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*Who is eligible for a Direct Deposit Bonus?

New and existing SoFi members who have never set up direct deposit with SoFi are eligible for our Direct Deposit Bonus. Bonuses are limited to one per SoFi Checking and Savings account. In the case of a joint account, only the primary account holder (the member who signed up first) is eligible for a bonus.

How do I earn the Direct Deposit Bonus?

1. Set up your first Eligible Direct Deposit. SoFi must receive it on or before 1/31/26.

2. Once SoFi receives and recognizes your first Eligible Direct Deposit, we will add up the Total Eligible Direct Deposits received over the next 25 calendar days. This total will determine the bonus amount.

Total Eligible Direct Deposit Bonus Amount Timing
$1.00 – $999.99 $0 To determine your bonus amount, SoFi will add up all your Eligible Direct Deposits received within 25 calendar days of your first Eligible Direct Deposit.
$1,000.00 – $4,999.99 $50
$5,000.00 or more $300

3. You will receive the bonus amount in your SoFi Checking account within 7 business days of completing all requirements listed above. You are only eligible to receive one bonus amount. You must have an open SoFi Checking account in good standing at the time of the bonus payment.

What is an Eligible Direct Deposit?

Eligible: Recurring ACH deposit of regular income to your SoFi Checking or Savings account, including payroll, pension, or government benefit payments (e.g., Social Security), made by your employer, payroll or benefits provider or government agency (“Eligible Direct Deposit”)

Not Eligible: Deposits that are not from an employer, payroll or benefits provider or government agency and deposits that are non-recurring in nature are not eligible. Examples of deposits that are not eligible include check deposits, peer-to-peer transfers (e.g., transfers from Zelle, PayPal, Venmo, Wise, etc.), merchant transactions (e.g., transactions from PayPal, Stripe, Square, etc.), bank ACH funds transfers, wire transfers from external accounts, and IRS tax refunds. SoFi Bank shall, in its sole discretion, assess your Eligible Direct Deposit activity to determine eligibility and may require additional documentation to complete this verification.

Although we do our best to recognize all Eligible Direct Deposits, a small number of employers, payroll providers, benefits providers, or government agencies do not designate payments as direct deposit. If you have satisfied the Eligible Direct Deposit requirements but have not received a cash bonus in your Checking account, please contact us at 855-456-7634 with the details of your initial Eligible Direct Deposit. After SoFi validates the details of your Eligible Direct Deposit, your Direct Deposit Bonus will be based on the date we received your initial Eligible Direct Deposit.

What else is important to know?

This promotion is available between 12/7/2023 at 12:01AM ET and 1/31/2026 at 11:59PM ET. SoFi reserves the right to modify or end the promotion at any time without notice. The terms of this promotion take precedence over the terms of any prior Direct Deposit promotion.

SoFi reserves the right to exclude any members from participating in this promotion for any reason, such as suspected fraud, misuse, or suspicious activity.

SoFi members with Eligible Direct Deposit activity can earn 3.60% annual percentage yield (APY) on savings balances. Interest rates are variable and subject to change at any time. These rates are current as of 11/12/25. There is no minimum balance requirement. Fees may reduce earnings. Additional rates and information can be found at https://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet.

Bonuses are considered income and may be reportable on IRS Form 1099-INT or Form 1042-S as applicable. SoFi is required to do this reporting in compliance with the applicable federal and state reporting requirements. Recipient is responsible for any applicable federal, state or local taxes associated with receiving the bonus offer; consult with your tax advisor to determine applicable tax consequences.

This promotion is offered by SoFi Bank, N.A, Member FDIC (“SoFi”)

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Liz Looks at: The Data We Have

With Or Without You

The lyrics to one of U2’s most well-known songs include a line that goes, “I can’t live, with or without you.” During this government shutdown, that’s how the market feels about government economic data — or lack thereof.

As the longest shutdown in U.S. history comes to an end, we are left waiting and watching for the resumption of data releases on the labor market, inflation, and GDP, among other things. Since Oct 1, investors have had to rely on alternative data sources to piece together a view on how the economy is doing. And most data was not even being collected during the shutdown, so there’s a strong possibility we won’t see some October datasets at all.

