Bounty

E*Trade self-directed brokerage account bonus: is $10,000 worth it?

What it adds over what your cash earns now, tier by tier. Change the rate to yours.

+$10,000: more than leaving it at 4.15%

With $5,000,000 for 425 days, the tier that adds the most.

With the bonus4.32%
Leave it where it is4.15%

Yearly rate on $5,000,000 while it's there, bonus included.

Every tier

A smaller tier often wins: less cash away from what it earns now.

  • $1,000
    $50 bonus · 425 days
    +$50
  • $5,000
    $150 bonus · 425 days
    +$150
  • $20,000
    $300 bonus · 425 days
    +$300
  • $100,000
    $600 bonus · 425 days
    +$600
  • $200,000
    $1,000 bonus · 425 days
    +$1,000
  • $500,000
    $1,500 bonus · 425 days
    +$1,500
  • $1,000,000
    $3,000 bonus · 425 days
    +$3,000
  • $1,500,000
    $5,000 bonus · 425 days
    +$5,000
  • $2,000,000
    $6,000 bonus · 425 days
    +$6,000
  • $5,000,000Best for you
    $10,000 bonus · 425 days
    +$10,000

The math

Compared with leaving $5M at 4.15%

Bonus
+$10,000
Interest while it's there
4.15% for 425 days
+$241,610
What it'd earn at home
$5,000,000 at 4.15% for 425 days
−$241,610
Extra
+$10,000
Works out to 4.3% a year on that cash, vs 4.15% at home.

Deposit $5,000,000 in new money within 60 days · Keep $5,000,000 there until day 425. Terms checked Oct 10, 2026.

About this bonus

What it takes

  1. 1Deposit $5,000,000 in new money within 60 days
  2. 2Keep $5,000,000 there until day 425
Ends
Oct 31, 2026
Where
Nationwide
Pays while it's there
4.15% a year
Monthly fee
None
Keep it open
At least 425 days, or the bonus can be taken back
Cash stays
About 425 days
Bonus paid
Usually within 10 days of finishing

Similar bonuses

The same kind of account, ranked by what each adds at 4.15%.

Questions

Is the E*Trade self-directed brokerage account bonus worth it?

At 4.15%, about what T-bills or a money market fund pay (as of Oct 12, 2026), the $5,000,000 tier adds +$10,000: the $10,000 bonus plus $241,610 interest, minus the $241,610 that cash would have earned in 425 days. The $2,000,000 tier adds +$6,000. At a different rate the answer changes; the calculator on this page works it out for yours.

What are the requirements?

Deposit $5,000,000 in new money within 60 days; keep $5,000,000 there until day 425. Open nationwide.

When does it end?

The offer ends Oct 31, 2026. The terms were last checked Oct 10, 2026.