Bank bonuses
How checking and savings sign-up bonuses work, what qualifies, and what they cost you.
What is a clawback window, and when is the first safe day to close?
A clawback window is the period after opening during which closing costs you the bonus. How to find it, how to date the first safe day, and what silence means.
Is a bank bonus worth it? The arithmetic that answers it
How to judge a bank bonus on the cash it locks up and the days it takes: committed days, net bonus, annualised return, and the savings rate it has to beat.
How to read a bank bonus offer before you open the account
The eight lines in a bank bonus offer that decide whether you get paid: deposit definition, window and its start, payout period, fee, exclusions.
Does opening bank accounts hurt your credit?
Opening a checking account does not touch your credit score. What checking account reporting companies record, the seven-year limit, and your free report.
Do you pay taxes on bank bonuses?
A cash bank bonus is taxable interest in the year it posts, whether or not a Form 1099-INT arrives. What the IRS says, the $10 form threshold, and what to keep.
Can you close a bank account after getting the bonus?
You can close once the bonus has posted, but the offer terms decide when that is safe. What Chase and Wells Fargo print, and the three dates to check first.
Why hasn't my bank bonus posted?
A bonus that has not posted usually failed one written condition. The checks in order, the posting windows Chase and Wells Fargo state, and how to escalate.
What counts as a direct deposit for a bank bonus?
Banks pay checking bonuses only for deposits they call direct deposits. How Chase and Wells Fargo define one, what they exclude, and how to check.