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Charles Schwab regulation and how it scores

Regulation carries the heaviest weight in the score, which is why it is scored first. Here is Charles Schwab's licensing and the protections behind it.

Facts last checked . Read the full Charles Schwab review.

Regulation and safety

Regulated by
SEC; FINRA; CFTC/NFA for futures and forex
Regulator tier
Tier 1
Register entry
FINRA BrokerCheck, CRD 5393
Client money segregated
Yes
Held at
Customer assets held under US SEC/FINRA customer-protection and custody requirements
Negative balance protection
No
Compensation scheme
SIPC up to $500,000, including $250,000 cash sublimit; excess SIPC insurance also maintained
Audited by
Deloitte & Touche LLP
Not available to
Country-dependent; international accounts only available to residents of qualifying jurisdictions and US sanctions restrictions apply

Check the licence yourself: FINRA BrokerCheck, NFA BASIC.

What this means

Regulation carries the heaviest weight in the score, which is why it is scored first.

Charles Schwab holds a tier-one authorisation from CFTC/NFA. That matters more than any headline spread: it determines your leverage cap, whether losses can exceed your deposit, and what happens to your money if the firm fails.

US retail forex is jointly overseen by the CFTC and NFA, with leverage capped near 1:50 and no CFD trading permitted.

Client money is held separately from the firm's own money, at Customer assets held under US SEC/FINRA customer-protection and custody requirements. That separation is what makes your balance recoverable if the company fails, rather than part of the pool its creditors divide up.

There is no negative balance protection. In a fast market a position can gap straight through your stop, and without this the resulting debt is legally yours - you can lose more than you deposited.

Covered by SIPC up to $500,000, including $250,000 cash sublimit; excess SIPC insurance also maintained, which pays eligible clients up to its limit if the firm fails owing client money.

Questions about Charles Schwab regulation

Is Charles Schwab tier-one regulated?

Charles Schwab's strongest licence is recorded as Tier 1.

Who regulates Charles Schwab?

Charles Schwab is regulated by SEC; FINRA; CFTC/NFA for futures and forex.

Does Charles Schwab offer negative balance protection?

Negative balance protection at Charles Schwab is recorded as: No.

Regulation at brokers under the same regulator

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