Personal Finance Reviews » Bonus offers

Zecco Forex $100 Bonus

pfreviews — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 03:51:58 +0000

Are you trading Forex or considering currency trading?

If you are, then you can get up to $100 bonus to get started from Zecco Forex during its holiday promotion. From now till December 18, 2009, if you open a Zecco Forex account and fund the account with at least $1,000, then you get receive a cash bonus after making 3 round-trip trades (purchase and sale of either 1 or more standard, mini, or metal lots). Depending on the amount of deposit, you will get

$25 bonus for $1,000 deposit or more
$50 bonus for $5,000 deposit or more
$100 bonus for $10,000 deposit or more

after meeting all the requirements (open an account, deposit and make 3 trades before 12/18/2009).

Since I don’t have a Zecco Forex account, I don’t know exactly what it offers, but here are some highlights of Zecco Forex:

Easy-to-use, practice version of the Zecco Forex trading platform
$50,000 in virtual funds – trade risk-free
200:1 leverage
Real-time quotes in 37 currency pairs
Powerful charting
24-hour news headlines
Daily and weekly Forex research
24/6 support by phone and live chat

ShareBuilder $50 New Account Bouns

pfreviews — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 05:17:26 +0000

Online broker ShareBuilder, which is part of ING Direct, used to run a lot of promotions in the early days when there weren’t as many real discount brokers as there are now. Back then, buying stocks with only $4 commission (with their automatic investment plan) seemed to be a good deal for many cost-conscious small investors. Trading real-time with ShareBuilder costs even more, at $9.95 per trade to be exact.

Now, with so many discount brokers to choose from, some even offer stock trades that cost less than $4 per trades (for example, OptionsHouse $2.95/trade and SogoTrade $3/trade) without the constrain that you can only invest on a particular day of the month, I don’t know how many people are still interested in trading with ShareBuilder. I know I am not. I opened a few accounts a long time ago to take advantage of the free bonus offer. Now they have all been shut down. Of course, with ShareBuilder, you can buy partial shares since the dollar amount for each trade is fixed. You can’t do this with other brokers because you can only buy a number of shares in each trade. This could work better if the stock you want to buy has a very high share price that prevents you from buying a whole share. With ShareBuilder, though, you can buy a fraction of one share at a time and accumulate shares gradually.

But if you are one of those who still want to have an account with ShareBuilder, then here’s a $50 bonus offer for you. From now to December 31, 2009, if you open an account with ShareBuilder using promo code TRADEBONUS and make one trade before the deadline, you will receive the $50 bonus in about four weeks after the account opening.

PerkStreet Financial Checking Account $50 Bonus Promotion

pfreviews — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 04:42:09 +0000

Are you using debit card a lot?

If you are, then here’s a new offer that will let you earn rewards every time you use the card to make a purchase. Plus, it will give you $50 bonus if you open an account now.

The new PerkStreet Online Checking Account, backed by The Bancorp Bank, gives the account holders 1% cash back for non-PIN based transactions every time when the PerkStreet Financial™ Visa® debit card is used. The accumulated cash back rewards can then be redeemed gift cards (every dollar perk you redeem gets you $1 on a PerkStreet Financial Visa Gift Card or a gift card from Target, Best Buy, Amazon.com, GAP or Ticketmaster), free music (every $100 in non-PIN purchases earns you a song and every song you redeem gets you $1 in credit at iTunes, Rhapsody or Amazon.com Gift Cards for MP3s or millions of other items at Amazon.com) or coffee (every $200 in non-PIN purchase earns you a cup of coffee and every cup you redeem gets you $2 in credit on a reloadable gift card from Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, Peet’s Coffee and Tea and Bruegger’s Bagels).

