Silo Markets: Worth It? How to Calculate the Value of Silo Markets Points on Your Brokerage Portfolio

Silo Markets is one of the more unusual brokerage rewards offers because it is not just a one-time transfer bonus.

Instead, Silo has paid membership plans that can earn points on your brokerage balance. Those points can be redeemed for cash at 1 cent per point, and Silo says travel transfer partners are coming. There is also an intro bonus for new Silo Rewards members, which can change the first-year math a lot.

If you read the broader Ask Sebby guide on calculating brokerage transfer bonus value, the main framework was raw return, annualized return, hold period, fees, and taxes. Silo needs a slightly different calculator because there are three layers:

1. ongoing annual points from your portfolio balance
2. the annual membership fee
3. the one-time intro bonus

Then you need to decide how much the points are worth to you.

Disclosure: Silo terms, fees, transfer partner details, and promotions can change. The numbers below are based on terms reviewed around publication. Confirm the current offer before transferring assets. For financial, investment, tax, or legal advice, talk to a qualified professional.

Quick Take

Silo’s Points plans can make sense if you have enough assets to offset the annual fee and you value the points at more than the cash floor.

At the cash floor, Silo points are redeemable at 1 cent per point. At that value:

• Gold Points earns up to 50,000 points per year on the first $100,000 of account NLV and costs $240/year.
• Platinum Points earns up to 250,000 points per year on the first $500,000 of account NLV and costs $960/year.
• Gold breaks even at about $48,000 of eligible NLV at 1 cent per point.
• Platinum breaks even at about $192,000 of eligible NLV at 1 cent per point.

The intro bonus is where the first-year numbers get more interesting:

• Gold intro bonus: up to 100,000 points.
• Platinum intro bonus: up to 250,000 points.
• If you value points at 1 cpp, that is up to $1,000 for Gold and $2,500 for Platinum.
• If you value points at 2 cpp, that becomes up to $2,000 for Gold and $5,000 for Platinum.

The big caveat: higher point valuations depend on transfer partners, ratios, and your actual redemption behavior. I would run the calculator at 1 cpp first, then test 1.5 cpp, 2 cpp, 3 cpp, and 5 cpp as upside cases.

How Silo Points Work

Silo has paid rewards plans tied to your account Net Liquidation Value, or NLV. Brokerage services are provided through Interactive Brokers LLC, based on the Silo terms reviewed.

For the Points plans:

The ongoing points are calculated monthly, but the easy way to think about it is annualized:

Annual points = eligible account NLV × 0.5

Subject to the plan cap.

So:

$100,000 Gold balance × 0.5 = 50,000 points/year

$500,000 Platinum balance × 0.5 = 250,000 points/year

At 1 cent per point, that is $500/year for Gold at the cap and $2,500/year for Platinum at the cap.

Then subtract the annual fee.

Silo Markets: Worth It Calculator

The Main Ongoing Value Formula

For ongoing value:

Ongoing annual value = annual points × point value - annual fee

For return on portfolio:

Ongoing annual yield = ongoing annual value / account balance

Example for Gold at $100,000 and 1 cpp:

50,000 points × $0.01 = $500

$500 - $240 annual fee = $260 net value

$260 / $100,000 = 0.26%

At 2 cpp:

50,000 points × $0.02 = $1,000

$1,000 - $240 annual fee = $760 net value

$760 / $100,000 = 0.76%

That 0.76% is why point valuation matters. The same portfolio and same plan can look modest at 1 cpp and much more interesting at 2 cpp.

Gold Points: The $100K Sweet Spot

Gold Points has a $100,000 balance cap for ongoing points. Once your eligible balance is above $100,000, you still max out at 50,000 points per year.

That makes $100,000 the easiest Gold example.

At the cash floor, Gold is not wild, but it is positive at the $100,000 cap. At 2 cpp, the ongoing return becomes more competitive with many brokerage transfer bonuses, especially because it can repeat annually if the terms remain available.

