I'm a Schwab customer and concur w/ positive comments here about high-quality retail customer service, eg for relatively "normal" investors / account holders (ie, 6 figures AUM, not 7+).
But.
It's worth reading Michael Lewis's "Flash Boys: A Wall Street Revolt" [for several reasons] before nurturing too many warm-n-fuzzies for Schwab or Fidelity or any other mainstream big bank. Maybe you fellow HN readers are more aware than I was, but I'd guess when most of you hear "high-speed trading" you think about performance optimization and interesting technical challenges. It's mind-boggling how blatantly and comprehensively / systematically the financial "markets" have been captured by the interests of a tiny few, who literally steal from pension funds. To say it's rigged is an understatement. Must-read for anyone who thinks they know how Wall St works -- or cares to.
But.
It's worth reading Michael Lewis's "Flash Boys: A Wall Street Revolt" [for several reasons] before nurturing too many warm-n-fuzzies for Schwab or Fidelity or any other mainstream big bank. Maybe you fellow HN readers are more aware than I was, but I'd guess when most of you hear "high-speed trading" you think about performance optimization and interesting technical challenges. It's mind-boggling how blatantly and comprehensively / systematically the financial "markets" have been captured by the interests of a tiny few, who literally steal from pension funds. To say it's rigged is an understatement. Must-read for anyone who thinks they know how Wall St works -- or cares to.