What Does a Great Brokerage Bonus Look Like?

Market record · January 2023 through December 2026 · updated October 6, 2026

The market is currently respectable at $100,000 and weak at $500,000. The best documented value at $500,000 fell from $20,000 during the late-2025 and early-2026 peak to roughly $7,734 now. At $100,000, the current TradeUp cash and NVDA stack is about $3,195, just above our exceptional threshold but limited to eligible new customers. Both figures value NVDA at $238.90 as of October 6; the final stock value will vary.

The plot below puts every representative offer on one field. Height is the gross reward. Horizontal span is the time people could enroll, not the required hold. The second line under each offer gives its gross value, simple annualized return, and hold period. Acid green marks an exceptional offer; pale vertical bands identify dry periods with no exceptional offer in market. Switch between the $500,000 and $100,000 views; $500,000 is shown first because that market has weakened the most.

Market history

At $100,000, a $3,000 reward is exceptional. Those windows have been brief and uneven. The best recent bursts were Webull's targeted 4% match and Tastytrade's 17-day 4% offer. TradeUp's current stack now clears the line and has been unusually long-lived.

At $500,000, $10,000 is the exceptional line. The plot makes the current lag obvious: percentage matches created large peaks, but most were targeted, IRA-only, or tied to five-year holds. Shorter 90-day offers paid less but sometimes produced a better annualized return.

That creates a useful waiting strategy. A short-duration Citi or Wells Fargo offer can keep part of the balance productive while you wait for the next strong percentage match. A $2,000–$3,500 reward with a 90-day qualification period is not a market peak, but it preserves far more optionality than accepting a mediocre five-year lock or leaving the assets inactive.

What counts as good?

These cutoffs are intentionally demanding. A five-year match consumes far more flexibility than a 90-day cash offer and should pay accordingly.

How long should you wait?

For $100,000, take a strong offer if you qualify and trust the custodian. Waiting only for another brief 4% campaign can leave the money idle for months. If the current offers do not fit, a three-to-six-month wait for at least $1,500 to $2,000 with a one-year-or-shorter hold is reasonable.

For $500,000, preserving flexibility is more valuable. A sensible trigger is $7,500 or more within one year, at least 2% annualized on a short hold, or $15,000 or more for a five-year commitment. In a dry period, use a short 60- or 90-day tier with part of the money instead of spending the entire balance on a small flat bonus.

The practical limit is one or two offer cycles, roughly three to six months. There is no dependable season. After six months, recalculate the opportunity cost rather than waiting automatically.

Caveats in the record

• Webull's 2023 peak required an IRA and a triple referral boost.
• Robinhood's 2024 3% offer was IRA-only and required Robinhood Gold for a five-year hold.
• Webull's 4% windows were targeted or referral-assisted and paid over five years.
• Tastytrade's January 2026 4% window lasted only 17 days.
• TradeUp's current stack is for new customers, requires ten trades, and includes stock with a variable market value.
• Wells Fargo required a branch visit and Premier checking relationship. It accepted linked brokerage assets, but was not a normal brokerage-only promotion.

This is a representative market record assembled from dated promotion reporting and official terms where available, not a daily index of every private or targeted campaign. The earliest start date for Robinhood's 2024 window is approximate. Select any line in the plots to open its source.

See the current brokerage bonus table and calculator before acting. Historical sources document old terms; they are not application links.