How Do I Open an Account with Charles Schwab?

Opening a new Charles Schwab account can be completed in a few simple steps online. Whether it is a checking, retirement, estate or brokerage account, or you want to open a managed or automated portfolio, Charles Schwab has services that will fit your financial needs, and it's easy to get started.

Oct 3, 2022

Charles Schwab offers several financial services, from checking accounts to brokerage or investment accounts, but knowing where to start can be daunting. How do you open an account with Charles Schwab? You can contact customer support here for more information on the services and accounts offered, and you can follow the steps outlined below to open your account.

Charles Schwab Accounts

First, you need to decide which type of account you want to open. There are five categories of accounts available at Charles Schwab.

  1. Brokerage Accounts: Customers can open individual or joint brokerage accounts to expand their portfolio and make their money work for them.
  2. Retirement: From traditional to Roth IRAs, including rollover IRAs, Charles Schwab offers customers many options for retirement planning.
  3. Automated Portfolios or Managed Portfolios: Choose between intelligent or intelligent premium portfolio options.
  4. Checking: Customers can open an individual or joint high-yield checking account.
  5. Estate Planning or Charitable Account: Open a single to two-trustee account for your dependents or set up a charitable account as part of your estate.

Opening an Account

Once you've decided on the type of account you want to open, the next step is opening your new account. Follow these steps to get started:

  1. Open the Charles Schwab website on your computer.
  2. Click "Open An Account" at the top of the page.
  3. Select the type of account you wish to open from the options listed.
  4. Read the information about the new account, and click "Get Started" at the bottom of the page.
  5. Enter all of the personal information requested (name, date of birth, social security number, employer, and address) and click "Continue."
  6. Set up your user ID and password, along with the security questions.
  7. Enter financial data.
  8. Read and agree to the regulatory information.
  9. Review your new account and confirm the agreements for your new account.

You can set up special features on your accounts such as bill pay or automatic drafts, direct deposits or other features. If you open a checking account, your new debit card will be mailed to the address you entered in three to five business days.

It is easy to open a new Charles Schwab account online to put your money to work for you. For more information or assistance in opening an account, contact customer support here.

Further questions?

Ask a followup or related question and we will try to provide an answer in seconds.
Adam has been tirelessly trying to help customers find the best tips and tricks to get through phone trees and writing many guides for prickly customer service problems. He's been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Inside Edition and Bloomberg.

Why does GetHuman Write How-to Guides for Charles Schwab Problems?

GetHuman has been working for over 10 years on sourcing information about big organizations like Charles Schwab in order to help customers resolve customer service issues faster. We started with contact information and fastest ways to reach a human at big companies. Particularly ones with slow or complicated IVR or phone menu systems. Or companies that have self-serve help forums instead of a customer service department. From there, we realized that consumers still needed more detailed help solving the most common problems, so we expanded to this set of guides, which grows every day. And if you spot any issues with our How Do I Open an Account with Charles Schwab? guide, please let us know by sending us feedback. We want to be as helpful as possible. If you appreciated this guide, please share it with your favorite people. Our free information and tools is powered by you, the customer. The more people that use it, the better it gets.

Charles Schwab

Asked 2 years ago
Updated 2 years ago
Viewed 757,633 times
Charles Schwab
Charles Schwab
open an account
Was this page helpful?
Thank you and please share!
Thank you and please share!
Needs work
Sharing is what powers GetHuman's free customer service contact information and tools. You can help!