There is a minimum period. It may be 90 or 180 days. It is not a year. I got a GPS (Garmin Nuvi 760 or 7-something). However, I bought some stocks and did not withdraw the money. If it's 180 days and you put in 10,000, then you will be forfeiting about $50 of interest compared to putting it in a CD. So the gift is not free. However, if you are buying stocks, then it is a bonus.