Keeping the Cash Reward after withdrawing funds from your investing accounts depends on how much you’re withdrawing and how much you’ve contributed to your account since receiving the reward.
As long as you’ve held the deposits for at least three years, the reward is yours to keep.
For example, if you originally contributed $30,000 during the offer period and received a Cash Reward of $150 on April 15, 2025, you can withdraw all of it (including the $150 reward) on or after April 15, 2028 with no penalty.
Alternatively, if you withdraw money from your investing accounts earlier than three years after the deposit date, you’ll keep the reward as long as the amount of your withdrawal is less than or equal to the net amount that you’ve deposited into your investing account after the end of your offer period plus any market gains you’ve earned in that account. If your withdrawal is greater than those deposits plus any market gains earned, we will apply an Early Reward Removal Fee, This fee will adjust your reward based on the remaining net deposit amount in your investing accounts.
For example, if you originally contributed $30,000 and received a $150 reward on April 15, 2025, then withdrew $20,000 on April 1, 2026 and made no additional deposits to the account through April 1, 2026, your account will be subject to an early removal fee of $25.
|
Net Deposits |
Reward |
Withdrawal date |
Account value on the withdrawal date |
Withdraw amount |
Early reward removal fee |
|
$30,000 |
$150 |
3 or more years after the reward lands |
$30,150 |
-$20,000 |
$0 |
|
$30,000 |
$150 |
Less than 3 years after the reward |
$30,150 |
-$5,000 |
$0 |
|
$30,000 |
$150 |
Less than 3 years after the reward |
$30,150 |
-$25,000 |
$100 |
|
$1,000 |
$10 |
Less than 3 years after the reward |
$40,150 due to additional contributions |
-$20,000 |
$0 |
In no event will the aggregate amount of the early reward removal fee exceed the amount of the reward you received from Betterment.
The early removal fee will apply to any of the following transactions:
- RMDs
- Withdrawals (+ Recurring withdrawals)
- Internal Transfers to Cash Reserve, Joint/Trust Taxable, or Checking Accounts
- Transfers out (ACATS/Rollovers out)
- ACH Reversals
The early reward removal fee will not apply to any transactions that transfer eligible deposits within your individual investing account(s) for three years after receiving the match (i.e., a transfer from your individual taxable investing account to a Betterment IRA), but you must maintain a minimum balance of at least the amount you received in the tiered investing reward in each eligible account. You may be subject to an early reward removal fee on a withdrawal out of any eligible accounts (i.e. Individual taxable, any IRAs). For example,
- Say - you contribute $10,000 to an Individual Taxable account during the offer period and earn a $125 reward in that account. After the offer period ends, you transfer $5,000 from the Taxable account to a newly opened Roth IRA. If you do a full withdrawal from that Roth IRA, that withdrawal may be subject to a $75 fee (i.e., the difference between the $125 reward received and the $50 reward applicable to the remaining total of $5,000 in your eligible accounts).
Your deposits at the end of the offer period - across all eligible investing accounts (existing or opened during the holding period) - must be maintained throughout the 3 year holding period in order to avoid a potential fee. Any subsequent market gains or deposits into any eligible account will increase the amount that you can withdraw without penalty.
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