Right now PerkStreet Financial is offering a $50 bonus if you open a checking account before December 31, 2009 with only $25 initial deposit. The account itself doesn’t charge a monthly fee as long as you use the account at least once a month (so the account is not inactive). To stay active, you can use the debit card to make a purchase. Or you do any of the following: Write a check, use online bill pay, withdraw money from or make a deposit to the account. If you use PerkStreet Checking Account as you primary checking account, then the above requirements can be easily met and the $4.50 monthly account maintenance fee can be avoided.

In addition to the 1% cash back, PerkStreet Checking Account also offers other benefits such as free online bill pay and first set of checks for free. Cash withdrawals from the participating STARsf network ATMs is free of charge; otherwise, a $2 fee will be assessed if withdrawing cash from out-0f-network ATMs.

Finally, some information about the bank behind this new checking account, The Bancorp Bank. The Bancorp Inc. is a publicly traded company (symbol TBBK) that is headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware. The bank has offices in Philadelphia, Exton, and Warminster, Pennsylvania; Crofton, Maryland; Orlando, Florida; and Sioux Falls, South Dakota. According to the FDIC record, The Bankcorp Bank is established on July 28, 2000 and has been a member of FDIC since July 28, 2000 (FDIC Cert: 35444).

To receive the bonus, in addition to the $25 deposit, you will also keep the account active for three straight months. The bonus will be deposited into your account within 15 business days of the end of the third month.

SogoTrade 100 Commission Free Trades Promotion

pfreviews — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 15:11:18 +0000

Here’s another promotion from a discount broker.

SogoTrade is offering 100 commission free trades for every new customer. It’s quite easy to get the free trades: Open a SogoTrade account; fund the account with $500; receive the bonus. There is a restriction on the free trades though. They have to be used within 30 days after the account is funded, or they will expire.

On one hand, the offer is quite generous because the total value of the offer is $300. That’s much better than promotions from other brokers (OptionsHouse also offers 100 free trades). On the other hand, how many investors, especial small investors, can make 100 trades in 30 days?

SogoTrade Commission

How much does it cost to trade with SogoTrade?

SogoTrade is very competitive in terms of commission. It charges $3.00 per internet equity trade, regardless the number of shares. From what I know, the commission is only higher than what OptionsHouse charges at $2.95/trade, but much lower than the fee at other widely used discount brokers like Zecco, TradeKing, and Scottrade. For options trading, there’s another $0.70 for each contract.

SogoTrade doesn’t charge any fee if the account is in dormant mode and, unlike other brokers, it doesn’t charge a fee if you are not happy with SogoTrade and want to transfer the account to somewhere else. The transfer usually costs $50 at other brokers. But this is not the only benefit. If you like Sogotrade and want to transfer your account at another broker to SogoTrade, you will get reimbursed for the account transfer fee charged by the other broker up to $100 if the account balance is $25,000 or more.

So, what do you think about SogoTrade and this promotion offer?

OptionsHouse Free Trades Promotion

pfreviews — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:14:44 +0000

Online discount stock and options broker OptionsHouse is currently running a promotion which will give each new customer 100 commission-free trades when the new account is opened during the promotion period in November and December 2009.

Here’s what you need to do in order to receive the free trades:

1. Open an OptionsHouse broker account using promotion code FREE100 before December 31, 2009 (you have to use this link to open an account to get the bonus. The sign-up link on their website doesn’t have this offer);
2. Make an initial deposit of $3,000 or more within 45 days after account opening;
3. Receive 100 commission free trades;
4. Use the free trades in 60 days after the account is funded.

Currently the fee charged by OptionsHouse for stock trades is $2.95/trade, so the total value of this promotions is $295, which is pretty nice considering what other brokers used to offer in the past promotions (for example, TradeKing is offering $50 bonus in their current promotion). However, I doubt there are many new customers can take full advantage of this promotion unless he/she is a heavy trader because 100 trades in 60 days are a lot of trades to make in such a short period of time. So on one and, you have this nice promotion that could save you a lot of money on commissions; on the other hand, the time frame will certainly limit the effectiveness of this promotion.

