Charles Schwab
Charles Schwab is a US discount broker that was founded in 1971 and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
It is regulated by several top-tier financial authorities, such as the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).
As one of the largest discount brokerages in the world, Charles Schwab provides a full-service approach for investors, employers, and independent advisors. Charles Schwab has $7.13 trillion in client assets as of September 2022, and continues to experience growth with the acquisition of TD Ameritrade, which it concluded in October 2020. Schwab offers a vast amount of educational content for investors of all levels, and the company has made significant efforts to make more products and tools available to active traders and ESG investors.
Schwab’s customers span the entire range of investor types, from novice to very sophisticated. Not only does Schwab provide the right mix of tools, education, and research to cater to this diverse customer base, it also does it across its Schwab.com browser-based offering, a powerful and highly customizable desktop workstation, and mobile platforms.
Pros
- Multiple platforms for a diverse customer base
- Excellent ETF research and scanners
- Commission-free stock and ETF trading
- Robo-advisor and AI features
- Available ESG ETF
Cons
- Higher margin rates
- No automated sweep feature
- No fractional shares ETF trades
- No direct investments in cryptocurrencies
Charles Schwab
Chuck Schwab and his partners formed First Commander Corporation in April 1971 and changed the name of the company to Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. in 1973. The mission of the company is to put the customer at the forefront using their “Through Clients’ Eyes” strategy. In October 2020, Schwab completed an acquisition of TD Ameritrade, with full integration estimated to be completed between March and August 2023. Charles Schwab has experienced continuous growth in customers in recent years and attributes it to a combination of its acquisition strategies, a 5% increase in brokerage accounts year-over-year, customer referrals, new and enhanced products and tools, and retail financial services for employers. 1 As a full-service broker, Schwab provides a robust collection of products and services for investors of any level. At the same time, though, they operate as a discount broker with commission-free stock and ETF trades. For cryptocurrency investors, Schwab offers several indirect crypto investing options rather than crypto spot trading options. With the TD Ameritrade merger, Schwab becomes a good option for forex, futures, margin, and options traders.