within 45 days of opening the account. If your balance is $30,000-$199,999 on day 45, you can earn $500.
- If your balance is $200,000 or more on day 45, you can earn $1,500.
- Starting on day 46, you must maintain the applicable minimum balance for another 45 days.
Return Calculation
This offer does not simply require you to “deposit funds for 45 days.” There is a 45-day Funding Period after account opening. Your bonus tier is determined on day 45, and you must then maintain the balance for another 45 days.
If you deposit all the funds immediately after opening the account, they will be tied up for close to 90 days. If you transfer most of the funds late in the Funding Period, the period during which the larger balance is tied up can be reduced to close to 45 days. Based on the latter scenario, the $500 bonus on the $30,000 tier has an effective annualized return of up to about 13.3%, while the $1,500 bonus on the $200,000 tier works out to up to about 6%.
HSBC Premier (effective annualized return of up to about 16%)
- Comprehensive HSBC Premier Bank Account Overview
- HSBC Securities Investment Account Overview
- HSBC Premier Account-Opening Bonus: Three Offers, Up to 11% Returns; Can Be Combined for Up to 16%!
Offer Details
HSBC has updated its Premier Checking account-opening bonus. New customers can now earn up to $3,000, with a $1,000 bonus available for a minimum deposit of $50,000. Direct Deposit is not required. You only need to transfer in new funds from outside HSBC, or transfer eligible investment assets, and maintain them for the required period. The offer ends December 31, 2026.
- HSBC Premier Checking offer: up to $3,000 account-opening bonus (expires December 31, 2026)
The best-value tier is the $50,000 deposit for a $1,000 bonus. Assuming you maintain the funds for three months, the account-opening bonus itself represents an effective annualized return of about 8%, making this the best-value tier in this offer. The bonus tiers below are calculated using the minimum deposit for each tier and a three-full-calendar-month holding period:
- $1,000 bonus: Deposit or invest $50,000–$99,999. The account-opening bonus is equivalent to a 2% return, or about an 8% annualized equivalent return. Combined with the savings account's current 3.00% APY, the total annualized equivalent return is about 11%.
- $1,500 bonus: Deposit or invest $100,000–$249,999. The account-opening bonus is equivalent to a 1.5% return, or about a 6% annualized equivalent return. Combined with the savings account's current 3.00% APY, the total annualized equivalent return is about 9%.
- $2,000 bonus: Deposit or invest $250,000–$499,999. The account-opening bonus is equivalent to a 0.8% return, or about a 3.2% annualized equivalent return. Combined with the savings account's current 3.00% APY, the total annualized equivalent return is about 6.2%.
- $3,000 bonus: Deposit or invest $500,000 or more. The account-opening bonus is equivalent to a 0.6% return, or about a 2.4% annualized equivalent return. Combined with the savings account's current 3.00% APY, the total annualized equivalent return is about 5.4%.
Eligible new and existing Premier customers can also participate in the New to Wealth investment account offer:
- Open a new self-directed brokerage or advised brokerage account and transfer in at least $25,000 to earn $500.
- Open a new Managed Portfolio Account or Spectrum account and transfer in at least $50,000 to earn $1,000.
New customers can combine the New to Wealth offer with the Premier Checking account-opening bonus above. One practical option is the $50,000 tier: put at least $25,000 into a self-directed brokerage account and the remaining funds into Premier Relationship Savings. If you meet the requirements, you can earn $1,000 + $500 = $1,500 in bonuses. Assuming the funds are tied up for about 3 months and conservatively estimating returns from savings and cash-like funds at about 3%, the combined annualized equivalent return could reach about 15%.
Return calculation
If you only take advantage of the Premier Checking account-opening bonus, you can keep the qualifying cash in HSBC Premier Relationship Savings, which currently offers a 3.00% Relationship APY. After opening Premier Relationship Savings and linking it to an eligible Premier Checking account, you'll automatically earn the Relationship APY for the remainder of the month you open the account and the following 3 months.
With the $50,000 Checking + Self-Directed combination above, the $1,500 bonus equals 3% of the principal, or about 12% on a simple annualized basis over 3 months. Add about 3% in interest or cash-like fund returns on the funds themselves, and the combined annualized equivalent return is about 15%.
Keep in mind that if you hold your Qualifying Balance in a securities investment account rather than Premier Relationship Savings, you can't simply add the Savings account's 3.00% APY to the bonus. The 15% estimate above assumes that funds in the self-directed investment account also earn about 3% in cash-like fund returns; actual returns will vary.
Bask Bank 10%
Bask Bank's latest account-opening offer is back, with up to $300 in cash bonuses. Savings can also earn an additional 0.40% APY Boost. Based on the current base rate of 3.90%, that brings the total to as much as 4.30% APY. The requirements are considerably higher than before: you must open both a Bask Interest Checking account and a Bask Interest Savings account, maintain an average Savings balance of at least $10,000 each month, and complete $2,500 in Qualifying Automated Deposits to Checking while maintaining at least $100 per day. You'll get $50 for each qualifying billing cycle, up to 6 times, for a total of $300. The offer expires December 31, 2026.
If you deposit $10,000 and earn $300 over six months, that's an equivalent annual return of 6%. Add the 4.3% earned on the savings, and the equivalent annual return is 10%.
Capital One Savings (8.1%–9.0%)
Offer details
Capital One 360 Performance Savings currently offers an account-opening bonus of up to $1,500, and the account itself currently pays 3.00% APY.