Before the shutdown, investors (and the Federal Reserve) were hyper-focused on the labor market. They were looking for signs of weakness to gauge how much and how fast the Fed might cut interest rates. But without data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, everyone has had to rely on ADP and Challenger, Gray, and Christmas for a read into labor market dynamics.

A recent dataset from Challenger raised some eyebrows because it showed a spike in layoffs which, unlike what we saw earlier in the year, was not driven by DOGE-related government cuts. This caused a minor speed bump in the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite indices, with both down between 1-2% the day of the announcement.

 

Challenger Job Cuts



Even when we’ve had government data available, there were short-term moves in data series that ended up being much ado about nothing, so we try not to overreact to a one-time change like this without digging deeper.

Twist of Fate

In this case, digging deeper presents a little more to worry about. Not only is it concerning that the number of job cuts was up 185% compared to September 2025, and 175% compared to October 2024, but cost-cutting became a much more common reason cited by the companies.

 

Reasons for Job Cuts by Percent Share



The second most common reason was AI-related cuts. This could be taken as both a positive sign that AI advancements are increasing productivity and a negative sign that the labor force is being impacted.

The main takeaways from this chart? These reasons are unlikely to be one-time “shocks” to labor data and the drivers of layoffs could be changing… and not for the better.

On a Bed of Nails She Makes Me Wait

One of the most watched datasets on the labor market is initial jobless claims that (usually) comes out weekly on Thursdays. It’s one of the series that will restart when the government reopens and has long been viewed as the best real-time view of layoffs in the U.S.

This got us wondering how well the data from Challenger might foretell what we see in upcoming initial claims reports. The answer appears to be: Pretty well.

 

Layoff Announcements Are Correlated to Jobless Claims



The relationship between these two datasets isn’t perfectly correlated, but the trends do tend to track each other quite reliably, especially when there is a spike. This would suggest that when we do start getting initial claims data again, we might expect a notable rise.

Since both of these potential spikes are so recent, it’s impossible to know whether the “problem” will persist or prove to be a one-time anomaly, but again, the reasons for the cuts are more concerning and do not suggest a brief hiccup in the data.

Given the laser focus on the labor market, the arrival of delayed or missed data could cause market bumps while everyone tries to digest the information and set new expectations. When it comes to government economic data, it truly seems that we can’t live with or without it.

 
 
 
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Want more insights from Liz? The Important Part: Investing With Liz Thomas, a podcast from SoFi, takes listeners through today’s top-of-mind themes in investing and breaks them down into digestible and actionable pieces.

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SoFi can’t guarantee future financial performance, and past performance is no indication of future success. This information isn’t financial advice. Investment decisions should be based on specific financial needs, goals and risk appetite.

Communication of SoFi Wealth LLC an SEC Registered Investment Adviser. Information about SoFi Wealth’s advisory operations, services, and fees is set forth in SoFi Wealth’s current Form ADV Part 2 (Brochure), a copy of which is available upon request and at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov. Liz Thomas is a Registered Representative of SoFi Securities and Investment Advisor Representative of SoFi Wealth. Form ADV 2A is available at www.sofi.com/legal/adv.

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Name of Promotion: SoFi Pay Worldwide Rollout Promotion

Eligible Participants:

•  All new and existing SoFi members who (i) complete the required actions set forth below by 3/31/2026, and (ii) have a SoFi Checking and Savings account in good standing are eligible to earn $30 in Rewards Points. Eligibility will be determined by SoFi in its sole discretion. One offer per person.

Promotion Period:

•  The SoFi Pay Worldwide Rollout Promotion (the “Promotion”) begins on 9/30/2025 at 12:01AM ET. Eligible participants will have until the promotion ends on 3/31/2026 at 11:59PM ET to make qualifying international remittances.

Offer Terms:

•  To earn $30 in Rewards Points through this Promotion, an eligible participant must successfully: (i) have a SoFi Checking and Savings account in good standing, and (ii) make three (3) international remittance transfers by 3/31/2026 at 11:59pm ET. Not all countries may be available for international remittances.

