Gyroscopic Investing

I thought I'd share this promo I found while looking at the Sharebuilder website -- you get a $200 bonus if you open an account with $10,000 by 12/13. That's a 2% return! The money gets deposited into your account 4-6 weeks after you open the account, and the $10,000 (minus any losses) must remain in your account for six months.

I've used Sharebuilder in the past and really appreciated it - but that was years ago. Any feedback from present users? I'm thinking of investing my VP there.

I've been with sharebuilder for several years (since before they were owned by ING, thru the entire ING period and now with Capital One since early this year).

I'm a bit skeptical about Cap One.  I've had accounts with them since about 2004.  Not impressed.  Sometimes a good deal, but everything has seemed just a bit off -- clunky website, slow transfers, strange terms and conditions, poor customer support/service but they did eventually get things worked out to my satisfaction.

As for ShareBuilder...

The promotions weren't very good under ING but they did not discontinue my Costco rebates.

Capital One did discontinue the rebates, but replaced them with something I like better -- discounts.  Pretty much every trading cost is discounted, some more, some less.

There has thus far been no other impact of the Cap One acquisition.

If I wasn't already a ShareBuilder customer, I'd be looking to sign up.  But I'd look for a promotion I could combine with the Costco discounts.

I think 1NV3ST0R can hook you up with a discount or referral bonus. He's a happy Sharebuilder user.

I opened an account there a couple of years ago in order to get the $75 bonus they were offering.  I took the bonus and invested it in 75 shares of Sirius when it was trading under a dollar.  It's worth about 2.5 times my original investment now (this was just luck, but it worked out well).

I never considered the money mine in the first place, so I never felt like I needed to look in on it or worry about the volatility.

I'm looking at a postcard from Firstrust Bank (only one T, so it makes me think "first rust").
$100 if I open a checking account by Halloween plus some fine print.

As it turns out, they still had my account information, although I thought I'd canceled the account in 2010, and therefore I'm probably not eligible for the promotion. I'll email or call to find out for sure. Boo! Medium Tex, that sounds like a fun little investment in Sirius!