Return calculation
The current bonus tiers are:
- Deposit $20,000–$49,999.99: $300 bonus
- Deposit $50,000–$99,999.99: $750 bonus
- Deposit $100,000 or more: $1,500 bonus
There is a 15-day Initial Funding Period after opening the account. The full 90-day Hold Period begins only after those 15 days have ended. In other words, if you deposit the funds on the first day after opening the account, your money will be tied up for about 105 days. If you make the main deposit close to the end of the Funding Period, the time will be closer to 90 days.
The account-opening bonus is equivalent to 1.5% at all three tiers. That's about 6% on a simple annualized basis over 90 days. Add the current 3.00% APY, and the highest annualized equivalent return is about 9%. If you transfer the funds earlier and they are tied up for nearly 105 days, the return is about 8.1%.
Barclays Select Savings (about 7% annualized equivalent)
AARP and Barclays currently have a promotional offer. New customers who deposit at least $40,000 within 30 days of opening the account and maintain a balance of at least $40,000 for 120 consecutive days can earn a $400 bonus.
Select Savings currently pays 4.00% APY. The $400 bonus equals 1% of $40,000. With the funds held for 120 days, that works out to about 3% in additional annualized returns on a simple basis, for a combined annualized equivalent return of about 7%. The offer ends October 31, 2026.
You must be an AARP member to apply for this account. Although AARP stands for American Association of Retired Persons, applicants do not have to be of retirement age. Anyone who meets AARP's membership requirements can join.
Raisin (about 6.2%)
Offer details
Raisin's current new-customer offer uses promo code STACK and awards up to $1,000. Some Savings Accounts on the platform currently offer up to about 4.17% APY. The offer ends October 31, 2026. Raisin is not a bank; it is a savings account platform. Customers' funds are held at partner banks or credit unions and are covered by FDIC or NCUA insurance, as applicable, based on the financial institution and account ownership structure.
Return calculation
The initial deposit must be made within the specified time frame, and qualifying funds must remain at a Raisin partner institution for 90 days. The Base Bonus tiers are:
- $40 bonus: Deposit $10,000–$24,999
- $100 bonus: Deposit $25,000–$49,999
- $200 bonus: Deposit $50,000–$99,999
- $425 bonus: Deposit $100,000–$199,999
- $900 bonus: Deposit $200,000 or more
You can also stack the Savings + CD Boost. Within 14 days of your initial deposit, you must allocate at least $1,000 to a second product category and keep balances in both categories through day 90. The additional bonuses are $10, $25, $50, $75, and $100, respectively.
If you earn the full Boost at every tier, the total bonus is roughly equivalent to a 0.5% return over 90 days, or about 2% on a simple annualized basis. If you choose an account on the platform currently offering around 4.17% APY, the combined effective annualized return can reach about 6.2%. APYs at the different banks and credit unions on Raisin vary, so check the rate for the specific account you choose.
Chase Private Client (effective annualized return of about 4.8%-6.4%)
Chase Private Client currently offers a bonus of up to $3,000, and the promotion runs through January 27, 2027. CPC Checking currently earns just 0.01% APY, so the value of this offer mainly comes from the account-opening bonus and Private Client banking services, not the deposit rate.
Current bonus requirements:
- Transfer in $150,000-$249,999.99 in New Money within 45 days of opening or upgrading to the account to earn $1,000.
- Transfer in $250,000-$499,999.99 to earn $2,000.
- Transfer in $500,000 or more to earn $3,000.
- Eligible New Money must remain in the account through day 90 after enrollment in the promotion.
If you complete the entire deposit early, your funds will be tied up for close to 90 days. The effective annualized returns for the three tiers are about 2.67%, 3.2%, and 2.4%, respectively. If you wait until later in the 45-day Funding Period to transfer most of the funds, the actual time your large deposit is tied up can be close to 45 days. In that case, the maximum effective annualized returns can rise to about 5.3%, 6.4%, and 4.8%, respectively.
Calculation Method and Rationale
Many banks and brokerages now offer large account-opening bonuses, but these offers often require substantial deposits. Comparing bonus amounts alone isn’t fair: earning $400 for depositing $10,000 for two months is very different from earning $3,000 for depositing $500,000 for three months in terms of how efficiently the funds are used. That’s why this article mainly compares offers using their “effective annualized return.”
- Effective annualized return ≈ (account-opening bonus ÷ required deposit) ÷ (months funds are tied up ÷ 12) + the account’s own annual deposit rate
Note: For example, suppose a savings account offers a $1,000 account-opening bonus for depositing $20,000 for six months, and the account itself earns 3% APY:
- Effective annualized return = ($1,000 / $20,000) ÷ (6 / 12) + 3% = 13%
If you have a relatively large amount of liquid funds, you can sequence offers based on their deadlines and how long they tie up your money, using the same funds for different bank and brokerage bonuses in turn. Compared with leaving cash in a standard savings account for a long time, this approach may significantly increase your actual returns.
Account-Opening Bonus Roundup
The accounts below all have very solid sign-up bonuses. Pick the ones you like and earn some extra cash. Over time, those small amounts add up, and in a year you can earn a good amount of money and travel funds from these financial accounts.
- US Credit Card 101 Exclusive Offers: Apply through our site to get higher bonuses and benefits
- U.S. Credit Card Sign-Up Bonus Rankings (Personal Cards):
- Bank Account Sign-Up Bonus Rankings (Personal Accounts) [Updated Monthly]
- High-Interest Account Sign-Up Bonus Rankings [Updated Monthly]
- High-Yield Cash Account Rankings: Where Should You Keep Idle Cash Long-Term? Up to 6% APY
- Investment and Stock Platform Sign-Up Bonus Rankings [Updated Monthly]
- U.S. Business Credit Card Rankings [Updated Monthly]
- Bank Account Sign-Up Bonus Rankings (Business Accounts)
