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Charles Schwab vs IG : Fees, Safety & Trading Conditions Compared (2026)
Broker Name
Charles Schwab
IG
Broker Overview
Broker Type (e.g., Market Maker, ECN/STP)
STP broker
ECN
Years of Existence / Established Year
1971
1974
Customer Base / Number of Accounts
No information
313,000 customers
Regulation & Security
Regulations (governing bodies)
NFA, SFC, MAS, FCA, CFTC, CIRO
NFA CFTC FCA
Awards Won (count for the last 2 years)
Best Online Broker 2024, Best customer Service
Best Multi platform provider - ADVFN International Financial Awards 2024 Best Finance App - ADVFN International Financial Awards 2024 Best platform for active trader - ADVFN International Financial Awards 2022
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
17,000 + markets
Currency Pairs
Yes
Yes
Commodities
No
Yes
Indices
No
Yes
Cryptocurrencies
Yes
Yes
CFDs
No
Yes
ETFs
Yes
Yes
Stocks
Yes
Yes
Options
Yes
Yes
Futures
Yes
Yes
Bonds
No
Yes
Mutual Funds
Yes
Yes
Fractional Shares
Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs)
Yes
Yes
Precious Metals
Yes
Yes
Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)
No
Yes
Equities
Yes
Yes
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
ProReal Time APIs L2 dealer
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
Leveraged Accounts Spread betting account CFD accountNon-Leveraged Account Share dealing account ISA account IG smart portfolio account IG smart ISA portfolio account
Demo Account (Yes/No)
Yes
Yes
Islamic Accounts (Yes/No)
No
No
Minimum Deposit
$0
$50
Leverage Available
No
200:1
Trade Limit (maximum per trade)
Depends on order and trading session
Trade size vary on each asset
Commission (per account type)
$0
Starting from 0.1
Best Suited For (e.g., beginners, experienced traders)
Long term and active traders
Beginners
Deposit & Withdrawal Options
Deposit Methods
ACH, Wire Transfer, Check deposit
Bank transfers Card FPS in Hong Kong dollars Funding on IG mobile app Wise
Withdrawal Methods
ACH, Wire Transfer, Check deposit
Card Bank transfer
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
Trade analytics tools Seminars & webinars
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
US shares 0 to 50 - commission free 50+ trades - $5Other shares Germany - 0.1% UK - 0.1% Ireland - 0.1%
Spread (typical, fixed, variable)
Variable
Variable
Per Lot Fees
NA
NA
Options Contract Fees
$0.65
NA
Futures Contract Fees
$2.25 per contract.
NA
Markup Fees on Spread
NA
NA
Guaranteed Stop Loss Fees
NA
Vary for each asset
Maximum Leverage
No
200:1
Non-Trading Fees
Dormant Fees
$0
$12/month after 24 months of no trading activity
Subscription Fees (for premium features, data feeds)
$0
NA
Advisory Fees
Schwab Wealth Advisory- Starts at 0.80%- 1.0%
NA
Swap Fees (Overnight Financing)
Yes
Yes
Statement or Document Fee
NA
$50
Account Opening Fee
$0
$0
Account Maintenance Fee
$0
$0
Deposit Fee
$0
Free for Wire & check deposits
Currency Conversion Fee
$0
0.5% - CFDs and share dealing accounts 0.7% - international shares
Withdrawal Fee
$0
Wire transfer - $25
Bonuses, Promotions & Benefits
Bonuses, Promotions, and Referrals
Yes
Yes
Customer Benefits (e.g., Retirement Plan)
Yes
Yes
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
Forex Monday 00:00 - Friday 22:00 GMT (International times may vary)UK shares (LSE): 08.00-16.30 (London time) US shares: 09.30-16.00 (New York time) European shares: vary on relevant exchanges
Customer Support
Support Hours (e.g., 24/7, weekdays only)
24/7
24x5 support
Customer Support Methods (phone, email, live chat)
Phone: 800-435-4000, Chat, FAQs
Call +44 (20) 7633 5430 Email: [email protected] 10AM to 7PM whatsapp channel support (Monday to Friday)
Support Languages
2
8
Additional Information
Headquarters Location
Westlake, Texas
IG Cannon Bridge House 25 Dowgate Hill London EC4R 2YA
Complaints (for crypto brokers)
No
No
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