5 Accounts that Could Turn Your Direct Deposit into Even More Money

Last updated Jan. 8, 2026 | By FinanceBuzz Editors

Do you receive direct deposit payments from your employer? If you do — and you aren't using one of these accounts — you could be missing out on $100s or even $1,000s of basically free money every year.

Some of the accounts below offer various methods of growing your wealth if you receive your paycheck via direct deposit, and some of them even offer large cash bonuses and other benefits — like up to $400 cash bonuses or APYs up to 5.00% or higher!

Check out the options below and stop missing out on basically free money!

Set up direct deposit and complete qualifying activities - pocket $400

If you aren't banking with Truist, you're missing out on a huge boost of extra cash just by following a few simple steps.

Earn a bonus of $400 when you open a new Truist One Checking account online between October 30, 2025 and March 25, 2026 using promo code AFL400TR1Q425.¹ Terms and Conditions for Truist One Checking $400 Affiliate Online Offer Q4 2025 and Q1 2026: AFL400TR1Q425 Offer Information: Open a new Truist One Checking account online from 10/30/25 through 3/25/26, complete the following activities within 120 days of the account opening and earn $400. You must open the account online and enter the promo code to be eligible to participate in the promotion. • Receive at least two qualifying direct deposits* totaling $2,000 or more AND • Complete at least 20 qualifying debit card purchases** within 120 days of account opening. All debit purchases must be posted to your account to qualify. Account must be opened online. Enrollment in the promotion is required at the time of account opening using promo code AFL400TR1Q425. Please refer to the Account Opening and Enrollment section below for full instructions. *A qualifying direct deposit is an electronic credit (greater than $5.00) deposited into your new checking account via ACH. Person to person payments (such as Zelle®), Real Time Payments (RTP), pre-authorized transfers made from one account to another, or deposits made via a branch, ATM, online transfer, mobile device, debit/prepaid card number or the mail are not eligible direct deposits. **Qualifying debit card purchases include any purchase made with a Truist debit card and posted to the new checking account within 120 days of account opening. ATM withdrawals using your debit card are not qualifying transactions. Zelle® transactions are not qualifying transactions. Bank fees are not included. Offer Eligibility: Clients that are the primary account holder on an existing personal checking account with Truist or who have closed a personal checking account with Truist on or after 10/30/24 are not eligible to participate. Offer valid for Truist One Checking accounts only. Primary account holder must be 18 or older at the time of account opening. Truist employees, Directors, Officers, and Local Boards/Advisors are not eligible. Offer available only to US residents with a valid US taxpayer identification number. The qualifying checking account must be opened online and have a physical address in: AL, AR, FL, GA, IN, KY, MD, MS, NC, NJ, OH, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV or DC. Reward Processing: The reward will be deposited to the new checking account within 4 weeks after the qualification requirements have been met and verified. Promotion is only applicable once per checking account and per client. Truist may report the value of any offer reward received to the IRS as required by law. Any applicable taxes are the responsibility of the recipient. Reward Forfeiture: Reward forfeiture will occur if: (1) the new checking account is changed to an account type not included in this client offer (2) the new checking account has a $0.00 or negative available balance or is restricted at the time Truist verifies the qualification requirements have been met or (3) the new checking account is closed at the time of payout. An account is considered restricted if it has a temporary or permanent block that prevents credits from posting to the account. Truist verification will occur one time after the qualification requirements are initially met. Other Terms: Minimum opening deposit is $50. The offer is non-transferable, may not be combined with any other checking offers, is subject to change, and may be discontinued at any time. Truist reserves the right, in its sole discretion: 1) to prohibit a reward payout for any offers claimed through third-party websites with no affiliation or prior authorization from Truist; and 2) to disqualify any account if Truist suspects accounts are being opened for the purpose of exploiting this promotional offer. All promotional payouts will be processed no later than 3/31/27 at which point this promotion (and any related disbursements) will be considered final, and no further disbursements will be made. All standard account terms and conditions apply. Account Opening & Enrollment Instructions: To open and enroll your new account in the promotion, visit the offer website and click on “Open an account online.” Enter AFL400TR1Q425 into the promo code field provided, review the offer Terms and Conditions, and then select “Accept Offer”. Accounts opened without the promo code applied will not be eligible to participate in the offer. Once enrolled in the promotion, clients may receive promotional updates via the email address provided or by calling 800.709.8700. Version 3 09162025 AFL400TR1Q425 To earn the $400 bonus, your account needs to receive at least 2 qualifying direct deposits totaling $2,000 or more and complete 20 qualifying debit card purchase transactions within 120 days of account opening. Terms apply.

This is a great way to supercharge your earnings. It basically takes no extra work at all other than following the steps above. Plus, your new account offers benefits like no overdraft fee and options to avoid a monthly maintenance fee on top of the bonus.

Open your account and earn a $400 bonus

Turn your savings into passive income

Public is a powerful investing app that lets you earn 5.30% yield² Yield is an annualized 26-week T-bill rate (as of 2/16/24) when held to maturity. Rate is gross of fees. T-bills are purchased in increments of $100 par value at a discount; any remaining balance after purchase is held in cash. on your cash with treasury bill investments, which can help you avoid the volatility of the stock market.

Treasury Bills power your money by unlocking rates most banks can’t provide … offering you a rare 5.30% yield on your cash.

To get started, download the app and create your account.

When you deposit your money into a Public account, you’ll get access to purchasing U.S. government debt obligations that are backed by the Treasury Department, which historically have low risk and stable returns. There are no state or local taxes to pay, and you can sell your Treasury Bills at any time. There is no minimum to open your account, and you can purchase Treasury bills in increments of $100.

Public offers a user-friendly and accessible platform that makes it easy to start investing in Treasury Bills, which can help you earn more on your cash and reach your financial goals.

Start earning on your cash today with Public