Advertiser Disclosure
Many of the offers that appear on this site are from companies from which The Motley Fool receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear), but our reviews and ratings are not influenced by compensation. We do not include all companies or all offers available in the marketplace.
Cole Tretheway is a full-time personal finance writer whose articles have been featured on The Ascent and The Motley Fool. He has a degree in English with a Certificate in Professional and Technical Communication from California Polytechnic University, SLO.
Ashley Maready is a former history museum professional who made the leap to digital content writing and editing in 2021. She has a BA in History and Philosophy from Hood College and an MA in Applied History from Shippensburg University. Ashley loves creating content for the public and learning new things so she can teach others, whether it's information about salt mining, canal mules, or personal finance.
Many or all of the products here are from our partners that compensate us. It’s how we make money. But our editorial integrity ensures our experts’ opinions aren’t influenced by compensation. Terms may apply to offers listed on this page.
Charles Schwab likes to offer limited-time promotions to members and non-members. Below are its current promotions, including how much you could earn.
New Account Bonus: Earn $101 by opening a new Charles Schwab account through Schwab's "Starter Kit" promotion
4.5/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Bottom Line
Schwab has aggressively slashed fees on its mutual funds and ETFs, eliminated common account fees, reduced commissions to $0 per trade, and allows investors to buy fractional shares of stock, making it extremely affordable.
Fees:
$0 stock, ETF, and Schwab Mutual Fund OneSource® trades. No fees to buy fractional shares.
How you earn it: Open a Charles Schwab account through the Starter Kit promotional page. Within 30 days of opening an account, fund it with $50.
How you qualify: First-time users must open a Schwab Individual Brokerage account through the "Starter Kit" promotional page. If you're already enrolled in another Schwab promotion, you're not eligible for this one.
Details: Charles Schwab deposits the $101 into your brokerage account. Charles Schwab schedules the money to buy fractions of the top five U.S. stocks by market cap. Once the deposit hits your account, you have a narrow window to cancel the order. If you cancel, the cash will remain in your account, and you can use it for whatever.
Offer expires: TBD.
Deposit Bonus: Earn $300 to $6,000 by enrolling and depositing cash or securities into an eligible account
How you earn it: Enroll your account in this promotion. Within 45 days, deposit at least $50,000 into your account. If your account is taxable, hold your deposit for one year.
How you qualify: Enroll your individual Charles Schwab brokerage account, either taxable or IRA. This can't be combined with other Charles Schwab promos.
Details: The more you deposit, the more you earn.
Deposit amount
Cash bonus
$50,000 to $249,999
$300
$250,000 to $499,999
$600
$500,000 to $999,999
$1,200
$1,000,000 to $4,999,999
$2,500
$5,000,000 or more
$6,000
Data source: Charles Schwab.
If you're a current Charles Schwab client, you can call 800-503-3307 to enroll in this promo. Charles Schwab calls it the Schwab Investor Reward.
Offer expires: TBD
Referral Bonus: Earn $100 to $1,000 by opening a Charles Schwab brokerage account using a referral code, then funding it
How you earn it: Have a friend who's a Schwab customer send you a referral code. Use the code when signing up for a new Charles Schwab brokerage account. Within 45 days, deposit at least $25,000 worth of cash or securities into your account.
How you qualify: You must be a new Charles Schwab client -- current users aren't eligible. You're also ineligible if you've already enrolled in another Charles Schwab promotion.
Details: The more you fund your account, the more you earn. Here's the breakdown:
Deposit Amount
Cash Bonus Reward
$25,000 to $49,999
$100
$50,00 to $99,999
$300
$100,000 to $499,999
$500
$500,000 or more
$1,000
Data source: Charles Schwab
Charles Schwab offers many types of brokerage accounts. Eligible accounts include taxable and retirement accounts. They also include Schwab-managed accounts. It's worth asking Charles Schwab to reimburse you transfer fees. These are charged by your other brokers. The fees are typically $75 to $100 for outgoing transfers. According to current customers, Charles Schwab sometimes reimburses the cost upon request.
Offer expires: N/A.
Free Trades Bonus: Earn 500 commission-free trades by enrolling your Charles Schwab account and funding it
How you earn it: Enroll an existing Charles Schwab account by contacting a representative, Or open a new account through the promo page. Within 45 days, deposit $100,000 into your enrolled account.
