Charles Schwab

Good Execution, lots of research tools, & trade platforms

Really like Street Smart Edge, it works for me.

Jdbe

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Customer Service
Value

Trades too slow

I left them because trades are either too slow or they wont allow trades on certain penny stocks. Hey, its my money if I want to sink it in a sub penny then let me right. Customer service is good but just not enough tools like PRO and trades cost too much.

OchoCinco

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The Best Service

Schwab has the best brokerage service toward their clients in the industry. The only reason I don't give them 5-stars is because of their pricing. However, you get what you pay for. There is no way they could offer rock bottom pricing and still give the excellent service they do.

OnTheBeach

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Great customer service, great resources, mediocre software

I love having Schwab as a backup brokerage for my serious trading accounts. Not only is Schwab customer service exceptional but Schwab brokerages are also fully featured checking accounts. I can snap a picture of a check with my iPhone app and be trading that money right away until I want to use the convenient credit/debt card to spend it (or their transfer services to send it to a dedicated broker).

Any time I've had an issue, I've been able to resolve it very very quickly the first time either in the live-chat-support or with a quick call. *Don't hesitate to call for any request. They have always been enthusiastic about helping and making any exceptions they can for me. When I started trading options years ago with $5k and virtually no income, they made an exception to their qualifications after a discussion with me about my knowledge level and strategy.*

The java-based trading software is probably a decent platform for low volume swing trading and straightforward strategies, the web based platform is useless for active traders, but the free research and resources Schwab offers are excellent. If you want to use Schwab as your primary broker and be an active trader, you should look into getting eSignal to chart and then enter trades on the iPad Schwab app (my typical strategy when I want to trade that account).

Commissions are high-average, but the convenience of integrated banking with all of the auto transfer and bill pay features in a bank that isn't as arrogant as the larger ones (such as BofA) makes this my choice to supplement my Interactive Brokers/eSignal trading.

NeverEnuf81

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Trustworthy

Definitely a trustworthy service!

BlueTrader

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good ol' chuck

chuck may not have the fanciest servers and features but the system is rock solid. transaction fees are high. prop brokers offer no ticket charges for options.

FrankieSaysRelax

Like the new prices.

The are pretty good but the value is not, hense the 2 stars. I'm pretty sure that there are enough reviews here for you all to read. ...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

JackSilverstein

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Charles Schwab is Great

The foks at Schwab have been nothing but A-1 for me. I have taken one-on-one and small group seminars at Schwab in Soquel (a fairly small town), they are always right there on the phone or on-line, and the most INCREDIBLE thing is they bailed me out of a HUGE mistake I made when first trading options. They called my house, we went over what happened, and instead of me incurring a $108,000 margin call, I actually MADE $6,000 on the trade. They back you up like white on rice. I will never leave them.

Buttahfry

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Solid with great service

I have used Schwab for about 25 years. This is an outstanding company, offering superior customer service. Recommended.

Kuching

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It is $8.95 per trade nowadays

There are brokers that are cheaper (cheapest is $4-5). But I feel more secure with Schwab. The customer service is top-notch. They answer the phone in a few seconds.

I don't make a dozen trades a day so the Schwab trading software is good enough for me. I mostly use it to enter and exit trades. I don't really look at its real-time charting although I have it all set up anyway. I prefer looking at static charts.

Mreggsbenedict

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