Anyway, since OptionsHouse charges much less fee for stock trades compared to other widely used stock brokers (for example, Zecco $4.50/trade, TradeKing $4.95/trade, Firstrade $6.95/trade and Scottrade $7.00/trade), it is still a good option for small investors who want to lower trading cost, even if it may be impossible to exhaust all the free trades. So it you are considering to have an OptionsHouse account, this is definitely a good opportunity to get started with this promotion.

Interested? Open an OptionsHouse account today.

ING Electric Orange Checking $25 Bonus Reference Code

pfreviews — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 02:35:28 +0000

Here a ING Direct Electric Orange Checking Account bonus offer I just received in the mail, though I don’t use that checking account.

The offer is $25 bonus when you open an ING Electric Orange account before October 31, 2009. However, this is not the only condition that you have to meet in order to get the bonus. In addition, you will also have to use the free Debit Card to make 3 signature transactions within the first 45 days after the account is opened. Once you make the transactions, the bonus will be posted in your account on day 50.

Like the Orange Savings account, the rates of Electric Orange is pretty dismal if you have a small balance. Currently, the yield is only 0.25% APY for balance up to $50,000. And even if you have $100,000 or more and you want to put the money in the checking account (I don’t know why somebody would have $100K in a checking account), then you can earn 1.50% APY, still not very attractive. With that kind of money, you can get a better deal by putting them in a savings account at, for example, Ally Bank, to earn 1.70% return.

Besides, bearing interest, Electric Orange also has some other features that look pretty attractive, such as no minimum balance, no monthly fee, not ATM surcharge, and no overdraft fee, etc.

Anyway, if you are interested, use reference code EL596 to open a Electric Orange Checking Account and get the bonus.

Chase Freedom Card $50 Bonus Offer

pfreviews — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 04:10:31 +0000

How does $50 free money sounds? If you like it, you can get it when you apply for a Chase Freedom Card, get approved, and use the card, to make a purchase or transfer a balance. Very simple.

Chase Freedom Card Rewards Summary

The Chase Freedom Card is designed for those who have good or excellent credit and who plan to take advantage of the cash rewards program. The card currently offers 1% cash back for each dollar spent on every purchase, regardless of the category of the purchase. If you use the card to purchase airline tickets online through the program booking tool, you will earn an additional 1% rebate for each $1 spent. In addition, the card also has a rotating rewards program that will let you earn 3% cash back for every dollar in selected categories, such as gas, home improvement and department stores. If you use the card to make purchases through Chase’s online shopping network, you can earn up to 10% cash back, even up to 20% cash back at select merchants.

As many card issuers have cut back cash rewards of their credit cards, Chase Freedom Card is one of the cards that has kept its rewards program stable. Best of all, there is no maximum number of rebates that you can accumulate in the program, so you don’t have to worry about your unused rewards as they will never expire, as long as you keep your account in good standing.

The Freedom Card has no annual membership fee. Other benefits of the card include 0% introductory rate on purchases for up to 12 months (the exact length of the introductory rate period depends on your credit history) and Zero Liability Protection that protects you from any unauthorized charge.

$50 Bonus Reward

You will receive $50 in bonus rebates with this bonus offer, which can be redeemed for a $50 check. You will qualify for and receive your bonus after your first purchase/first use of the card, including purchases, balance transfers, or any checks that are used to access your account, and excludes cash advances. After qualifying, please allow 6 to 8 weeks for bonus rebates to post to your account. This bonus offer, however, is valid only for first-time cardmembers with new accounts. If you are already a Chase Freedom Card member, then you are not eligible for this bonus offer.

Now, are you interested in the card? If so, apply for a Chase Freedom Card and get $50 free money

Capital One $25 Bonus For Online Savings Account

pfreviews — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 17:26:22 +0000

Capital One Direct Banking now has a promotion for its Online Savings Account. The promotion will give a $25 bonus for every new account owner from now till November 25th when the minimum deposit requirement is met.

