Alliant Credit Union is back with a potentially easy way to pad your travel fund! For a limited time, you can snag up to $200 just for opening a new checking account and meeting a few simple requirements. The best offer of $200 requires two $500 direct deposits. Alternatively, Rakuten is offering $150 (or 15,000 Rakuten points) when you open a new Alliant Credit Union checking account and set up a direct deposit of $500 or more within 30 days. Alternatively, Swagbucks has an offer for $75 with no direct deposit requirement.

Why should you care? Well, free money is always a win! If you've been eyeing a new travel rewards card or saving up for your next adventure, this could be a quick boost to your balance. Keep in mind that these offers often have specific terms, like being a new Alliant member and avoiding early account closure fees, so read the fine print carefully. Also, these offers tend to reappear periodically, so if you miss it this time, keep an eye out.

Here's the lowdown: The direct deposit needs to come from an employer or government agency, so no funny business with transferring from your PayPal account. Make sure you sign up through the Rakuten or Swagbucks link to get the bonus. And finally, there's a small early account termination fee ($10) if you close the account within 90 days. Otherwise, the account is fee-free as long as you opt for eStatements.