$350
284% APY
1,000/hr for your time
Direct deposits totaling $500+ within 90 days.
Ease 7/10 · ~10 business daysNo expiration
Direct depositDetails
284% effective APY
$500 committed, about 90 days
A 12 month plan to get ahead, one bonus at a time
Advanced · 7 min read · updated 2026-08-14
A realistic first year plan is one deposit account bonus a month, starting with offers that need no direct deposit, then adding direct deposit offers once your payroll split works, and finally one or two credit card welcome offers. Expect $2,000 to $4,000 for roughly six hours of total effort.
Months 1 to 3: prove the system
- Month 1: open one no direct deposit offer. Learn the rhythm with nothing depending on your employer.
- Month 2: set up a payroll split to a new checking account and complete one direct deposit offer.
- Month 3: move your emergency fund into a high yield savings account so your baseline rate stops leaking.
Months 4 to 8: stack
- Run one new deposit account a month, alternating between direct deposit offers and balance hold offers so your cash and your paycheck are both working.
- Keep a single sheet: bank, requirement, deadline, date completed, date the bonus posted.
- Do not close old accounts on the day the bonus lands. Leave them open and empty for six months.
Months 9 to 12: the bigger offers
- Add one brokerage transfer bonus, since moving investments in kind costs nothing and pays well.
- Consider one credit card welcome offer if your normal spending covers the requirement without buying anything extra. Check 5/24 first if you want a Chase card later.
- Set aside your marginal tax rate on everything earned, then keep going into year two with a much shorter learning curve.
What the year looks like
Twelve deposit bonuses averaging $250 is $3,000. Add one brokerage transfer bonus and a single card welcome offer and $4,000 to $5,000 is realistic. None of it requires a second job, and all of it is repeatable next year.
Offers that prove the point
Live offers from the tracker, updated as terms change.
$250
203% APY
500/hr for your time
Two direct deposits of $500+ in 75 days. Code CHECKING250.
Ease 7/10 · ~60 daysNo expiration
Direct depositDetails
203% effective APY
$500 committed, about 90 days
$400
162% APY
533/hr for your time
Direct deposit $1,000 within 90 days of opening.
Ease 7/10 · ~15 days after DDEnds in 8d
Direct depositDetails
162% effective APY
$1,000 committed, about 90 days
$110 cash bonus
134% APY
314/hr for your time
Open checking through the referral and maintain recurring direct deposits totaling at least $500 for 60 days. New members must meet LMCU eligibility rules.
Ease 7/10 · after the 60-day qualification periodNo expiration
Direct depositDetails
134% effective APY
$500 committed, about 60 days
Questions people ask
How much cash do I need for this plan?
You can start with none, using offers that require no minimum hold. To run balance hold offers comfortably, $5,000 to $10,000 that you will not need for four months is enough.
What is the biggest mistake beginners make?
Missing the requirement window because the first payroll split landed a cycle late. Start the split early and set a calendar reminder for two weeks before the deadline.
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