The current New to Wealth Cash Bonus has two tiers: $500 and $1,000. Most readers should focus on the $500 reward for Self-Directed Brokerage. Managed Portfolio and Spectrum are fee-based investment management accounts, and Spectrum’s standard management fee is fairly high. I don’t think it’s worth opening one of these managed accounts just to get an extra $500 bonus.

The two bonus tiers are as follows:

  • $500 bonus: Open a new Self-Directed Brokerage or Advised Brokerage account and transfer in at least $25,000 in eligible assets.
  • $1,000 bonus: Open a new Managed Portfolio Account or Spectrum account and transfer in at least $50,000 in eligible assets.

The specific requirements are as follows:

  • You must not have held an HSBC Securities investment account that meets the offer’s definition as of August 31, 2026.
  • You must have an active U.S. HSBC Premier Checking account by December 18, 2026, and keep it open through May 31, 2027.
  • Open a new eligible investment account between September 1 and December 18, 2026.
  • Transfer in at least $25,000 in qualifying assets by December 31, 2026, and maintain them through March 31, 2027.
  • Subscribe to HSBC Marketing Emails by March 31, 2027, and remain subscribed through May 31.
  • After you meet all the requirements, the $500 bonus will be deposited into your Premier Checking account by May 31, 2027.
  • Retirement accounts, such as IRAs and 401(k)s, do not qualify for this bonus.

To apply, you must first have a U.S. HSBC Premier Checking account. You can then apply for Self-Directed Brokerage through online banking or the HSBC App.

If you recently opened a U.S. Premier Checking account and have never held a U.S. HSBC account before, you may also be eligible for a Checking new-customer bonus. Currently, transferring in at least $50,000 in qualifying assets for Checking earns $1,000. Combined with the $500 investment account bonus, the total could theoretically reach $1,500. However, the two offers have separate eligibility, funding, and holding requirements. Opening a $25,000 brokerage account alone does not automatically qualify you for the Checking bonus. For details on how to allocate your funds, see our article:

About HSBC Securities investment accounts

In addition to Premier Checking, savings, and checking accounts, HSBC also offers its own investment accounts through HSBC Securities. HSBC Securities (USA) Inc. is a securities firm under HSBC USA. It currently offers Self-Directed Brokerage, a self-directed investment account, as well as products that involve an investment adviser, including Advised Brokerage, Managed Portfolio Account, and Spectrum. Most users only need to consider Self-Directed Brokerage, which lets you trade stocks, ETFs, and some mutual funds yourself and has no minimum balance requirement to open a standard account.

Compared with major brokers such as Fidelity and Schwab, however, HSBC Securities charges relatively high trading fees and offers few notable investment advantages. Eligible investment assets held at HSBC Securities can also count toward the Relationship Balance for U.S. Premier, helping you meet the requirements to avoid monthly fees. That may be worth considering if you already have Premier Checking.

Opening an account and earning the bonus

See the beginning of the article.

Asset transfers and funding

Funding is one of the more cumbersome aspects of HSBC Securities. With brokerage accounts at Fidelity or Schwab, you can usually link a bank account and transfer money by ACH. HSBC Securities is less straightforward. However, if you already own stocks at Fidelity or Schwab, you may want to consider transferring them directly through ACATS.

Transferring stocks through ACATS

If you already hold long-term investments such as VOO or SPY at Fidelity, you can contact HSBC Securities to request a Partial ACATS transfer, moving only some of your stocks while keeping your Fidelity account open. Eligible securities are transferred in kind, so you don’t have to sell and buy them back, and the transfer itself generally does not trigger capital gains taxes. To start, call HSBC Securities. Customer service will provide a transfer form for you to complete and submit. HSBC will send the form through DocuSign, and Pershing will process the transfer.

Bogleheads users have also shared their experience transferring assets from Citibank to HSBC Securities. Their stocks arrived within a few days, and Cost Basis and Tax Lots transferred correctly. However, HSBC’s online interface is quite basic, and some transfer requests still require help from customer service.

Keep in mind that the current offer requires new eligible assets, but the public offer page does not specify how each type of in-kind stock transfer is treated or valued. If you’re transferring assets specifically for the bonus, check with HSBC in advance about eligible securities, how much will count, and the date the assets must arrive. Stock prices can fluctuate, so it’s best not to transfer exactly $25,000. Also, only transfer stocks you plan to hold for the long term, since HSBC’s trading fees are quite high.

