Charles Schwab vs Fidelity 2025
In this head to head comparison of Charles Schwab vs Fidelity, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
In this head to head comparison of Charles Schwab vs Fidelity, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
Choosing between Charles Schwab and Fidelity can be a tough decision for investors, but both platforms have plenty to offer. Each provider excels with a five-star rating for their range of investment options, making them top contenders in the industry. Charles Schwab is highly ranked, coming in second out of 14 brokers according to StockBrokers.com for their investment selection. Fidelity is a close rival, securing the third spot with its comprehensive offerings. While both platforms shine in many areas, the distinguishing factor may lie in specific investment needs, such as Fidelity's availability of crypto trading with three coins or Schwab's futures trading capability.
When exploring the similarities, both Charles Schwab and Fidelity offer a vast array of investment options including stocks, margin trading, fractional shares, OTC stocks, mutual funds, options, and forex trading. Investors can also take advantage of traditional and Roth IRA accounts along with robust advisor services, making both brokers appealing for various financial strategies. Such offerings ensure that users have access to the essential financial tools required for building and diversifying their portfolios.
The differences between Schwab and Fidelity may determine the final choice for potential investors. Schwab stands out by providing futures trading, which isn't available with Fidelity. On the other hand, Fidelity offers an opportunity to engage with the growing crypto market, providing access to three cryptocurrency coins, a feature Schwab does not currently support. Analyzing these features can guide investors in selecting the brokerage that aligns most closely with their personal investment preferences and goals.
Feature |
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|
---|---|---|
Stock Trading | Yes | Yes |
Account Feature - Margin Trading | Yes | Yes |
Fractional Shares (Stocks) | Yes | Yes |
OTC Stocks | Yes | Yes |
Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes |
Options Trading | Yes | Yes |
Futures Trading | Yes | No |
Crypto Trading | No | Yes |
Crypto Trading - Total Coins | 0 | 3 |
Range of Investments |
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Dive deeper: Best Options Trading Platforms for 2025, Best Futures Trading Platforms for 2025: A Beginner-Friendly Guide to an Advanced Market
When it comes to choosing between Charles Schwab and Fidelity for trading platforms and tools, both brokers provide strong offerings. However, Charles Schwab stands out with higher ratings and a wider array of features, making it more compelling for active traders and investors seeking comprehensive tools. Rated as the best in the industry by StockBrokers.com, Charles Schwab boasts a perfect five-star rating for its trading platforms and tools, while Fidelity is close behind with a 4.5-star rating. Whether for desktop downloads or browser-based use, both platforms are equipped to handle traders' needs on Windows and Mac systems.
Charles Schwab offers a versatile trading experience with unique features like paper trading, which Fidelity does not provide. Additionally, Schwab provides a more extensive selection of watch list options, supporting up to 580 fields, compared to Fidelity's 92. For chart enthusiasts, Charles Schwab enriches the experience with the capability to customize and utilize 374 technical indicators and 24 drawing tools, while Fidelity offers 129 indicators and 38 drawing tools. Both brokers allow for adjustments of open orders directly on stock charts, the integration of note-taking, and the display of historical trades and corporate events on charts.
When exploring advanced charting capabilities, Charles Schwab users benefit from the ability to create custom studies and leverage 35 customization fields for SMA studies, in contrast to Fidelity’s five fields and lack of custom study options. Both brokers support automated technical analysis and the saving of multiple chart profiles, ensuring that traders can tailor their strategies effectively. Ultimately, while both Charles Schwab and Fidelity deliver excellent platforms, Schwab's superior rating and expansive features provide a more comprehensive trading toolset.
