Charles Schwab vs Lightspeed Trading Review
The StockBrokers.com 2017 Brokerage Review compares Charles Schwab vs Lightspeed Trading. Compare Charles Schwab and Lightspeed Trading trade commissions, fees and overall broker ratings by using the table below. Is Charles Schwab or Lightspeed Trading a better online broker?
Looking at both brokers, first we will take a look at the commission rates for both placing regular stock and options trades. Charles Schwab charges $4.95 per stock trade which is $0.45 more than Lightspeed Trading which charges clients $4.50 per trade. Looking at trading options, Lightspeed Trading's base fee is $0.00 while Charles Schwab's is $4.95. Contracts are pricier at Charles Schwab, costing $0.65 versus $0.60 at Lightspeed Trading, a difference of $0.05 per contract. It should be noted that not every broker uses a flat rate stock trade fee structure, so it is important to read the full commission notes (head over to any online brokerage review page, then navigate to the "Commission Notes" section).
Alongside trade commissions, being able to trade the way you want is a must. Lightspeed Trading provides its clients with Stock Trading, Options Trading and Futures Trading while Charles Schwab gives clients access to Stock Trading, Options Trading, Mutual Funds and Futures Trading. When it comes to mutual funds, Charles Schwab boasts an offering of 5165 compared to Lightspeed Trading's 0 available funds. Commission free ETFs can also be a nice plus, with Lightspeed Trading falling behind Charles Schwab, offering 0 commission free etfs compared to Charles Schwab's 229.
Last but not least, by breaking down important features that each broker offers, we can really help to separate the two brokers. Lightspeed Trading offers virtual trading while Charles Schwab does not. For mobile trading, Charles Schwab gives clients access to an iPhone App, iPad App and Android App while Lightspeed Trading has an none of these. Furthermore, some investors like to bank online, and multiple brokerages provide these services to clients. Checking Accounts, Savings Accounts, Debit Cards, Credit Cards and Mortgage Loans are offered by Charles Schwab while Lightspeed Trading offers none of these. On the whole, when it comes to tools, research, and trading on the go, Charles Schwab was rated for Best in Class - Platforms & Tools and Best in Class - Research in 2014, while Lightspeed Trading was rated for none of these.
Overall, Charles Schwab takes the upper hand with 4.50 stars over Lightspeed Trading's 2.50 stars.
Looking at both brokers, first we will take a look at the commission rates for both placing regular stock and options trades. Charles Schwab charges $4.95 per stock trade which is $0.45 more than Lightspeed Trading which charges clients $4.50 per trade. Looking at trading options, Lightspeed Trading's base fee is $0.00 while Charles Schwab's is $4.95. Contracts are pricier at Charles Schwab, costing $0.65 versus $0.60 at Lightspeed Trading, a difference of $0.05 per contract. It should be noted that not every broker uses a flat rate stock trade fee structure, so it is important to read the full commission notes (head over to any online brokerage review page, then navigate to the "Commission Notes" section).
Alongside trade commissions, being able to trade the way you want is a must. Lightspeed Trading provides its clients with Stock Trading, Options Trading and Futures Trading while Charles Schwab gives clients access to Stock Trading, Options Trading, Mutual Funds and Futures Trading. When it comes to mutual funds, Charles Schwab boasts an offering of 5165 compared to Lightspeed Trading's 0 available funds. Commission free ETFs can also be a nice plus, with Lightspeed Trading falling behind Charles Schwab, offering 0 commission free etfs compared to Charles Schwab's 229.
Last but not least, by breaking down important features that each broker offers, we can really help to separate the two brokers. Lightspeed Trading offers virtual trading while Charles Schwab does not. For mobile trading, Charles Schwab gives clients access to an iPhone App, iPad App and Android App while Lightspeed Trading has an none of these. Furthermore, some investors like to bank online, and multiple brokerages provide these services to clients. Checking Accounts, Savings Accounts, Debit Cards, Credit Cards and Mortgage Loans are offered by Charles Schwab while Lightspeed Trading offers none of these. On the whole, when it comes to tools, research, and trading on the go, Charles Schwab was rated for Best in Class - Platforms & Tools and Best in Class - Research in 2014, while Lightspeed Trading was rated for none of these.
Overall, Charles Schwab takes the upper hand with 4.50 stars over Lightspeed Trading's 2.50 stars.
Jump to:
Overall
Commissions & Fees
Offering of Investments
Platforms & Tools
Research
Customer Service
Mobile Trading
Ease of Use
Education
Order Execution
Banking
Stock Trade Fee (flat)
Options Base Fee
Options Per Contract Fee
Mutual Fund Trade Fee
Broker Assisted Trades Fee
Minimum Deposit
No Inactivity Fees
No Fee IRAs
Stock Trading
Options Trading
Mutual Funds
Forex Trading
Futures Trading
Desktop Platform (Windows)
Web Platform
Virtual Trading
Charting - Drawing Tools
Charting - Indicators / Studies
Option Chains - Total Columns
Watch Lists - Total Fields
iPhone App
iPad App
Android App
Android Tablet App
Apple Watch App
Trading - After-Hours
Trading - Mutual Funds
Trading - Conditional Orders
Trading - Simple Options
Trading - Complex Options
Commission Free ETFs
Mutual Funds (No Load)
Mutual Funds (Total)
# of Easy to Borrow Stocks
Retail Locations
Under $24,999.99
$25,000.00 to $49,999.99
$50,000.00 to $99,999.99
$100,000.00 to $249,999.99
$250,000.00 to $499,999.99
Above $1,000,000.00
$500,000.00 to $999,999.99
Checking Accounts
Savings Accounts
Credit Cards
Debit Cards
Mortgage Loans
No Fee Banking
Comparing 2 brokers
Charles Schwab
Special Offer
Earn 500 commission-free trades for two years at Schwab. Open an account
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
15
40
34
94
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
229
5165
5165
5975
300
8.50%
8.00%
7.00%
6.88%
6.75%
6.25%
6.75%
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Lightspeed Trading
Special Offer
Get $10,000 cash back on trades with a new account! Learn More
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
5
18
35
141
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
0
0
0
5500
0
6.50%
6.50%
5.50%
5.50%
4.75%
4.00%
4.25%
No
No
No
No
No
No
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All pricing data was obtained from a published web site as of 2/20/2017 and is believed to be accurate, but is not guaranteed. The StockBrokers.com staff is constantly working with its online broker representatives to obtain the latest pricing data. If you believe any data listed above is inaccurate, please contact us using the link at the bottom of this page. For stock trade rates, advertised pricing is for a standard order size of 500 shares of stock priced at $30 per share. For options orders, an options regulatory fee per contract may apply.