Bonus Payment Timeline:

•  Rewards points will be credited to your account within 45 days after all Promotion requirements have been met.

Other Important Details:

•  SoFi reserves the right to exclude any member from participating in this Promotion for any reason, including suspected fraud, misuse, or other suspicious activities. SoFi also reserves the right to modify, suspend, or terminate the Promotion at any time.

•  Bonuses are considered miscellaneous income, and may be reportable to the IRS on Form 1099-MISC (or Form 1042-S, if applicable).

•  SoFi Member Rewards: All terms and conditions applicable to the use of SoFi Member Rewards apply. To learn more about SoFi Member Rewards, please see the Rewards page. No points will be earned with respect to reversed transactions, returned purchases, or other similar transactions. When you elect to redeem rewards points toward active SoFi accounts, including but not limited to, your SoFi Checking or Savings account, SoFi Money® account, SoFi Active Invest account, SoFi Automated Invest account, SoFi Credit Card account, SoFi Personal Loan, Private Student Loan, Student Loan Refinance, or toward SoFi Travel purchases, your rewards points will redeem at a rate of 1 cent per every point. Brokerage and Active investing products offered through SoFi Securities LLC, Member FINRA(www.finra.org )/SIPC(www.sipc.org ). SoFi Securities LLC is an affiliate of SoFi Bank, N.A.

Interest Rates:

SoFi members can earn the following annual percentage yields (APY):

With Eligible Direct Deposit:

•  Savings (including Vaults): 3.80% APY.

•  Checking: 0.50% APY.

No minimum Direct Deposit amount is required to earn the 3.80% APY on savings.

Without Eligible Direct Deposit:

•  Savings (including Vaults): 1.00% APY.

•  Checking: 0.50% APY.

Other Rates Details:

•  Rates are variable and are subject to change at any time.

•  Rates are current as of 1/24/25.

•  No minimum balance is required.

•  Fees may reduce earnings.

•  Additional information can be found at https://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet.

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SoFi Bank Awards Test


SoFi Checking and Savings
Awards and Accolades

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Forbes World’s Best Banks 2025

SoFi Named “World’s Best Bank” (2023-2025)

Awarded in 2025 for performance spanning 2023-2025. Awards or rankings are not indicative of future success or results. Neither SoFi Bank, N.A. nor its employees paid a fee in exchange for ratings. Awards and ratings are independently determined and awarded by their respective publications.

Source

NerdWallet Best Savings Accounts – November 2025

“Best Savings Accounts of 2025”

Awards or rankings are not indicative of future success or results. Neither SoFi Bank, N.A. nor its employees paid a fee in exchange for ratings. Awards and ratings are independently determined and awarded by their respective publications.

Source

NerdWallet Best Online Checking Accounts – November 2025

“Best Online Checking Accounts of 2025”

Awards or rankings are not indicative of future success or results. Neither SoFi Bank, N.A. nor its employees paid a fee in exchange for ratings. Awards and ratings are independently determined and awarded by their respective publications.

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Motley Fool Money’s Best-Of 2025 Awards

“Best Digital-Only Bank 2025”

Awards or rankings are not indicative of future success or results. Neither SoFi Bank, N.A. nor its employees paid a fee in exchange for ratings. Awards and ratings are independently determined and awarded by their respective publications.

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Recognized by MoneyRates

“Best Checking Account 2024”

Awards or rankings are not indicative of future success or results. Neither SoFi Bank, N.A. nor its employees paid a fee in exchange for ratings. Awards and ratings are independently determined and awarded by their respective publications.

Recognized by investor.com

“Best Savings-Checking Combo Account 2024”

Awards or rankings are not indicative of future success or results. Neither SoFi Bank, N.A. nor its employees paid a fee in exchange for ratings. Awards and ratings are independently determined and awarded by their respective publications.

Source

Money’s Best Banks in America 2026

“Best Online Bank for High-Yield Savings 2026”

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Source


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