Feature |
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|
---|---|---|
Web Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
Desktop Platform (Mac) | Yes | Yes |
Paper Trading | Yes | No |
Watch Lists - Total Fields | 580 | 92 |
Charting - Indicators / Studies | 374 | 129 |
Charting - Drawing Tools | 24 | 38 |
Platforms & Tools |
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Dive deeper: Best Online Brokers & Trading Platforms for 2025, Best Paper Trading Apps & Platforms for 2025
For beginners and those eager to enhance their investing skills, Charles Schwab and Fidelity both serve as excellent choices, offering comprehensive educational resources across a range of investment topics. Both platforms provide excellent education on stocks, ETFs, options, mutual funds, bonds, and more, complemented by a variety of educational videos and webinars. Whether you're looking to familiarize yourself with new investment vehicles or refine your strategies, both Schwab and Fidelity include educational quizzes and the ability to track your learning progress. This holistic approach ensures that customers can acquire and measure their knowledge efficiently.
However, for those interested in practice without real-world risk, Charles Schwab has an added advantage with its paper trading feature, allowing users to simulate trades without using actual money, a feature Fidelity currently lacks. Despite this difference, both brokers have received a top-tier rating of five stars for education. Yet, when stacked against 14 online brokers, StockBrokers.com ranks Charles Schwab as the top choice for education, slightly ahead of Fidelity, which holds the second spot. This distinction might make Charles Schwab the more desirable option for learners who want comprehensive educational resources coupled with practical trading practice.
Feature |
|
|
---|---|---|
Education (Stocks) | Yes | Yes |
Education (ETFs) | Yes | Yes |
Education (Options) | Yes | Yes |
Education (Mutual Funds) | Yes | Yes |
Education (Fixed Income) | Yes | Yes |
Paper Trading | Yes | No |
Videos | Yes | Yes |
Webinars | Yes | Yes |
Education |
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Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Platforms for Beginners of 2025
When it comes to stock trading apps, both Charles Schwab and Fidelity stand out as top choices for investors. However, Charles Schwab takes the lead with its #1 ranking out of 14 brokers by StockBrokers.com, offering an impressive array of features with a perfect 5-star rating. Fidelity, while also earning a 5-star rating, ranks #3, highlighting its strong but slightly less comprehensive capabilities compared to Schwab. These distinctions make Schwab particularly appealing for those seeking a versatile and high-ranking trading platform.
Both Charles Schwab and Fidelity offer a wide range of app functionalities across devices, including apps for iPhone, Android, and Apple Watch. They each support mobile after-hours stock trading, providing flexibility for users who prefer trading outside regular market hours. Options traders will find value in both platforms as they support mobile options trading, and investors can stay informed with streaming quotes and live TV, as well as videos on demand.
A key area where Charles Schwab excels is in charting capabilities, offering a remarkable 373 technical studies compared to Fidelity’s 128. Both brokers allow users to create custom watch lists and customize watch list columns. Investors can enjoy advanced charting features like after-hours charting, viewing charts in landscape mode, and displaying stock comparisons on charts. Whether you're a seasoned trader or just starting, these comprehensive features ensure you’re equipped with the tools needed to make informed trading decisions.
Feature |
|
|
---|---|---|
iPhone App | Yes | Yes |
Android App | Yes | Yes |
Apple Watch App | Yes | Yes |
Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
Charting - After-Hours | Yes | Yes |
Charting - Technical Studies | 373 | 128 |
Mobile Trading Apps |
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Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps for 2025
When it comes to choosing between Charles Schwab and Fidelity for online brokerage services, both offer compelling features, especially regarding account fees and charges. They share several attractive qualities, such as $0 minimum deposit requirements and $0 commission fees on regular stock trades. Their fees for trading options contracts are also identical, with each broker charging $0.65 per contract. However, subtle differences, such as margin rates and account transfer fees, might tip the scale depending on your specific trading needs and preferences.
Both Charles Schwab and Fidelity provide free IRA accounts with no annual or closure fees, making them appealing choices for retirement savings. Meanwhile, their options trading is affordably priced, with a $0 charge on options exercise and assignment fees from both brokers. In terms of margin rates, the costs for borrowing on margin at both brokers are fairly similar across different balance tiers, albeit with slightly lower percentages favoring Fidelity by a fraction.