The catch is that you should not assume 2 cpp, 3 cpp, or 5 cpp unless transfer partners and ratios support those values and you would redeem that way.

Platinum Points: Better for Larger Balances

Platinum has a higher annual fee, but it also has a much higher balance cap.

At $500,000:

$500,000 × 0.5 = 250,000 points/year

At 1 cpp, Platinum at $500,000 is a 0.31% net return before any other benefits. At 2 cpp, it becomes 0.81%.

That is better than the Gold 100K example in absolute dollars, but the right plan depends on balance size. Platinum does not make much sense at low balances because the $960 fee is too high relative to the points earned.

Gold vs. Platinum: Simple Breakpoints

At 1 cpp, the ongoing breakeven points are straightforward:

The formula is:

Breakeven balance = annual fee / (0.5 × point value)

At 1 cpp, each dollar of eligible balance earns 0.5 points, and each point is worth $0.01. That is $0.005 of annual value per dollar of eligible balance before the fee.

For Gold:

$240 / $0.005 = $48,000

For Platinum:

$960 / $0.005 = $192,000

If you value points at 2 cpp, the breakeven balances are cut in half:

That does not mean you should automatically use 2 cpp. It just shows how sensitive the answer is to point value.

The Intro Bonus Changes the First-Year Math

The ongoing calculation is only part of the story. Silo also has a one-time welcome bonus for new Silo Rewards members, based on the terms reviewed.

For Gold Points:

1x on up to $100,000 in eligible transfers = up to 100,000 bonus points

For Platinum Points:

1x on the first $100,000 in eligible transfers
0.375x on the next $400,000
Maximum eligible transfer amount = $500,000
Maximum intro bonus = 250,000 points

The intro bonus is not recurring, so I would separate it from ongoing value.

For Gold at $100,000:

For Platinum at $500,000:

This is the best argument for looking at Silo separately from normal brokerage bonuses. A normal brokerage bonus might pay once and then you move on. Silo has a first-year intro component plus a possible ongoing annual rewards component.

Long-Term Calculation: What Happens After Year 1?

For long-term value, ignore the intro bonus and focus on ongoing annual net value.

A simple 3-year view looks like this:

3-year total net value = intro bonus value + (ongoing annual net value × 3)

A 5-year view:

5-year total net value = intro bonus value + (ongoing annual net value × 5)

If you want to isolate the repeatable value after the first year, use:

Post-intro annual value = ongoing annual points value - annual fee

Example: Gold at $100,000 and 1 cpp.

Year 1: $1,000 intro bonus + $260 ongoing net = $1,260
Year 2 onward: $260 per year, assuming the program and terms remain the same

At 2 cpp:

Year 1: $2,000 intro bonus + $760 ongoing net = $2,760
Year 2 onward: $760 per year

The long-term math is much more dependent on whether you believe the points will be worth more than 1 cpp and whether you want to keep the account at Silo.

How This Compares to Brokerage Transfer Bonuses

A standard brokerage transfer bonus is usually easier to compare:

Bonus / transfer amount = raw return

Raw return × 12 / hold period in months = simple annualized return

Silo is more like an ongoing yield on eligible assets:

Annual net value / account balance = ongoing annual yield

At 1 cpp, Gold at $100,000 gives about 0.26% ongoing net value. That is below my rough 0.4% baseline for a simple brokerage transfer bonus.

At 2 cpp, Gold at $100,000 gives about 0.76% ongoing net value. That is more interesting.

Platinum at $500,000 gives about 0.31% ongoing net value at 1 cpp and 0.81% at 2 cpp.

The first-year intro bonus can push the first-year return much higher, but I would not mix it with the ongoing number when deciding whether to keep the account long term.

What About Status Benefits and Credits?

Silo lists additional status-style credits at higher balances. These can improve the math if you qualify and can use them.

