josephstern

Update 7/11/13:

Not miles, and not amazing values (to me) but there are some transfer bonuses currently:

https://www.tdameritrade.com/client/...rds/index.html

Update 5/31/12: Now they're all gone. PM me if anything becomes active again and I'll update here.

Update 3/2: Looks like only the AA offer has been renewed at this point.

-----

TD Ameritrade is a brokerage house that offers miles for opening, funding, and maintaining that funding in a new account.

The offers are:

United Miles:

$50K = 25K miles
$10K = 15K miles
$2.5K = 5K miles

http://www.tdameritrade.com/offer/pa...ed/united.html

Continental Miles (not sure why they still offer both this and United):

$50K = 25K miles
$10K = 15K miles
$2.5K = 5K miles

http://www.tdameritrade.com/offer/pa...ntinental.html

Delta Miles:

$50K = 25K miles
$10K = 15K miles
$2.5K = 5K miles

http://www.tdameritrade.com/offer/pa...lta/delta.html

American Miles

$50K = 25K miles
$10K = 15K miles
$2.5K = 5K miles

http://www.tdameritrade.com/offer/pa...can/index.html

US Airways Miles:

$50K = 25K miles
$10K = 15K miles
$2.5K = 5K miles

https://www.tdameritrade.com/offer/p...ays/index.html

Starwood Points (best deal, in my opinion, if you plan to max out, since 20K SPG points can convert to 25K miles on many airlines, and the balance required is lower):

$25K = 20K points
$10K = 10K points
$2K = 3K miles

http://www.tdameritrade.com/offer/pa.../starwood.html

Important note here: the terms require you to keep the money on deposit for 9 months. TD generally gives half the miles/points initially, and the other half after 6 months, but can (and reportedly has) take back miles/points if you pull money out before the 9 months are complete. In my case, I have simply asked TD when I could pull my money out without fear of miles being rescinded, and they calculated the date for me.

As compared with the very popular Fidelity offers discussed here:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/miles...-airlines.html

there are some major differences with the TD offers.

-I don't believe money can be cycled in and out as it can with Fidelity.

-Money/securities must be kept in the account for the full 9 months.

-Offers are only good for new accounts. They do occasionally have transfer offers for additional money.

Also, as with Fidelity, be sure to open individual accounts even if married. That way, each spouse gets a shot.

1/18/12 - Just found an Amtrak link on ThePointsGuy:

https://www.tdameritrade.com/offer/p...ak/amtrak.html

Here's his post:

http://thepointsguy.com/2012/01/up-t...td-ameritrade/

pcharles

I missed this answer, though it is open to new accounts, is there a way one can set up multiple new accounts for the same person?
And/or any way to double/triple/or more dip and combine multiple partner offers?

thetravelabstract

Great post. Fidelity offers are much better if you cant afford to park the money at TD for the 9 months.

I didn't realize the Starwood offer only needs $25k. Any speculation as to why that is?

HikerT

Pretty sure US Airways has an offer too. I did the minimum for the GS.

https://www.tdameritrade.com/offer/p...ays/index.html

Any info about how they define new accounts? Any success with canceling and opening a new account after a certain time period?

pcharles

TDAm Rep on the phone said cannot combine offers, but can receive one for each account opened. ie, individual, joint, ira, etc

josephstern

Thanks - added the US info!

JATR4

I did the TD UA offer for my wife and me (individual accounts). Only deposited 10K each as that was the best deal for us. Got the initial 7,500 miles for both accounts very quickly (seemed to be right after the deposit cleared the waiting period at TD) and have to wait 6 months for the remaining 7,500 to post.

Will wait patiently.

Wish I had known about the SPG offer. Would have done that instead.

However, I am going to try the 25K for the 20,000 SPG points as a joint account in the next few weeks. It won't take long to find out if I can get a second reward.

allanfan

how about 1099? Does TD issue any?

vulgarboatman

Thanks for the very interesting post. Just went for the UA $10K for 15K miles deal two weeks ago and have the first 7.5 in my UA account now. Was going to do another for Ms. Vulgar and perhaps a Fidelity $50 for 25K miles as well, but now I think I will do a $25k joint account and a $25K for Ms. Vulgar as well. This will use up our emergency fund, but leaves it available for emergency use with only the cost of a claw-back of the points.

This will be nice if it works.

VB.

miles_navigator

TD Ameritrade does let you open multiple (brokerage type) accounts to get this benefit as long as it is a non-IRA type account. Note it is easier to get this promo as 2 individual accounts for husband and wife versus joint (last time I looked into it).

I parked my money in a 9 month municipal bond and held it to maturity but this was a while back.

If you have the money and the time you can theoretically go 1 promotion each 9 months, e.g. start with CO since it is going away and do SPG 9 months to 1 year later.

Yes, TD Ameritrade does issue 1099, no worries here.

mnscout

I received an exemption for transferring funds to existing acct via secure message. I had tried to call twice before to no avail (only we'll get back to you). 25000 Continental arrived 3 days later.

Happy

About the 1099 question, I believe the poster is asking if TD would issue 1099 on the miles / points earned. My understanding is they do not issue 1099 on the bonus miles. Are you saying TD issues 1099 on the bonus? or are you saying TD issues 1099 in the same fashion as any other brokerage houses?

TD has a FDIC investor saving account that used to require minimum $25K, but not any more. However $25K and above pays an interest rate of 0.30% currently - paltry, but better than the 0.01% in most brokerage accounts. It was not available for online opening at the time I did it, needed to call. Also money would not be auto-swept between this saving account and the brokerage account - requires manually done via transfer request, just like the Fidelity brokerage account where the money market funds require actual buy/sell activities requested by the account holder. Fido's MMFs currently yield 0.03 or below, fwiw, and is not FDIC.

You can get an exception with TD if you already have a TD account. It is better to request this via SM. They respond very quickly. Bonus received via this method posted in full just a few days after the fund was ACHed in. Of course the fund is expected to remain in your account for the full duration of 6 months after receiving the bonus - though in this case it may be shorter than the 9 months via the new account method.

josephstern

I've done the SPG bonus for myself and my wife, and no, we did not get 1099s for the bonus. We did get 1099s for the account earnings.

jasonz9238

I have gotten a 1099 for deposit bonus items from tdameritrade such as gift cards/golf clubs so not sure if they do it for miles/starwood points.

josephstern

Related to opening new accounts with TD Ameritrade, they have been known to give bonuses for transferring assets and/or adding money directly to existing accounts. I moved a mutual fund over about a year ago and got 75K AA miles for it.

Currently, this is all I can find:

http://www.tdameritrade.com/offer/transfernew.html

(no end date, but they do claim you'll get a 1099)

and, for some commission-free trading and a cash bonus:

https://www.tdameritrade.com/specialoffer.html