A checking account bonus can be a great way to get extra money when you first open a checking account. Many people choose to get a new bank account because of some things like an extra sign-on bonus, and this bonus can help you save even more money than you would have assumed. However, if you’re able to do a bit of extra management, you can get even more out of these bonuses. Here are four ways to upgrade the benefits you receive with a bank bonus.

1. Know Exactly What You’re Looking For

First, and possibly most importantly, you need to make sure you know exactly what you’re looking for. What are some of the benefits that you’re hoping to get? What are the things that you’re not interested in? What are “dealbreakers” for you? You may want to make a small list of the most important things in your list, so you can ensure that you get exactly what you’re looking for.

2. Allow Yourself to Be a Bit Picky

It can be tempting to sign up for any and every bank bonus that comes your way, especially if you’re just trying to get as many bonuses as absolutely possible. However, you also want to make sure that you’re getting a great deal for your money. That’s where lists of checking account bonus offers can be incredibly helpful. These lists let you see exactly what is available and the requirements for them.

3. Track How Far You Are in Your Requirements

Especially if you’re regularly signing up for two or three checking accounts at the same time, you’ll want to make sure you’re always tracking how far you are to meeting the requirements for the sign-on bonus. Requirements may include making a certain number of “qualifying transactions” and depositing a certain amount of money into an account, so it may pay off for you to make yourself a spreadsheet.

4. Look for Ways to Waive Monthly Fees

Monthly fees are one of the easiest ways to miss out on a truly surprising amount of money. If you get a great $200 introductory bonus, but the bank has a $10 monthly fee and you have to keep the account open for at least a year, you’ll actually only have $80 at the end of it. Look for bank accounts that don’t have a monthly fee or have an option to waive the fee, and make sure you use that option.

Conclusion

If you’re interested in getting more bang for your buck, you’re almost certainly going to want to look at a checking account with bank bonuses. One of the best ways that you can save a little bit of extra money is with a bank bonus, but there are also many ways for you to enhance the amount of savings available at the end of the day. These are all great ways for you to upgrade the benefits that you’ll receive when you sign up for a checking account with a bank bonus.