How you qualify: Enroll a new or existing account. You're ineligible if you've already enrolled in another Charles Schwab promotion.
Details: Your 500 commision-free trades are valid for two years after being credited to your account. Use them or lose them. Charles Schwab offers commission-free trading on stocks and ETFs, so this offer is most valuable if you trade options and want to waive $0.65 per-contract fees on options trading, up to 20 contracts per trade (standard per-contract fees apply for additional contracts). You can also waive fees for U.S. exchange-listed (NMS) and U.S. over-the-counter securities, as well as Canadian stock transactions.
Foreign transaction, exchange, and regulatory fees still apply.
Offer expires: TBD
What else should you know about Charles Schwab bonuses?
Brokers frequently update their promotions; consider checking for updates periodically. We track the latest Charles Schwab promotions here.
Are Charles Schwab promotions worth it?
If you have not enrolled in a Charles Schwab brokerage promotion, they're worth considering. All Charles Schwab brokerage promos are mutually exclusive.
Consider the New Account Bonus if you have less than $50,000 to invest in your new Charles Schwab brokerage account. The $101 bonus is generous, especially considering you only need to fund the account with $50 to earn it.
Consider enrolling in the Deposit Bonus if you're about to make a big deposit into your Charles Schwab brokerage account. You'll earn cash on deposits of $50,000 or more.
Consider opting into the Schwab Referral Bonus if a friend is a Charles Schwab client. It's an excellent all-around stock broker for beginners and experienced investors. However, if you're depositing less than $25,000 or more than $500,000, another bonus may serve you better than this one.
Consider enrolling in the Free Trades Bonus if you trade options or over-the-counter securities.
Alternatives to Consider
We recommend comparing brokerage options to ensure the account you're selecting is the best fit for you. To make your search easier, here's a short list of our best trading platforms of 2024.
Account
Fees
Account Minimum
Rating image, 4.5 out of 5 stars.
4.5/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
4.5/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
$0 for stocks, ETFs, and options; up to $6.99 monthly for Robinhood Gold
4.5/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
You get your New Account Bonus one trading day after funding your account. But if you deposit after 8:30 p.m. ET, you'll get your bonus in two trading days.
You get your Deposit Bonus within 10 days after your 45-day eligibility period ends.
You get your Referral Bonus one to two weeks after your 45-day eligibility period ends.
You get the Free Trades Bonus one week after Schwab confirms your eligibility.
Once per eligible account. Bonuses are mutually exclusive; you can't double dip.
Share This Page
We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. The Ascent, a Motley Fool service, does not cover all offers on the market. The Ascent has a dedicated team of editors and analysts focused on personal finance, and they follow the same set of publishing standards and editorial integrity while maintaining professional separation from the analysts and editors on other Motley Fool brands.
Charles Schwab is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. Cole Tretheway has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Charles Schwab. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: short September 2024 $77.50 calls on Charles Schwab. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Robinhood disclosure
All investments involve risk and loss of principal is possible.
Securities are offered through Robinhood Financial LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. Cryptocurrency services are offered through an account with Robinhood Crypto, LLC (NMLS ID 1702840). Robinhood Crypto is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the New York State Department of Financial Services. Cryptocurrency held through Robinhood Crypto is not FDIC insured or SIPC protected. For more information see the Robinhood Crypto Risk Disclosure.
Trades of stocks, ETFs and options are commission-free at Robinhood Financial LLC. Other fees may apply. Please see Robinhood Financial’s Fee Schedule to learn more.
Fractional shares are illiquid outside of Robinhood and are not transferable. Not all securities available through Robinhood are eligible for fractional share orders. For a complete explanation of conditions, restrictions and limitations associated with fractional shares, see the Fractional Shares section of our Customer Agreement.
Robinhood Gold is an account offering premium services available for a $5 monthly fee. Not all investors will be eligible to trade on Margin. Margin investing involves the risk of greater investment losses. Additional interest charges may apply depending on the amount of margin used. Bigger Instant Deposits are only available if your Instant Deposits status is in good standing.
E*TRADE services are available just to U.S. residents.
The Ascent is a Motley Fool service that rates and reviews essential products for your everyday money matters.