Funding with a wire

The following describes a previous funding experience. Wire instructions may change. Before sending a large transfer, contact HSBC Securities to request and verify the latest wire instructions for your account.

A friend finally managed to fund their account. Here’s what they learned. Recently, they looked into funding HSBC Securities and found the process more cumbersome than expected. The biggest potential pitfall is that although you can link an external bank account to HSBC, a regular bank-to-bank transfer can only go to an HSBC checking or savings account. You can’t select a brokerage account directly. This raises a question: If funds first go into an HSBC checking account and are then moved to the brokerage account, will they still count as new money for the offer?

Also, unlike Fidelity or Schwab, HSBC Securities does not provide each brokerage account with its own routing number and account number, so you can’t send money directly by ACH.

When they first contacted customer service, they were told they could only transfer funds to HSBC checking first and then move them to the brokerage account. But it wasn’t clear whether that method would qualify for a new-money bonus. After contacting HSBC Securities customer service again, they finally got wire instructions for sending funds directly to the brokerage account.

In a test, they sent a $100 wire from Fidelity, and the funds successfully arrived in their HSBC Securities account. Fidelity typically doesn’t charge a fee to send a wire, so you can test the process with a small amount first. The wire information is:

  • Receiving Bank: Bank of New York Mellon
  • ABA routing number: 021000018
  • Beneficiary: Pershing LLC
  • Account Number: 890-051238-5
  • Further Credit / Memo: Enter your name + HSBC Securities account number

Note that the receiving account above is not a separate account in an individual customer’s name. It is an omnibus account Pershing uses to receive customer funds. HSBC and Pershing primarily rely on the information in the Further Credit or Memo field to allocate the wire to the correct brokerage account. Be sure to enter the Memo information accurately!

A safer approach is to wire about $100 the first time, confirm that the funds arrive correctly and that the name and account number are correct, and then transfer a larger amount. If the funds are intended to qualify for the HSBC Securities funding bonus, keep the wire confirmation, transfer records, and a screenshot showing the funds arrived. Also confirm in advance whether a wire sent directly to the brokerage account qualifies as “new money.”

Transfers from HSBC Premier

The simplest option is to transfer funds online from an HSBC Premier Checking account. Based on a friend’s conversation with an HSBC branch manager, funds transferred from HSBC Premier also count as new money in an HSBC investment account and can trigger the account-opening bonus. However, if you want more certainty, the two methods above seem safer based on how the terms are worded.

If this method does turn out to qualify for the bonus, I’ll update this section.

Fees

The biggest drawback of HSBC Securities is its fees. Although Self-Directed Brokerage accounts have no minimum opening balance, stock trades are not free. According to the official fee schedule effective July 15, 2026:

  • U.S. stocks and ETFs: $10.99 per online trade; $35 per trade placed by phone with a representative.
  • International stocks: 0.25% of the trade amount, with a $65 minimum; currency-conversion costs may also apply.
  • U.S. No-Load Mutual Funds: $24.99 per standard online trade; other fund fees may vary.
  • Full-account ACATS transfer out: $95.
  • Wire from a brokerage account: $25 per wire.
  • Inactive account fee: typically $50 per year, waived for HSBC Premier customers.

HSBC Premier customers also receive waivers for some custody and document fees. See the official HSBC Securities fee schedule for details.

Here’s a simple calculation: a $500 bonus for transferring $25,000 is a one-time return of 2%. If you transfer the entire account out via ACATS after the promotion ends, the $95 transfer fee reduces the bonus to $405, or 1.62%. Any trading commissions and other fees would be additional costs. The bonus may also be taxable.

This bonus is therefore best suited to people who already hold stocks for the long term. You can transfer them in, avoid trading, keep them in the account until the date required by the promotion, and then decide whether to leave them there. When deciding when to transfer out, also consider whether your Checking account needs to remain open and whether the bonus has been paid. Don’t close related accounts early if you’re unsure whether you’ve met the requirements.

HSBC Securities vs. Fidelity

As a brokerage account, HSBC Securities doesn’t have much of a competitive edge. Here’s a quick comparison with Fidelity:

Feature HSBC Securities Fidelity
Online trades of U.S. stocks and ETFs $10.99 per trade $0
Minimum opening balance for a standard self-directed account $0 $0
U.S. Treasury trades Must contact a representative; a trading markup may apply Available online
Full-account ACATS transfer out $95 $0
Banking and funding options Some transactions require help from customer service ACH, wires, and account transfers are relatively convenient
Main advantage Limited-time account-opening bonus; assets count toward Premier relationship balance Low trading costs; suitable for long-term investing

Online trades of most U.S. stocks and ETFs at Fidelity are commission-free, and account transfers and online banking transactions are relatively convenient. HSBC Securities does offer stock and ETF trading, but charges $10.99 per trade, which is not competitive in today’s U.S. brokerage market. If you frequently adjust your holdings, there’s little reason to keep them at HSBC.

