That said, how do you all balance the reward for leaving money in an account vs what you would otherwise earn just having it in VTSAX or similar? What do you generally look for?
I only hit bank account bonuses with my emergency fund (which would otherwise be sitting in Ally earning [checking the current rate...] 1.6%). Before going for a SUB, I calculate my effective interest rate on the endeavor:
(Net Bank Account Bonus Amount / Minimum Bank Account Balance) / (# of days required to keep the account open / 365)
Sometimes it's as low as 8 or 9%, but sometimes it's as high as 40-50% for an account sign up bonus. Why would I settle for 1.6% when I can get much much more?
Between bank bonuses and credit card rewards/bonuses (straight cashed out as I'm not interested in travelling), I netted about $6,400 for the year.