IRA Bonus Details
All of the brokers listed here offer unique IRA promotions and advantages. Some offer a large match bonus, some offer low-cost investing environments, and others provide perks like free stocks.
Firstrade
Firstrade’s IRA special is a transfer rebate that covers you for up to $250 in ACATs fees.
Here’s how Firstrade’s $250 rebate works.
If you transfer an IRA into Firstrade, you will likely receive an ACAT transfer bill from the originating broker. After paying that bill, you can submit a copy to Firstrade, who will credit your account for the transfer cost.
To take advantage of the bonus, your IRA (or brokerage account) must have a minimum equity of $2,500. You must also hold the $2,500 in your account for at least 12 months.
Why Firstrade?
There are several reasons to consider Firstrade for an IRA account.
One of the most significant features is that Firstrade provides free trading. Many brokers are ‘commission-free,’ but fees are often still charged for options contracts, mutual funds, and OTC securities. At Firstrade, these types of fees do not exist.
Another reason is the range of securities, as the variety allows investors to tailor their portfolios in specific and unique ways. Firstrade offers stocks, ETFs, mutual funds (a very large selection), fixed-income products, penny stocks, and options trading.
Charles Schwab
Charles Schwab’s IRA promotion is a deposit match program that can pay new Schwab account holders up to $1,000 when they open and fund a new brokerage account. IRAs are also included in the list of possible accounts.
Schwab’s cash bonuses are paid with a tiered system, with higher deposit amounts getting higher rewards.
$25,000 - $49,999 = $100
$50,000 - $99,999 = $300
$100,000 - $499,999 = $500
$500,000 or more = $1,000
To ensure you receive your IRA bonus, deposit the amount you are happy with within the first 45 days of your account. The bonus is paid shortly after.
Why Schwab?
For starters, Charles Schwab is a very large and stable financial company with a lot to offer in terms of robust research availability, advanced trading platforms, access to professional analysis, and more.
There is also an extensive selection of investment vehicles to choose from, making it possible to tailor your portfolio to your needs and risk tolerance.
Additionally, Schwab is a zero-commission broker with no account minimums on amounts or trading activity.
Robinhood
If you are looking for a broker who will pay a percentage-based match bonus on IRAs that you roll into the broker and on new contributions, Robinhood could be a great choice.
Robinhood’s IRA Match program has two levels: standard and Gold. Standard account holders get a 1% match bonus on all contributions and on the value of any transferred funds (like from an old 401(k)). Robinhood Gold members get a 3% match on the same.
There is no cap on the amount that Robinhood will match, so the sky’s the limit. If you have IRAs with other brokers and want to earn a near-immediate 3% on the value of the accounts, all you would need to do is sign up for Robinhood Gold and then transfer your accounts in.
There are two important things to consider with this offer, and they could balance each other out. Firstly, the initial transferred amount must remain in the account for at least five years before the bonus is officially yours. Secondly, while the bonus is in your account, it has the potential for five years of compounded growth.
Why Robinhood?
Investors would choose Robinhood for its ease of use, mobile accessibility, low trading fees, and easy access to advanced options on the available stocks and ETFs. Direct access to cryptocurrencies is another reason, as is the Spending account, which integrates very well into the Robinhood account suite.
Webull
Webull is well-known for its bonus offers, and its IRA promotions are good examples of why that is the case.
Webull’s ongoing promotion for new accounts is a very generous free stock offer. The promotion pays out up to 75 stocks, all of which are major US-traded companies. The number of stocks is unlocked based on the amount of new money deposited into an account. The value of each promotional stock ranges from $3 to $3,000.
There are three deposit tiers. A deposit of up to $499.99 earns three fractional shares, a deposit ranging from $500 to $24,999 earns twenty, and any amount above $25,000 earns 75.
To keep the shares, you must leave the money you used to trigger the bonus in your Webull account for at least 30 days.
Webull is also running a Spring IRA Match promotion that will pay out a 3.5% match on any amount. The deposit match can be used for transfers and contributions.
To retain your deposit, maintain the qualifying amount in your account for five years. You'll receive 20% of the 3.5% from the original amount that activated the bonus offer each year.
Why Webull?
Webull is built for active trading and accessibility. The broker’s advanced platforms and mobile application are highly rated. Webull’s trading software has many helpful features, such as seamless platform integration, screeners, customized trading dashboards, and multi-monitor support. Webull is also commission-free, and no fees are charged on options contracts.
Acorns
The final broker on our list is Acorns. Acorns Later is the name of the broker’s retirement account options, and it has the same long-term, passive savings approach that Acorns is so well known for. When you sign up for a new Acorns account and fund it with at least $5, your account gets credited with a $20 bonus.
Acorns Later includes SEP IRAs, Traditional IRAs, and Roth IRAs, and each can benefit from Acorns's powerful personal finance tools.
Why Acorns?
Acorns Later would be a good idea for anyone looking for simplicity and an automated, hands-off approach to their investing. Contributions are automatically invested into ETFs that make your portfolio, and you can change the balance at any time.
Updated on 9/2/2024.
Ben Wright is an investor, a trader, an educator, and something of an explorer. He spends his days in the markets when he is not teaching or spending time with his family. Ben writes about stockbrokers, markets, investment vehicles, promotional offers, and tools that help investors make the most of their time in the markets.
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