【2025.10 Update】This account now has an extra bonus. If you have BofA Platinum Rewards, you can get up to $1,000 by using the link below.

This is a pretty good bonus, so we’ve also added it to our investment account rankings.

Deposit the required amount within 45 days of opening the account and keep it there for 90 days. The top tier is a $1,000 bonus for $250,000. The bonuses on the other tiers are also better than the standard offer, so it’s worth comparing them with the $600 promotion.

The standard account bonus is below. Simply meet the deposit requirement within 45 days to earn up to a $600 bonus!

Details are as follows:

  • Deposit more than $20,000, get a $100 bonus
  • Deposit more than $50,000, get a $150 bonus
  • Deposit more than $100,000, get a $250 bonus
  • Deposit more than $200,000, get a $600 bonus

About Merrill Edge

Merrill Edge is the self-directed brokerage platform from Merrill Lynch / Bank of America, and it supports commission-free trading for most stocks and exchange-traded funds. One especially important point is that you do not need to invest the deposit right away, which helps avoid falling short of the required balance because of market fluctuations.

Opening Bonus

See the beginning of the article.

About Premium Accounts

If you deposit a larger amount, you can also qualify for Platinum Honors at Bank of America and enjoy benefits such as fee waivers.

Key Terms

  • After opening the account, you must fund it with new assets within 45 days and maintain the balance for at least 90 days (assets transferred from Bank of America, MLPF&S, and 401(k) accounts do not count as eligible new assets).
  • At account opening, you must enter promo code 600ME in the online application, or call 888.MER.EDGE (888.637.3343) to register with a Merrill Edge financial advisor.
  • Each account holder is limited to one Cash Management Account and one IRA, for a maximum of two accounts in total. (If you can open both a Cash Management Account and an IRA, the deposit requirements can be tracked separately, so you may even be able to earn the opening bonus on both accounts.)

Fees

If you open a self-directed account, there is no monthly fee and no minimum investment requirement. Trading stocks and ETFs is free.

About Investment Accounts

Many investment and stock accounts now offer very high opening bonuses. You can pick a few good ones to open. These account openings do not affect your credit score, so you can safely open several if you want.

Stock Basics

Below are introductions and sign-up bonuses for several commonly used U.S. stock brokerages.

Review Sign-up bonus Quick take
Moomoo (Futu) $200 stock card + $1,000 NVDA + 8.1% APY Feature-rich, with a good Chinese-language experience. Market data, Level 2, options, and cash management are all practical, making it suitable for everyone from beginners to active traders.
TradeUp (Tiger Brokers) 50 NVDA shares + chance to win 5 shares + 4% for three months Good for active trading. Trading fees and margin are relatively competitive for U.S. tax residents, and it supports Web Trading, Level 2, and Chinese-language customer service.
Webull 12 fractional shares + 1 month of Premium membership Strong market-monitoring and active-trading features, with relatively complete charts, technical indicators, options, and pre-market/after-hours trading. Best for users who trade frequently.
BBAE Up to $650 bonus Relatively convenient account opening for Chinese users, and you can apply without an SSN/ITIN. Chinese-language support is good, but there is currently a Platform Fee, so it is not ideal for small-balance high-frequency trading.
Robinhood Chance to get 1 stock Simple interface and easy to use, suitable for beginners buying U.S. stocks for the first time. Gold users also get a high yield on idle cash and a lower Margin Rate.
Interactive Brokers Up to $1,000 Highly professional, with support for global markets and multiple currencies. Margin costs are competitive, and it also supports account opening for Chinese residents, making it suitable for advanced and global investors.
TradeStation $250 Geared more toward professional and active trading, with strong advanced charting, strategy backtesting, and automated trading features. Ordinary long-term investors may not need it.
Schwab Up to $1,000 Good for long-term investing and larger asset balances, and convenient for buying ETFs and CDs. Checking and worldwide ATMs are also strengths, but the default interest rate on idle cash is relatively low.
Fidelity brokerage account Sign-up link A long-established full-service brokerage, suitable for long-term investing, ETFs, and retirement accounts. Cash management is also solid, making it a good primary brokerage for the long run.
BIT (formerly Matrixport) Deposit and trade to get $210 Suitable for Chinese users and digital-asset users. You can use funds such as USDT/USDC to allocate to U.S. stocks. It is not a traditional U.S. brokerage, so fees and the asset custody structure need to be reviewed separately.
SoFi Invest Open an account to get $75 Simple to use and supports Stock Bits, making it suitable for small-balance and long-term investing. Professional market data and trading tools are limited, so it is not suitable for frequent trading.
M1 Finance Invest Deposit money to get $10 Focuses on Pies and automated investing. It is suitable for long-term recurring investments after setting your stock and ETF allocations, but not for users whose main focus is active trading.

If you do not have an SSN/ITIN but still want to trade U.S. stocks, you can consider the brokerages/platforms below. They can be registered entirely with Chinese documents, using either an ID card or passport. None participate in China's CRS.

  • BBAE: Chinese-user-friendly; you can open an account without an SSN/ITIN.
  • BIT (formerly Matrixport): You can open an account with an ID card, and approval can take just a few hours.
  • Bitget platform: Identity verification can be completed with an ID card or Chinese passport.

If you are in mainland China and want to invest in U.S. stocks, see this summary:

Application Link