Charles Schwab Bank Review 2023 (2024)

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Charles Schwab Bank Review: Overall Rating

Charles Schwab Bank Pros and Cons

About Charles Schwab Bank

Charles Schwab is primarily known for its investment services, but it also offers banking products.

There are over 300 Charles Schwab locations around the US. Although you may be able to talk with a representative about your bank accounts, the physical locations are mainly for investment services, not banking services.

You can do all your banking online, though, and the bank's mobile app has received 4.8 out of 5 stars in the Apple store, and 3 stars in the Google Play store.

Charles Schwab offers 24/7 customer support via online chat with customer service representatives. Or you can call an agent Monday through Friday, 4 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET, and weekends from 6 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET.

Your Charles Schwab Bank accounts are FDICinsured for up to $250,000, or $500,000 for joint accounts.

Is Charles Schwab Bank Trustworthy?

Charles Schwab has received an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. A strong BBB rating signifies the company is transparent in how it handles business, responds effectively to customer complaints, and is honest in its advertising.

Charles Schwab does have a recent controversy, though. In 2022, Charles Schwab paid $187 in a settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The SEC claimed three Schwab investment subsidiaries invested clients' money in ways Schwab's data showed would likely be less profitable for the customers, without telling the customers. Charles Schwab neither confirmed nor denied these allegations, but the company did settle.

Charles Schwab Bank FAQs

Charles Schwab Bank Account Reviews

Schwab Bank High Yield Investor Savings Account

The Schwab Bank High Yield Investor Savings® Account has a $0 minimum deposit and no monthly service fee.

It's also rare for savings accounts to come with a debit card. Not only will Charles Schwab send you a debit card with your savings account, but the bank reimburses 100% of ATM fees charged by ATM operators. The bank will not charge a foreign transaction fee if you use your card abroad.

The account pays 0.48% APY (Annual Percentage Yield) on your balance — this is roughly the national average for savings accounts, and the best online banks pay significantly more.

Schwab Bank High Yield Investor Checking Account

When you open a Schwab Bank High Yield Investor Checking® Account, you automatically open a brokerage account, too. The Schwab Bank High Yield Investor Checking® Account has a $0 minimum opening deposit and no monthly service fee. It pays 0.45% APY — while this is a nice perk, the best high-yield checking accounts pay signficantly more.

Charles Schwab offers unlimited refunds for out-of-network ATM fees, and it doesn't charge foreign transaction fees.

Charles Schwab Bank CDs

Charles Schwab's CDs are different than what you'll find with most banks. Charles Schwab has brokered CDs, meaning Charles Schwab doesn't actually own the CD. Instead, Charles Schwab acts as the middleman for you and the bank that owns the CD.

The good news is that Charles Schwab CD rates are some of the highest out there — the bad news is that brokered CDs don't compound interest, which could drastically affect how much you earn if you have a large balance.

When interest is paid, it goes straight into your Charles Schwab brokerage account.

How Charles Schwab Bank Compares

Charles Schwab Bank vs. Bank of America

Charles Schwab and Bank of America both offer investment and bank products. Bank of America savings rates are low, and you'll earn a higher rate with Schwab. But you may prefer Bank of America for CDs — Bank of America CD rates are high on select terms. It also offers a 12-month no-penalty CD that pays 3.51% APY. Perhaps most importantly, it compounds interest on CDs, while Charles Schwab does not.

But Charles Schwab is better for international travelers. It doesn't charge foreign transaction fees, and it refunds ATM fees worldwide. Bank of America charges a 3% fee each time you use a debit card abroad, and 3% plus $5 when you withdraw money from a foreign ATM.

Bank of America Review

Charles Schwab Bank vs. Capital One 360

Capital One 360 is another great bank for international travelers. It doesn't charge foreign transaction fees, and it won't charge a fee at foreign ATMs. However, it doesn't refund any fees charged by foreign ATMs like Charles Schwab does.

Capital One savings rates are signficantly higher than what you'll earn with Schwab. It pays 4.30% (as of 7/21/23) APY on all balances. Capital One also pays 4.10% to 5.25% APY on CDs, with interest compounding daily.

Capital One Bank Review

Why You Should Trust Us: How We Reviewed Charles Schwab Bank

To review Charles Schwab's checking and savings accounts, we used Insider's bank account methodology. To review its brokered CDs, we used our certificate of deposit methodology.

We evaluate the bank's ethics, customer service, and mobile apps when reviewing each account. Other factors considered depend on what type of account we're rating. For example, we look at overdraft fees for checking accounts, but interest rates for savings accounts and CDs. It's worth noting that we did not factor in early withdrawal penalties like we usually do for Charles Schwab CDs, because brokered CDs do not charge these penalties. (Instead, you can sell a CD if you need access to the money early.)

We assign each category a score between 0 and 5, then average them together to give each account a rating from 0 to 5.