Free Money

I got a piece of mail today from a local bank that I would normally dismiss readily as junk and put through the shredder. But for some reason I decided to open it, and I was pleased to learn that doing so may have made me $25 richer.

The bank has a promotion where recipients can scratch off a small circle and receive as much as $75 as their initial deposit--with no strings attached. I scratched and got $25 as my opening deposit bonus. The offer expires Oct. 31 and the account must be maintained for six months, but other than that, there are no strings attached: no minimum balance required to open and no fees.

I likely received this as an inducement to return my business to the bank. A few years ago, my wife and I had opened a money-market account there and I turned out to be less than pleased. The interest rate kept declining and the staffers were rude when I decided to close my account. It'll feel nice to get my payback.