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Charles Schwab vs CMC Markets : Fees, Safety & Trading Conditions Compared (2026)
Broker Name
Charles Schwab
CMC Markets
Broker Overview
Broker Type (e.g., Market Maker, ECN/STP)
STP broker
Market maker
Years of Existence / Established Year
1971
1989
Customer Base / Number of Accounts
No information
265k+
Regulation & Security
Regulations (governing bodies)
NFA, SFC, MAS, FCA, CFTC, CIRO
FCA, ASIC, CIRO, MAS, FMA
Awards Won (count for the last 2 years)
Best Online Broker 2024, Best customer Service
Best Mobile Trading Platform, No.1 Most Currency Pairs, Best for CFDs -2024, No.1 Web Platform, Best Forex Broker, Best In-House Analysts 2023
Security Measures
SIPC
FSCS
SSL Encryption / 2FA
Yes
Yes
Segregated Funds
Yes
Yes
Negative Balance Protection
No
Yes
Trading Instruments/Products Offered
Assets Types / Trading Instruments (total count and breakdown)
Money market Funds, Index funds, Bonds and fixed products, Annuities, Bank and borrowing, International stocks, Margin loans, Insurance, Securities lending fully paid
12,000+ tradable instruments including shares, Treasuries
Currency Pairs
Yes
Yes
Commodities
No
Yes
Indices
No
Yes
Cryptocurrencies
Yes
Yes
CFDs
No
Yes
ETFs
Yes
Yes
Stocks
Yes
No
Options
Yes
No
Futures
Yes
No
Bonds
No
Yes
Mutual Funds
Yes
No
Fractional Shares
Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs)
Yes
No
Precious Metals
Yes
Yes
Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)
No
No
Equities
Yes
No
Trading Platforms & Technology
Trading Platform Availability
Yes
Yes
MT4
No
Yes
MT5
No
No
cTrader
No
No
Social Trading
Yes
Copy Trading
No
Yes
Other Trading Platforms (proprietary, etc.)
Schwab.com Web Trading Platform, StreetSmart Edge (advanced platform), StreetSmart Central (for options traders), Schwab Trading Powered by Ameritrade, thinkorswim Trading Platforms
CMC web platform, iOS and Android app
Platform Compatibility (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android)
Yes
Yes
Account Types & Conditions
Account Types (Retail, Pro, VIP, etc.)
Brokerage and Trading, Retirement Accounts (IRAs), Education and Custodial, Personal Choice Retirement, Small Business, Accounts by Financial Goal
Spread betting, CFD account , FX active, Corporate account
Demo Account (Yes/No)
Yes
Yes
Islamic Accounts (Yes/No)
No
No
Minimum Deposit
$0
$0
Leverage Available
No
30:1 to 1:500
Trade Limit (maximum per trade)
Depends on order and trading session
No information
Commission (per account type)
$0
Standard - No commission, FX active account- $2.50
Best Suited For (e.g., beginners, experienced traders)
Long term and active traders
Professional and retail traders
Deposit & Withdrawal Options
Deposit Methods
ACH, Wire Transfer, Check deposit
Bank transfer, Debit/credit card, Online banking
Withdrawal Methods
ACH, Wire Transfer, Check deposit
Bank transfer, Debit/credit card, Online banking
Other E-Wallets Supported
No
No
Tools & Educational Resources
Economic Calendar
Yes
Yes
Tools & Educational Resources (tutorials, webinars, market news, etc.)
Insights and Education, Trading, Market Commentary, Planning and retirement, Media
Learn spread betting, Learn to trade CFDs, Learn forex trading, technical indicators, Fundamental analysis, Webinars & events, Platform guides, Trading guides
Fees & Commissions
Trading-Related Fees
Commission -$0 online stock, ETF, and options trade, Commission is $75 - $50 fee + $25 assistance fees, broker-assisted trades- $25 service fee
CFD trading -US shares from $10; FX active - US shares from $10; Typical STP: Spread of 1.2 pips, Typical ECN: Spread of 0.2 pips, Spread- starts from 0.0 to 0.6 pips, Overnight holding costs: 0.0027%
Spread (typical, fixed, variable)
Variable
Fixed/Variable
Per Lot Fees
NA
$2.50
Options Contract Fees
$0.65
NA
Futures Contract Fees
$2.25 per contract.
NA
Markup Fees on Spread
NA
$5.00 per $100,000 in nominal value
Guaranteed Stop Loss Fees
NA
Crude Oil Brent $0.02 per unit, Apple Inc $0.41 per unit, US 30 $1.50 per unit, GBP/USD $0.00015 per
Maximum Leverage
No
1:500
Non-Trading Fees
Dormant Fees
$0
$0
Subscription Fees (for premium features, data feeds)
$0
ASX Dynamic Data package $41.25 a month (non-professional investors) $118.80 a month, International Data service fees (US) $11, International Data service fees (NZ) $11, Live Data package Free
Advisory Fees
Schwab Wealth Advisory- Starts at 0.80%- 1.0%
NA
Swap Fees (Overnight Financing)
Yes
NA
Statement or Document Fee
NA
NA
Account Opening Fee
$0
$0
Account Maintenance Fee
$0
NA
Deposit Fee
$0
$0
Currency Conversion Fee
$0
0.50%
Withdrawal Fee
$0
$0
Bonuses, Promotions & Benefits
Bonuses, Promotions, and Referrals
Yes
Yes
Customer Benefits (e.g., Retirement Plan)
Yes
No
Trading Hours
Trading Hours (for each asset class if applicable)
Regular Trading Session: 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM Eastern Time (ET), Pre-Market Session: between 8:05 AM ET, After-Hours Session: 7:00 AM to 9:25 AM ET
Depends on the instrument offer
Customer Support
Support Hours (e.g., 24/7, weekdays only)
24/7
Monday to Friday from 8am to 8pm
Customer Support Methods (phone, email, live chat)
Phone: 800-435-4000, Chat, FAQs
Email: [email protected], Phone: +44 (0)20 7170 8200
Support Languages
2
12+
Additional Information
Headquarters Location
Westlake, Texas
CMC Markets UK plc, 133 Houndsditch, London, EC3A 7BX, United Kingdom
Complaints (for crypto brokers)
No
No
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