One area where Fidelity has an edge over Charles Schwab is in account transfer fees. While both brokers allow partial Account Transfers (ACAT) at no cost, Charles Schwab charges $50 for a full account transfer, whereas Fidelity offers it for free. Despite these minor discrepancies, Charles Schwab and Fidelity remain highly competitive choices, each with its strengths depending on individual client priorities.
Feature |
|
|
---|---|---|
Minimum Deposit | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Stock Trades | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Options (Per Contract) | $0.65 | $0.65 |
Options Exercise Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Options Assignment Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
IRA Annual Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
IRA Closure Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Dive deeper: Best Free Trading Platforms for 2025
When it comes to day trading capabilities, both Charles Schwab and Fidelity provide a range of features to support active traders. They each offer streaming time and sales data for stocks and streaming live TV, ensuring traders have access to real-time information and market analysis. Additionally, both brokers provide direct market routing, trading hotkeys, and level 2 quotes, allowing for fast and informed trade executions. For those interested in backtesting strategies, Charles Schwab offers both basic and advanced strategy backtesting, while Fidelity only provides basic backtesting options.
In terms of more specialized features, Charles Schwab stands out by offering ladder trading functionality, a feature not available with Fidelity. Both platforms include a short locator tool that helps traders find current real-time availability of shares to short, which can be a crucial tool for day traders. However, neither broker provides order liquidity rebates, such as maker/taker rebates. Overall, Charles Schwab's additional offerings, like ladder trading and advanced strategy backtesting, might appeal to traders looking for a more comprehensive day trading toolkit.
Feature |
|
|
---|---|---|
Streaming Time & Sales | Yes | Yes |
Streaming TV | Yes | Yes |
Direct Market Routing - Equities | Yes | Yes |
Level 2 Quotes - Stocks | Yes | Yes |
Trade Ideas - Backtesting | Yes | Yes |
Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv | Yes | No |
Short Locator | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Day Trading Platforms for 2025
When it comes to market research capabilities, both Charles Schwab and Fidelity offer comprehensive resources, ensuring that investors have access to a wide range of information to make well-informed decisions. Each platform is highly rated, with Fidelity and Charles Schwab both receiving five-star ratings. However, Charles Schwab takes the top spot, leading as the number one ranked broker in this category according to StockBrokers.com, while Fidelity comes in at a respectable third place.
Both Charles Schwab and Fidelity offer essential research options such as stock, ETFs, mutual funds, Pink Sheets/OTCBB, and bond research, giving investors a broad spectrum of market insights. They both also provide the ability to view portfolio allocations by asset class and utilize social media sentiment data for enhanced stock research, alongside ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) research. In terms of downloadable PDF research reports, the two brokers are evenly matched, offering seven reports for stocks and comprehensive options for ETFs, while neither provides this format for mutual funds.
For traders looking to generate ideas, both brokerages shine with extensive tools, offering screeners for stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, and bonds. Although Charles Schwab edges out Fidelity in ranking, both platforms are equipped to offer rich and varied research resources that cater to a diverse range of investing needs. This makes them both excellent choices for investors seeking detailed market insights. Armed with an array of tools and research capabilities, users of either platform can feel confident they have the resources needed to make savvy investment decisions.
Feature |
|
|
---|---|---|
Research - Stocks | Yes | Yes |
Screener - Stocks | Yes | Yes |
Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
Screener - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
Research - Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes |
Screener - Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes |
Research - Fixed Income | Yes | Yes |
Screener - Fixed Income | Yes | Yes |
Research |
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When comparing the banking capabilities of Charles Schwab and Fidelity, several key offerings highlight their differences and similarities. Charles Schwab provides a wider range of banking services, offering both checking and savings accounts, while Fidelity does not offer these account types. However, both Schwab and Fidelity offer debit cards and credit cards, ensuring flexible payment options for their clients. Additionally, both financial institutions enable customers to invest in Certificates of Deposit (CDs), providing a reliable saving avenue. For those considering larger financial investments, both Schwab and Fidelity cater to mortgage loan needs, supporting long-term buying goals. Ultimately, Charles Schwab stands out for its more comprehensive banking services, particularly with the inclusion of checking and savings accounts.
