Sharebuilder is an online brokerage that allows you to automatically purchase stocks and mutual funds with very low minimum investments and relatively low fees.* 

Flexo at [1] Consumerism Commentary recently shared a [2] great method for pocketing a $75 bonus for opening a Sharebuilder [3] brokerage account.  This is a great way to enter the world of investing, with very little risk to you - as you are investing with free money!  You’ll need $50 in cash to get started, but you will be able to draw those funds back out in about a month.

To earn the bonus:   

• Open an [4] Ebates account.  You’ll receive $5 for signing up. 

 

• Login to your eBates account and find their Sharebuilder link.  Click through the link to visit the Sharebuilder page.  This will create a “tracking ticket” in [5] Ebates for you.

 

• Sign up for a Sharebuilder account with the promo code “ENTERTAIN50“. 

 

• To earn the bonus, you will have to fund your account.  Set up your “Automatic Investment Plan” to make a one-time investment of $50 on the next Tuesday. 

 

• You’ll have to choose an initial investment; if you have no idea what to invest in, I recommend an exchange-traded fund such as [6] SPY, which tracks the S&P 500.  (We’ll cover possible investments in more detail as we continue with “The Plan”.)

 

• By enrolling in the “Standard - FREE Trial Pricing Program” you will avoid any purchase fees - just remember to cancel the trial before the end of the month!

 

• Once your account is funded, you will receive a $50 bonus from Sharebuilder, as well as a $20 bonus from [5] Ebates (in addition to the $5 signup bonus).  Voila!  $75 added to your net worth!

 

• Remember to cancel your free trial of the “Standard Pricing Program”!

 This promotion is not valid for Roth IRA accounts, but is a great way to start a non-retirement investment account.  Also, you can earn an additional $20 Ebates rebate by opening a Roth IRA account with your bonus after your first Sharebuilder account is funded!

*Depending on how often you invest.  Sharebuilder charges $4 per automatic trade - so if you make deposits monthly or quarterly instead of weekly, you will still benefit from Dollar-Cost Averaging but avoid paying a fortune in commissions.  Sharebuilder also charges more than most online brokerages for sales ($16.95), so it is most appropriate for buy-and-hold investing, like you will be doing in your Roth IRA.    Disclosures: I will receive $5 as well when you sign up for Ebates.  I receive nothing from Sharebuilder if you take advantage of the Ebates promotion.