I would treat them separately for three reasons:

1. They may require specific cards, memberships, documentation, or reimbursement steps.
2. They may be based on average daily NLV rather than just a transfer amount.
3. A credit is only worth face value if you would have paid for that exact thing anyway.

For example, if you already use an eligible warehouse-club membership or eligible card annual-fee credit, then the credit can be close to cash. If you would not otherwise pay for it, discount it heavily or leave it out.

This is the same approach I use for credit card annual fees: do not count a credit at face value unless it replaces money you were already going to spend.

What Can Go Wrong?

A few caveats matter here.

The calculator needs the right balance input

For brokerage reward calculators, one balance field can accidentally stand in for multiple things:

• eligible transfer amount for the intro bonus
• month-end NLV for ongoing points
• average daily NLV for status benefits
• denominator for return calculations

Those are not always the same measurement. A simplified calculator is fine, but the article copy should make the simplification obvious.

Minimum NLV gates matter

Gold needs at least $5,000 NLV at month-end to earn points for the month. Platinum needs at least $25,000 NLV.

If you are below the minimum, the points should be zero.

Transfer partners are not the same as cash

At 1 cpp, Silo points have a cash redemption floor based on the terms reviewed. Higher valuations depend on travel partners, transfer ratios, award availability, and whether you would have paid cash for the travel.

I would run the calculator at 1 cpp first. Then use 1.5 cpp or 2 cpp as reasonable upside scenarios if the transfer partners are useful. I would treat 3 cpp and 5 cpp as aggressive scenarios unless you have a specific redemption in mind.

Annual Fees  

Gold is $240/year. Platinum is $960/year.

If you are not keeping enough eligible assets at Silo, the fee can wipe out the points.

Account type matters

Silo’s terms say each account type may require its own subscription to earn points. If you have an individual account and an IRA, do not assume one subscription covers everything. Check the current terms before splitting assets across account types.

Who Should Consider Silo?

Silo is most interesting if:

• You have a portfolio you are comfortable holding there.
• You can transfer assets in kind instead of selling.
• You value the points at least at the cash floor.
• You are willing to pay the annual fee.
• You can hit the plan’s efficient balance range.
• You are organized enough to track fees, credits, point balances, and redemption rules.

Gold is the easier plan to understand. The $100,000 cap makes it a simpler test case, and the annual fee is lower.

Platinum is more interesting for larger balances, especially around the $500,000 cap. It is less attractive if you are far below the cap because the annual fee is much higher.

Who Should Skip?

I would skip or wait if:

• You only care about cash and the 1 cpp math does not work for you.
• You are not comfortable using Silo as a brokerage platform.
• You would need to change your portfolio just to chase the rewards.
• You are relying on future transfer partners that are not live yet.
• You cannot use the status credits.
• You do not want to track another paid membership.

If the math only works under a 5 cpp assumption, I would be careful. If the math works at 1 cpp and gets better with travel partners, that is a much stronger setup.

Final Thoughts

Silo Markets is not a normal brokerage transfer bonus. The value depends on your balance, plan, annual fee, intro bonus, and how you value Silo points.

At the cash floor, Gold at $100,000 nets about $260 per year after the $240 fee, or 0.26%. Platinum at $500,000 nets about $1,540 per year after the $960 fee, or 0.31%.

If you value points at 2 cpp, Gold at $100,000 nets about $760 per year, or 0.76%. Platinum at $500,000 nets about $4,040 per year, or 0.81%.

The intro bonus can make the first year much stronger. Gold can earn up to 100,000 intro bonus points, and Platinum can earn up to 250,000 intro bonus points. At 2 cpp, that is $2,000 and $5,000 of potential value before adding the ongoing points.

My approach would be simple: run the calculator at 1 cpp first. If the offer still makes sense at the cash floor, then any useful transfer partners are upside. If the offer only works at aggressive travel valuations, I would wait until the transfer partner list and ratios are live.