Feature |
|
|
---|---|---|
Checking Accounts | Yes | No |
Savings Accounts | Yes | No |
Debit Cards | Yes | Yes |
Credit Cards | Yes | Yes |
Mortgage Loans | Yes | Yes |
Brokerage CDs | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokerage Checking Accounts for 2025
After opening live accounts and testing 14 of the best online brokers, our research and live account testing finds that Charles Schwab is better than Fidelity. Charles Schwab finished with an overall score of 99.2%, while Fidelity finished with a score of 96.2%.
With the addition of TD Ameritrade's thinkorswim platforms and the enhancement of several features, Schwab is now a vigorous competitor with thought-provoking research and commentary and a client experience to fit any preference.
Charles Schwab does not support crypto trading and offers zero cryptocurrencies, whereas Fidelity provides crypto trading with access to three different coins, making it a more suitable choice for investors interested in digital currencies.
Dive deeper: Best Online Brokers for Crypto Trading in 2025
Both Charles Schwab and Fidelity provide traditional and Roth IRA accounts with no annual fees or closure fees, making them excellent choices for investors seeking cost-effective retirement solutions.
Dive deeper: Best IRA Accounts for 2025
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0 of 5Overall Rating | Charles Schwab | Fidelity | |
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Platforms & Tools |
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Mobile Trading Apps |
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Research |
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Customer Service |
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Education |
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Ease of Use |
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Winner | check_circle | ||
Review | Charles Schwab Review | Fidelity Review |
Broker Screenshots | Charles Schwab | Fidelity | |
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Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
Trading Fees | Charles Schwab | Fidelity | |
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Minimum Deposit | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
Stock Trades | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
Penny Stock Fees (OTC) | $6.95 | $0.00 | |
Mutual Fund Trade Fee | Varies | Varies | |
Options (Per Contract) | $0.65 | $0.65 | |
Futures (Per Contract) | $2.25 | (Not offered) | |
Broker Assisted Trade Fee | $25 | $32.95 |
Margin Rates | Charles Schwab | Fidelity | |
---|---|---|---|
Margin Rate Under $25,000 | 12.58% | 12.575% | |
Margin Rate $25,000 to $49,999.99 | 12.08% | 12.075% | |
Margin Rate $50,000 to $99,999.99 | 11.13% | 11.125% | |
Margin Rate $100,000 to $249,999.99 | 11.08% | 11.075% | |
Margin Rate $250,000 to $499,999.99 | 10.83% | 10.825% | |
Margin Rate $500,000 to $999,999.99 | Varies | 8.500% | |
Margin Rate Above $1,000,000 | Varies | 8.250% |
Account Fees | Charles Schwab | Fidelity | |
---|---|---|---|
IRA Annual Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
IRA Closure Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
Account Transfer Out (Partial) | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
Account Transfer Out (Full) | $50.00 | $0.00 | |
Options Exercise Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
Options Assignment Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Investment Options | Charles Schwab | Fidelity | |
---|---|---|---|
Stock Trading | Yes | Yes | |
Account Feature - Margin Trading | Yes | Yes | |
Fractional Shares (Stocks) | Yes | Yes | |
OTC Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
Options Trading | Yes | Yes | |
Complex Options Max Legs | 4 | 4 | |
Futures Trading | Yes | No | |
