Charles Schwab is VaultRubric's pick: it scores 79.0% vs Interactive Brokers's 75.7% (a 3.3-point lead).
Data as of · Last updated · By VaultRubric Research · How we score · Not investment advice.
Schwab and Interactive Brokers are both popular brokerages. Here are the sourced facts side by side, then VaultRubric's equal-weight score with the math shown. Every value links to its source with an as-of date; anything we couldn't verify says not found.
Rates change often — verify on the bank's or broker's site before opening an account. Every value shows its as-of date; ⚑ marks figures from third-party sites. Not financial advice.
Run your own comparison →Opens the tool with these platforms filled in, so you can change the weights.
| Fact | Schwab | Interactive Brokers |
|---|---|---|
| Stock/ETF commission | $0 src · 2026-10-11 | IBKR Lite $0; Pro Fixed $0.005/sh, Tiered $0.0005–0.0035/sh src · 2026-10-11 |
| Options (per contract) | $0.65 src · 2026-10-11 | Fixed $0.65; Tiered $0.15–$0.65 src · 2026-10-11 |
| Account minimum | $0 src · 2026-10-10 | $0 src · 2026-10-11 |
| Fractional shares | Yes src · 2026-10-10 | Yes src · 2026-10-10 |
| IRA types | Traditional, Roth, Rollover, SEP, SIMPLE src · 2026-10-10 | IRA (Lite available for IRA) src · 2026-10-10 |
| IRA match | None ⚑ third-party source src · 2026-10-10 | none found |
| Transfer-out fee | $50 src · 2026-10-11 | $0 src · 2026-10-11 |
| SIPC member | Yes src · 2026-10-10 | Yes src · 2026-10-10 |
| FINRA CRD | CRD 5393 src · 2026-10-10 | CRD 36418 src · 2026-10-10 |
| Regulatory actions (5 yrs) | 2026-09-02 FINRA: $175K fine + censure: failed to report/timely report ~2.8M fractional-share trades (2018–2025) src 2025-01-13 SEC: $10M civil penalty for off-channel communications recordkeeping failures src 2022-06-13 SEC: ~$187M for misleading robo-adviser (Intelligent Portfolios) clients about hidden cash fees src | 2023-09-29 CFTC: $20M civil penalty for off-channel communications recordkeeping src 2023-09-22 SEC: $35M civil penalty for off-channel communications recordkeeping src 2025-09-30 FINRA/Nasdaq PHLX: Reported $7.75M fine for mismarking options orders src |
VaultRubric pick: Charles Schwab
⚠ Charles Schwab: Regulatory: FINRA: $175K fine + censure: failed to report/timely report ~2.8M fractional-share trades (2018–2025) (2026-09-02)
⚠ Charles Schwab: Regulatory: SEC: $10M civil penalty for off-channel communications recordkeeping failures (2025-01-13)
⚠ Charles Schwab: Regulatory: SEC: ~$187M for misleading robo-adviser (Intelligent Portfolios) clients about hidden cash fees (2022-06-13)
⚠ Interactive Brokers: Regulatory: CFTC: $20M civil penalty for off-channel communications recordkeeping (2023-09-29)
⚠ Interactive Brokers: Regulatory: SEC: $35M civil penalty for off-channel communications recordkeeping (2023-09-22)
⚠ Interactive Brokers: Regulatory: FINRA/Nasdaq PHLX: Reported $7.75M fine for mismarking options orders (2025-09-30)
| Criterion (weight) | Charles Schwab | Interactive Brokers |
|---|---|---|
| Trading costs (17%) | 7.4/10 | 7.4/10 |
| Account minimum (17%) | 10.0/10 | 10.0/10 |
| IRA options (17%) | 8.0/10 | 4.0/10 |
| Transfer-out fee (17%) | 8.0/10 | 10.0/10 |
| Protection (SIPC) (17%) | 8.0/10 | 8.0/10 |
| Regulatory record (17%) | 6.0/10 | 6.0/10 |
| Overall | 79.0% coverage 100% | 75.7% coverage 100% |
0.167×7.4 + 0.167×10.0 + 0.167×8.0 + 0.167×8.0 + 0.167×8.0 + 0.167×6.0 = 7.90 → 79.0%0.167×7.4 + 0.167×10.0 + 0.167×4.0 + 0.167×10.0 + 0.167×8.0 + 0.167×6.0 = 7.57 → 75.7%Opens the tool with these platforms filled in, so you can change the weights.
On VaultRubric's equal-weight rubric, Schwab scores higher (79.0% for Schwab, 75.7% for Interactive Brokers). Change the weights in the tool to match your priorities.
Per-contract options fee in our data: Schwab 0.65, Interactive Brokers Fixed $0.65; Tiered $0.15–$0.65. Stock/ETF commissions: 0 vs IBKR Lite $0; Pro Fixed $0.005/sh, Tiered $0.0005–0.0035/sh.
Our data lists: 2026-09-02 FINRA: $175K fine + censure: failed to report/timely report ~2.8M fractional-share trades (2018–2025); 2025-01-13 SEC: $10M civil penalty for off-channel communications recordkeeping failures; 2022-06-13 SEC: ~$187M for misleading robo-adviser (Intelligent Portfolios) clients about hidden cash fees.
Our data lists: 2023-09-29 CFTC: $20M civil penalty for off-channel communications recordkeeping; 2023-09-22 SEC: $35M civil penalty for off-channel communications recordkeeping; 2025-09-30 FINRA/Nasdaq PHLX: Reported $7.75M fine for mismarking options orders.
Only from our curated dataset (official pages, regulators, and flagged third-party sites), with fixed formulas shown in “Show math”. No AI or live scraping, so the same comparison always gives the same result. Not financial advice.