Best Bank or Credit Union for Sign-Up Bonuses

How we picked the companies to evaluate:

We took a close look at over 70 financial institutions, including the largest U.S. retail banks, based on assets and internet search traffic; the nation’s largest credit unions, based on assets and membership; and other notable and/or emerging players in the industry, based on competitive checking and savings offerings. We rated them on criteria including annual percentage yields, minimum balances, fees, digital experience and more. Some of the providers are NerdWallet partners, but this did not influence our selection of the winner.

How we chose the winner:

The winning bank or credit union was the one with the best ratio of amount of bonus to minimum deposit required. In case of a tie, financial institutions were compared by category in the following order until one institution remained:

Number of people the bonus is available to.
Fastest access to bonus.
How long money has to stay in account.
Required time between bonuses.

How we verified our data:

NerdWallet writers and editors confirmed fees, rates, policies and other key features on each financial institution’s website. If an institution’s website was missing information, we contacted a representative directly for confirmation.

See all methodologies

EXPLORE the AWARD WINNERS

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