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I’ve been investing in index funds for over 15 years, and I’ll be honest — brokerage bonuses didn’t get me there. Consistent investing did. But if you’re already planning to open an account or move your portfolio to a different broker, you might as well grab a few hundred (or a few thousand) bucks of free money on the way in.
June is one of the better months to make the move. Tax refund season is mostly behind us, summer trading volume tends to dip, and brokers are eager to welcome new customers.
My team at Motley Fool Money tracks brokerage promos constantly, and these four stood out to me this month.
1. E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley — top pick for funding a serious starter account
Current promo: Earn up to $1,500 when you open and fund a new E*TRADE brokerage account using promo code OFFER26 by 6/30/26. You’ll need to fund the account within 60 days, and the bonus scales based on how much you deposit. Funding $1,000 unlocks a small bonus, while the full $1,500 requires a deposit of $500,000 or more in new funds or securities.
Best for: Anyone who can fund a large new account right away. If you’ve been sitting on a chunk of cash from a bonus, an inheritance, or just aggressive saving — this is one of E*TRADE’s best promotions worth jumping on before it expires.
2026 Award WinnerBottom Line
E*TRADE offers low fees and tons of account types. If you need it, chances are, E*TRADE has it. You can access advanced features through its popular Power E*TRADE platform. Open an E*TRADE account to trade fee-free mutual funds and do all your investing in one place.
Fees:
Commission-free; other fees apply
Current promo: Earn a 1% uncapped match when you transfer your portfolio from another brokerage. Works on traditional brokerage accounts, IRAs, and 401(k) rollovers.
Best for: Public is a great broker for fee-conscious investors who want full transparency on how their trades are handled. The 1% bonus match is uncapped, which makes this especially good for folks with large rollovers to complete or big portfolios they are wanting to move over. The bigger the transfer, the bigger the bonus.
Bottom Line
With zero fees for many trades, Public is a uniquely low-cost broker. You can invest in a surprising range of assets, including ETFs, options, crypto, and royalties.
Fees:
$0 commissions, 1%-2% crypto markups
3. Charles Schwab — easy bonus for brand-new investors
Current promo: Open a new Schwab brokerage account, deposit at least $50 within 30 days, and Schwab adds $50 of free stock to your account through its Schwab Starter Kit. Schwab gives you fractional shares (called Stock Slices) of five large U.S. companies, so you can own pieces of expensive stocks without needing thousands of dollars.
Best for: This is my favorite promo for first-time investors, attached to one of the most respected names in the business. It has an extremely low bar ($50) to get started, and Schwab’s tools are perfect for learning the ropes without feeling overwhelmed. Schwab also has other promotions for transferring larger portfolios via friend referrals.
2026 Award WinnerBottom Line
Charles Schwab pioneered the low-cost brokerage model decades ago, and that legacy continues with its lineup of no-commission-fee offerings. The robust lineup of account types, investment vehicles, and high quality app round out the stacked feature set.
Fees:
$0 stock, ETF, and Schwab Mutual Fund OneSource® trades. No fees to buy fractional shares.
4. Moomoo — top pick for active traders
Current promo: Earn up to $1,000 in NVIDIA stock when you make cumulative deposits — starting at $30 in stock for a $500 deposit, scaling up to $1,000 in stock for a $100,000 deposit. Plus when you enroll in Cash Sweep, you can earn 8.1% APY on uninvested cash (3.35% APY plus an extra 4.75% APY for two months).
Best for: I’ll be straight with you — Moomoo isn’t my typical broker recommendation for everyday investors, because I preach long-term buy-and-hold investing. But if you’re a knowledgeable active trader, Moomoo’s tools and pricing are genuinely competitive. The 8.1% APY on uninvested cash is also one of the strongest sweep rates I’ve seen this year.
Bottom Line
Moomoo offers an impressive suite of tools for active investing and day trading. Moomoo keeps its fees low, with no commissions and low rates on margin loans. If you want affordable, sophisticated tools for research, analysis, charting, and building customized investment portfolios, Moomoo could be worth a look.
Fees:
$0 for stocks, ETFs, and options
Which broker is best for you?
Bonus chasing is nice — even a quick $50 for something you were going to do anyway is a win. But the truth I’ve learned over 15+ years of investing is that no sign-up bonus has ever moved the needle on my net worth the way consistent, boring, monthly contributions have.
If you’re new to investing and just need to start, a large traditional broker like Charles Schwab is a great pick. If you already have a large portfolio and want to transfer to a new broker, several platforms have tiered bonuses that reward you based on how much you move.
My general advice is to pick the broker that fits the kind of investor you actually are — not the one with the flashiest promotion. We’ve done our best to offer honest reviews for each firm so that you can find the best long-term match for you.
See all the best brokerage accounts in 2026 to compare options.
