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Common investor questions
Online listed equity trades are commission-free,1 and there is no charge to work with a Schwab Financial Consultant.4 Although other account fees, fund expenses, and brokerage commissions may apply, we believe in keeping our fees low as a way to provide greater value to you.
Get details about our fees and commissions.
To apply for a Schwab One International® account, simply prepare the required supporting documents and go through the online account opening process. Once the account is fully established, you can fund your account and start investing.
In order for us to efficiently process your application for an account in accordance with relevant industry regulations, please begin by telling us your country/region of residence.
Find the most up-to-date instructions on funding your new Schwab account.
Under the Schwab Security Guarantee, Schwab will cover losses in any of your Schwab accounts due to unauthorized activity. Read more at schwab.co.uk/security-guarantee.
Important information for U.K. investors
Your account will be domiciled in the U.S. and your account agreement will be with our affiliate, the U.S.-based broker-dealer Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (CS&Co). Charles Schwab, U.K., Limited ("Schwab U.K.") informs and helps clients access the services provided by CS&Co. Your relationship with Schwab U.K. and the services it provides are explained in the Charles Schwab, U.K., Limited Client Agreement.
Your relationship with Schwab U.K. and the services it provides are explained in the Charles Schwab, U.K., Limited Client Agreement.
All accounts are opened and held at CS&Co. This means you will be protected by best execution rules in the U.S. and not those in the U.K. CS&Co. receives payment for order flow for client orders it routes to U.S. liquidity providers and certain exchanges. In particular it receives rebates from them based upon the order flow executed at each destination. For more information about CS&Co.'s order routing and best execution practices, see order routing. Payment for order flow creates a conflict of interest and under U.K. rules would be considered an inducement and contrary to best execution. Schwab U.K. does not receive any remuneration from CS&Co. related to payment for order flow.
Because your account is or will be held by CS&Co. in the U.S., the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) in the U.K. will not apply to your account in the event of loss of cash and securities. Instead, Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC) coverage in the U.S. will apply. For more information about asset protection and SIPC coverage at CS&Co., please visit Account Protection.
Investing in the U.S. markets provides risks for U.K.-based investors. Some of the risks include:
Currency Risk. The Schwab brokerage account is a U.S.-dollar based account, and securities will be priced in U.S. dollars. There will be fluctuation between the pound and the dollar.
Tax Risk. The tax implications of investing in the U.S. include potential U.S. withholding taxes on dividends and tax reporting obligations, as well as potential U.K. tax implications. Prior to investing, you should consult with a tax professional to understand your potential tax implications of investing in the U.S.
Regulatory Risk. The U.S. is subject to a different regulatory regime than the U.K. There may be differences in how regulations protect investors, and how assets are or are not insured. Investing in U.S. markets as a U.K. resident may strip away key U.K. regulatory safeguards including FSCS protection, Financial Ombudsman Service coverage, and Consumer Duty protections leaving you exposed to higher risks with limited recourse.
Political Risk. Investing in any country other than the U.K. comes with additional risk. The U.S. government may enact rules or regulations that are unfavourable to non-U.S. based investors.
Investment Risk. Purchasing and selling securities can be risky, and you can lose money on your investments. Using leverage such as margin or option trading is not suitable for all investors and increases your investment risk including the potential loss of more than the amount of the initial investment.
Before investing, please consult with your financial and tax professionals to both understand the additional risks of investing in the U.S. and be willing to assume those risks.
More information on the risks associated with options trading can be found in the options disclosure document located here: Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options.
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