I like the idea that banks offer a little incentive when they try to lure new customers, though what they actually offer also plays a role when deciding whether I want to do business with the bank or not. In this case, what Capital One offers in its Online Savings Account is a annual yield of 1.60% APY. How competitive is this rate compared to other online banks’ offers? Well, it’s higher than ING Direct Orange Savings Account’s 1.30% APY, but lower than EverBank Money Market Account’s 2.51% bonus APY (which is good for the first three months after account opening). The rate is also inferior to the 1.80% APY from Ally Bank Online Savings Account. So in general, Capital One is in the middle of the rate ladder. While the rate seems to be OK, savers, especially those with a relatively small account balance are likely to stay away from the bank because, in order to earn the 1.60% return, you will have to maintain at least $10,000 in the account, a requirement that’s significantly higher than what other online banks require. If the balance falls below the mark, then you can only earn 0.60% APY for your money.

If you can meet the minimum balance requirement, here’s what you need to do in order to get the bonus:

Open a Online Savings Account before November 25th using promotion code SAVER25DF;
Make an initial deposit of $10,000;
Get $25 bonus from Capital One.

Quite straightforward, right?

BTW, the bonus offer is also good for Capital One’s Money Market Account, which has an yield of 1.20% APY.

ING Direct Electric Orange $50 Bonus Promotion

pfreviews — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 18:59:08 +0000

ING Direct is currently running a promotion for its Electric Orange Checking Account. The promotion will give $50 bonus to each new customer when the following conditions are met during the promotion period:

Open an Electric Orange with promotion code EL593 by October 31, 2009;
Activate the Electric Orange MasterCard Debit Card;
Use the Electric Orange Card to make at least 3 signature-based purchases in the first 45 days after the account has been opened;
$50 bonus will be automatically deposited into the Electric Orange 50 days after the account has been opened.

Electric Orange is ING’s interest bearing checking account, but interests paid on a small account balance is close to nothing. Currently, an account with balance up to $50,000 only earns 0.25% APY. Interest rate for balance between $50,000 and $100,000 is at 1.50% APY and 1.55% APY for balance of $100,000 or more.

The account has no minimum balance requirement and no monthly service fees. The debit card also allows you to withdraw cash from AllPoint network ATMs for free.

Provident Bank Checking Account $123 Bonus

pfreviews — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 04:07:54 +0000

Provident Bank is giving $123 for every new Provident Checking account customer.

From now till March 1, 2009, you can receive $123 bonus if you open a new Totally Free, Regular, Interest or Platinum Checking account from Provident Bank and set up direct deposit. This offer, however, is available to residents of DC, MD, PA, VA or WV only. If you are not living in these states, don’t bother. To open an account and qualify for the bonus, you will need at least $25 as initial deposit and keep the Provident MasterMoney debit card active, in addition to the direct deposit requirement.

Among the eligible checking account, both Interest Checking account and Platinum Checking account are interest bearing accounts, even though the rates are close to nothing. For Interest account, the rate is 0.10% APY, while Platinum account earns you 0.25% APY. These interests don’t come free, though. To earn interests with Interest Checking account and avoid monthly fee ($10), you will have to maintain a minimum daily balance of $1,500. For Platinum account, the minimum balance to avoid $20 monthly fee is $5,000.

Worth it? Not really. I’d rather use a low minimum balance checking account and keep the rest money in a high interest rate savings account such as Dollar Savings Direct or FNBO Direct.

Other benefits of the checking accounts include:

Free Provident ATM transactions
Opportunity to sign up for Power Points rewards program
Free online banking with bill payment
Free Mobile Banking
Free MasterMoney Debit Card
Free Check Safekeeping

Interest and Platinum Checking accounts also offer unlimited check writing, unlimited teller transactions, and free Check Safekeeping or check images.

If you are interested and meet the resident requirement, you can use this link to open an account and get the bonus.