Forex Trading | Yes | Yes | |
Crypto Trading | No | Yes | |
Crypto Trading - Total Coins | 0 | 3 | |
Fixed Income (Treasurys) | Yes | Yes | |
Fixed Income (Corporate Bonds) | Yes | Yes | |
Fixed Income (Municipal Bonds) | Yes | Yes | |
Traditional IRAs | Yes | Yes | |
Roth IRAs | Yes | Yes | |
Advisor Services | Yes | Yes | |
International Countries (Stocks) | 12 | 25 |
Order Types | Charles Schwab | Fidelity | |
---|---|---|---|
Order Type - Market | Yes | Yes | |
Order Type - Limit | Yes | Yes | |
Order Type - After Hours | Yes | Yes | |
Order Type - Stop | Yes | Yes | |
Order Type - Trailing Stop | Yes | Yes | |
Order Type - OCO | Yes | Yes | |
Order Type - OTO | Yes | Yes | |
Order Type - Broker Assisted | Yes | Yes |
Beginners | Charles Schwab | Fidelity | |
---|---|---|---|
Education (Stocks) | Yes | Yes | |
Education (ETFs) | Yes | Yes | |
Education (Options) | Yes | Yes | |
Education (Mutual Funds) | Yes | Yes | |
Education (Fixed Income) | Yes | Yes | |
Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
Retirement Calculator | Yes | Yes | |
Investor Dictionary | Yes | Yes | |
Paper Trading | Yes | No | |
Videos | Yes | Yes | |
Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
Progress Tracking | Yes | Yes | |
Interactive Learning - Quizzes | Yes | Yes |
Stock Trading Apps | Charles Schwab | Fidelity | |
---|---|---|---|
iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
Android App | Yes | Yes | |
Apple Watch App | Yes | Yes | |
Trading - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
Trading - After-Hours | Yes | Yes | |
Trading - Simple Options | Yes | Yes | |
Trading - Complex Options | Yes | Yes | |
Order Ticket RT Quotes | Yes | Yes | |
Order Ticket SRT Quotes | Yes | Yes |
Stock App Features | Charles Schwab | Fidelity | |
---|---|---|---|
Market Movers (Top Gainers) | Yes | Yes | |
Stream Live TV | Yes | Yes | |
Videos on Demand | Yes | Yes | |
Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
Option Chains Viewable | Yes | Yes | |
Watch List (Real-time) | Yes | Yes | |
Watch List (Streaming) | Yes | Yes | |
Watch Lists - Create & Manage | Yes | Yes | |
Watch Lists - Column Customization | Yes | Yes |
Stock App Charting | Charles Schwab | Fidelity | |
---|---|---|---|
Charting - After-Hours | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Can Turn Horizontally | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Technical Studies | 373 | 128 | |
Charting - Study Customizations | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Stock Comparisons | Yes | Yes |
Trading Platforms | Charles Schwab | Fidelity | |
---|---|---|---|
Active Trading Platform | thinkorswim | Active Trader Pro | |
Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
Desktop Platform (Mac) | Yes | Yes | |
Web Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
Paper Trading | Yes | No | |
Trade Journal | Yes | Yes | |
Watch Lists - Total Fields | 580 | 92 |
Stock Chart Features | Charles Schwab | Fidelity | |
---|---|---|---|
Charting - Adjust Trades on Chart | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Indicators / Studies | 374 | 129 | |
Charting - Drawing Tools | 24 | 38 | |
Charting - Notes | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Historical Trades | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Corporate Events | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Custom Date Range | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Custom Time Bars | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Automated Analysis | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Save Profiles | Yes | Yes | |
Trade Ideas - Technical Analysis | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Study Customizations | 35 | 5 | |
Charting - Custom Studies | Yes | No |
Day Trading | Charles Schwab | Fidelity | |