However, HSBC Securities offers something Fidelity can’t: eligible brokerage assets can count toward the Relationship Balance for HSBC Premier in the U.S. For example, someone who already has more than $100,000 in long-term stock holdings could consider transferring some of them to HSBC to meet Premier’s $100,000 minimum for waiving the monthly fee, without depositing additional cash. Of course, a decline in stock prices could affect whether you continue to meet the requirement.

Bottom line

HSBC Securities isn’t a brokerage platform I’d particularly recommend on its own. Trading fees are high, and opening an account, transferring assets, and funding the account can be cumbersome. Without a promotional bonus, I’d still recommend a low-cost, easy-to-use brokerage such as Fidelity.

That said, this offer of $500 for transferring $25,000 may be worth considering, especially if you already have a U.S. Premier Checking account and own stocks you plan to hold for the long term. Transferring them in kind via ACATS means you don’t have to sell your stocks or make trades just to complete the transfer. As long as you first confirm that the transferred assets qualify for this offer, the costs involved are reasonable.

Brokerage Account Guides

Stock Market Basics

Here are some popular U.S. stock brokerages and their account-opening bonuses:

Overview Sign-Up Bonus Quick Take
Moomoo $200 in stock vouchers + $1,000 in Anthropic stock + 8.1% APY Feature-rich with a strong Chinese-language experience. Its market data, Level 2 quotes, options, and cash management features are useful for everyone from beginners to active traders.
TradeUp 50 shares of NVDA + a chance to win 5 shares + 4% for three months Well suited to active trading, with competitive trading fees and margin rates for U.S. tax residents. It supports Web Trading and Level 2 quotes and offers Chinese-language customer service.
Webull 12 fractional shares + one month of Premium membership Strong charting and active-trading features, including technical indicators, options, and premarket and after-hours trading. A good fit for frequent traders.
BBAE Up to $650 in rewards Convenient for Chinese users to open an account; applications are accepted without an SSN or ITIN. It offers good Chinese-language support, but currently charges a platform fee, making it less suitable for frequent trading with small amounts.
Robinhood A chance to win 1 share of stock Its simple interface is easy to use, making it suitable for first-time U.S. stock investors. Gold members also get a higher yield on uninvested cash and lower margin rates.
Interactive Brokers Up to $1,000 A highly capable broker with access to global markets and multiple currencies. Its margin costs are competitive, and Chinese residents can also open accounts. A good fit for experienced investors and those investing globally.
TradeStation $250 Geared toward professional and active traders, with powerful advanced charting, strategy backtesting, and automated trading tools. Most long-term investors may not need these features.
Schwab Up to $1,000 Well suited to long-term investing and larger portfolios, with convenient access to ETFs and CDs. Checking accounts and global ATM access are also advantages, but the default yield on uninvested cash is relatively low.
Fidelity Account opening link A long-established full-service brokerage suited to long-term investing, ETFs, and retirement accounts. It also offers good cash management, making it a solid choice as a primary long-term brokerage.
BIT (formerly Matrixport) Earn $210 by depositing and trading Suitable for Chinese users and digital asset investors. You can use funds such as USDT and USDC to invest in U.S. stocks. It is not a traditional U.S. brokerage, so review its fees and asset custody structure separately.
SoFi Invest $75 for opening an account Easy to use and supports Stock Bits, making it suitable for small investments and long-term investing. It has fewer advanced market data and trading tools, so it is not ideal for frequent trading.
M1 Finance Get $10 when you deposit Focused on Pies and automated investing. It is well suited to setting a stock and ETF allocation and investing regularly over the long term, but not to active trading.

If you don’t have an SSN or ITIN but still want to invest in U.S. stocks, consider the brokerages and platforms below. They accept a full set of Chinese documents, and you can register with a national ID card or passport. None participates in China’s CRS.

  • BBAE: Welcoming to Chinese users; no SSN or ITIN required to open an account
  • BIT (formerly Matrixport): Open an account with a national ID card; approval can take just a few hours.
  • Bitget: Complete identity verification with a national ID card or Chinese passport

If you’re in China and want to invest in U.S. stocks, see this overview: