Advanced traders get award-winning tech packed with powerful features, access to more assets and markets than competitors in the class, and order execution that preserves profit margins. No matter where you are in your investing and trading journey, Charles Schwab is worth a serious look. The StreetSmart Edge® platform offers advanced tools for in-depth market analysis and trading strategies. Additionally, Schwab’s web and mobile platforms ensure that investors can manage their portfolios seamlessly across devices. You can trade stocks without commissions here, and Vanguard offers margin accounts and commission-free options trading for more advanced investors. Fidelity is one of the best online brokerages for beginners and retirement savings.

Commissions and fees

Note that a broker may score very highly for the platforms it offers but low for the experience of actually using that platform. These are scored separately in our analysis, and they are weighted evenly when factored into the broker’s overall score. This means a broker can offer an advanced trading platform, but if it is clunky to use or the process of opening an account is unnecessarily arduous, that will be reflected in their score. Schwab has no account minimum and no commissions for stock, options, and ETF trades.

Charles Schwab is a top-rated broker on the following guides

• Key additions like paper trading for Schwab users help bridge the gap for those looking to refine their skills before committing real capital.
• NerdWallet, Inc. does not offer advisory or brokerage services, nor does it recommend or advise investors to buy or sell particular stocks, securities or other investments.
• He is a long-time active investor and engages in research on emerging markets like cryptocurrency.
• Schwab offers eight courses, each spanning 3 to 5 hours, with progress tracking, a table of contents, and assessment quizzes at the end.
• To get the best possible experience please use the latest version of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Microsoft Edge to view this website.
• For more details about Atomic Brokerage, please see the Form CRS, the Atomic Brokerage General Disclosures, and the Privacy Policy.

You’ll need to choose the type of account you want to open — for example, a traditional brokerage account or an IRA — and if you want it to be an individual or joint account. You’ll need your Social Security number, driver’s license or ID, employment information and statement information for any assets or cash you want to transfer. You’ll also need to verify your identity and connect any bank accounts. A standout feature is the SnapTicket tab, which gives you instant access to streaming data and enables quick trade execution without leaving your workflow. SnapTicket also supports single and multi-leg options chains, and the integrated trade ticket offers handy features like a trade and probability calculator. If you’re looking for a one-stop-shop, you might be happy with the fact that you can have a high-yield checking account, brokerage account, and retirement account—all with the same institution.

If you’re debating which of the two companies to use, I recommend reading my reviews and drawing your own conclusion. You can also put a small number of funds into both platforms to see which one you like best. At the same time, there’s no reason you can’t use both, either. Customers can access customer support for basic financial and transactional advice. The driving force behind Schwab’s customer service team is its philosophy of putting customers first. For standard trading accounts, there are no service charges and no minimums to get started.

• The lack of direct crypto access will also be a deal-breaker for some.
• It earns 0.43% APY, well below the rates offered by the best online savings accounts.
• Schwab creates tabs for the securities and funds you’re analyzing, making it easy to switch between them without losing track of your research.
• For social sentiment, stick to applications like StockTwits and Twitter.
• Additionally, Schwab’s web and mobile platforms ensure that investors can manage their portfolios seamlessly across devices.
• My guess is that Schwab charges these fees to cover their costs of matching you with a certified financial planner.

Public App Review 2025

Before investing, consider your investment objectives and the fees and expenses charged. Custodial and clearing services used by Atomic Brokerage can be found on its BrokerCheck report. Our reviewers — who are writers and editors on NerdWallet’s content team — hands-on test every online broker platform in our analysis. That way, we’re able to report on every aspect of the user experience, from funding a new account to actually placing trades.

Charles Schwab Broker Review Introduction

Charles Schwab neither admitted nor denied these claims, but agreed to pay a $187 million settlement. The main app is fine for doing lower-level research on individual stocks and basic trading. However, if you’re looking for more in-depth research and charting tools, you’ll probably want to download Schwab’s StreetSmart app.

You can also compare its offerings side-by-side with those of other brokers using our Comparison Tool. I found myself fully engaged for four hours straight while exploring the Leading Economic Indicators course. Schwab offers eight courses, each spanning 3 to 5 hours, with progress tracking, a table of contents, and assessment quizzes at the end.

Charles Schwab Range of Offerings

We know that you’ll walk away from a stronger, more confident, and street-wise trader. Charles Schwab’s investment research and market reports come from third-party firms like Argus and Morningstar, so experienced investors can better monitor the markets. You can also review heat maps, Schwab insights, and market commentary. However, Schwab Intelligent Portfolios makes up for its higher minimum by charging $0 in advisory fees. Schwab Stock Slices essentially give investors the power to build their own mutual fund out of blue-chip stocks with strong track records and dividends.

Charles Schwab has an impressive range of tradable assets, including stocks, bonds, ETFs, mutual funds, options, futures, penny stocks and fractional shares of S&P 500 stocks. The firm particularly shines in their extensive selection of thousands of zero-commission mutual funds that are part of the Schwab Mutual Fund OneSource program. Charles Schwab does not offer cryptocurrency or foreign exchange (forex) trading. To buy and sell futures, you must sign in to a separate platform, which can be an extra hassle. Lastly, it takes time and effort to customize the desktop trading platform, which some users could find tedious.

With no account minimums, the checking account can be a good fee-free way to manage investments. But the savings account can be a poor choice because of its lack of an online application and significantly lower interest rate than you’d get at other online banks. Additionally, if you need to access unsecured loan options, you’ll need to find an alternative financial institution. Charles Schwab offers several flexible trading platform options. First, they offer a simple trading platform directly on their website, with no download necessary.

Schwab is an attractive option for fee-conscious charles schwab review investors since it does not charge account maintenance or inactivity fees. But Schwab has a wider range of offerings and platforms (e.g., its advanced StreetSmart Edge trading platform) for all types of traders. Over 4,000 of Schwab’s mutual funds have minimum investment requirements of only $100 or less. Many of those funds, including all 200+ of its index funds, also come with no transaction fees or loads. While banking options are limited at Charles Schwab, there are tons of ways to stay connected and manage your accounts. All Charles Schwab accounts are accessible within the same app and have the same login.

When you open and fund your account, Schwab gives you $101 to split equally across the top five stocks in the S&P 500, along with tools and education to guide your next steps. It’s a creative way to help new investors hit the ground running. Schwab also offers automated investing options and tax-efficient strategies, making it accessible to every type of investor. Schwab has something for every investor, and that’s no small feat. Looking for education that’s not only top-notch but actually makes sense? Schwab doesn’t just keep pace with the industry — it sets the standard, blending substance and value to be the best overall brokerage firm in the industry.

What’s more, as a Schwab Private Client, you’ll have access to a team of advisors. Most Charles Schwab brokerage account options have $0 opening and maintenance fees and $0 account minimums. However, a few portfolio options and account types charge higher minimums and fees. Schwab One Trust Account is an easy way to manage and protect your trust’s assets for estates of any size. Individual brokerage accounts get you access to more features, including in-depth analysis, portfolio performance tracker, Morningstar research, and timely market commentary from Schwab experts.

This could mean that the services of another investment adviser with whom we are not engaged could be more appropriate for you than Atomic Invest. Advisory services through Atomic Invest are designed to assist clients in achieving a favorable outcome in their investment portfolio. For more details about Atomic Invest, please see the Form CRS, Form ADV Part 2A, the Privacy Policy, and other disclosures. Charles Schwab offers a diverse range of trading instruments, allowing investors to build well-rounded portfolios. From traditional assets like stocks and bonds to more complex options and futures, Schwab caters to various investment strategies.