---|---|---|---|
Streaming Time & Sales | Yes | Yes | |
Streaming TV | Yes | Yes | |
Direct Market Routing - Equities | Yes | Yes | |
Ladder Trading | Yes | No | |
Trade Hot Keys | Yes | Yes | |
Level 2 Quotes - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
Trade Ideas - Backtesting | Yes | Yes | |
Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv | Yes | No | |
Short Locator | Yes | Yes | |
Order Liquidity Rebates | No | No |
Research Overview | Charles Schwab | Fidelity | |
---|---|---|---|
Research - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
Research - Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes | |
Research - Pink Sheets / OTCBB | Yes | Yes | |
Research - Fixed Income | Yes | Yes | |
Screener - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
Screener - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
Screener - Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes | |
Screener - Fixed Income | Yes | Yes | |
Portfolio Asset Allocation | Yes | Yes |
Stock Research | Charles Schwab | Fidelity | |
---|---|---|---|
Stock Research - PDF Reports | 7 | 7 | |
Stock Research - Earnings | Yes | Yes | |
Stock Research - Insiders | Yes | Yes | |
Stock Research - Social | Yes | Yes | |
Stock Research - News | Yes | Yes | |
Stock Research - ESG | Yes | Yes | |
Stock Research - SEC Filings | Yes | Yes |
ETF Research | Charles Schwab | Fidelity | |
---|---|---|---|
ETFs - Investment Objective | Yes | Yes | |
ETF Fund Facts - Inception Date | Yes | Yes | |
ETF Fund Facts - Expense Ratio | Yes | Yes | |
ETF Fund Facts - Total Assets | Yes | Yes | |
ETF Fund Facts - Total Holdings | Yes | Yes | |
ETFs - Top 10 Holdings | Yes | Yes | |
ETFs - Sector Exposure | Yes | Yes | |
ETFs - Risk Analysis | Yes | Yes | |
ETFs - Ratings | Yes | Yes | |
ETFs - Morningstar StyleMap | Yes | Yes | |
ETFs - PDF Reports | Yes | Yes |
Mutual Fund Research | Charles Schwab | Fidelity | |
---|---|---|---|
Mutual Funds - Investment Objective | Yes | Yes | |
Mutual Funds - Performance Chart | Yes | Yes | |
Mutual Funds - Performance Analysis | Yes | Yes | |
Mutual Funds - Prospectus | Yes | Yes | |
Mutual Funds - 3rd Party Ratings | Yes | Yes | |
Mutual Funds - Fees Breakdown | Yes | Yes | |
Mutual Funds - Top 10 Holdings | Yes | Yes | |
Mutual Funds - Asset Allocation | Yes | Yes | |
Mutual Funds - Sector Allocation | Yes | Yes | |
Mutual Funds - Country Allocation | Yes | Yes | |
Mutual Funds - StyleMap | Yes | Yes |
Options Trading | Charles Schwab | Fidelity | |
---|---|---|---|
Option Chains - Total Greeks | 5 | 5 | |
Option Analysis - P&L Charts | Yes | Yes |
Banking | Charles Schwab | Fidelity | |
---|---|---|---|
Bank (Member FDIC) | Yes | No | |
Checking Accounts | Yes | No | |
Savings Accounts | Yes | No | |
Credit Cards | Yes | Yes | |
Debit Cards | Yes | Yes | |
Mortgage Loans | Yes | Yes |
Customer Service | Charles Schwab | Fidelity | |
---|---|---|---|
Phone Support (Prospective Customers) | Yes | Yes | |
Phone Support (Current Customers) | Yes | Yes | |
Email Support | Yes | Yes | |
Live Chat (Prospective Customers) | No | Yes | |
Live Chat (Current Customers) | Yes | Yes | |
24/7 Support | Yes | Yes |
Overall | Charles Schwab | Fidelity | |
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Overall |
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Range of Investments |
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Platforms & Tools |
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Mobile Trading Apps |
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Research |
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Education |
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Ease of Use |
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Winner | check_circle | ||
Review | Charles Schwab Review | Fidelity Review |