Investing in Bonds at Charles Schwab
Besides stocks, options, and futures, Charles Schwab also offers trading in fixed-income securities. Its selection is quite large, and many bond resources are available on its website. For the full scoop, here you go:
Schwab Available Fixed-Income Products
Schwab traders have access to a long list of fixed-income assets. The brokerage firm’s lineup includes:
- Corporate bonds
- Agencies
- Treasury securities of many kinds
- Brokered CDs
- Muni bonds
Then there are the specialty bonds that are somewhat hit or miss. Availability of these varies. Possibilities include:
- Mortgage-backed securities
- Commercial paper
- Foreign bonds
- Collateralized mortgage obligations
- Asset-backed securities
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Bond Education
Many learning materials of all kinds will be found at Schwab, and the fixed-income arena is not forgotten. These helpful resources are found mostly on the website, and they appear in multiple locations.
Under the Learn tab, there are two links, one for bonds, and another for fixed income. They actually produce the same page. Here, there are a variety of articles that cover all sorts of issues that bond traders will be interested in. For instance, we found these articles:
- Treasury Yields: Where Do They Go From Here?
- Bonds vs. Bond Funds: Which Is Right for You?
- Liquid Alternatives: Getting the Mix Right
- Are TIPS Working as Intended?
Some of the articles are rather short, but they are certainly a good starting point.
Then there is the Bonds, CDs & Fixed Income hub. This is found under the Products tab. Here, there’s a lot of information on the risks and benefits of bond investing. We found links to various other bond resources on the site.
Fixed-Income Desk
Schwab clients who don’t quite get enough out of the broker’s fixed-income education can call the bond desk at 877-903-8069. Representatives are non-commissioned and offer assistance on all sorts of fixed-income issues, including how to use the company’s software to place bond trades.
There’s also an online form on the bond page that can be used to request a call from the fixed-income desk at no charge.
Finding Bonds
Once an adequate understanding of fixed-income investing has been reached, it’s time to find something to trade. The place to do this is the bonds hub, which can be found under the Trade tab at the top of the website. There is a second link under the same tab for CDs. Both produce matrixes of fixed-income yields divided by maturity lengths and bond type and rating, such as corporate (AAA) or muni (AA).
There is a similar matrix that can be found under the Research tab. Look for the Bonds, CDs & Fixed Income link. Under any matrix, there will be links to new issues of bonds, including Treasury auctions and new-issue munis.
With the exception of new issues, bonds on the Schwab site are hyperlinked. Clicking on a hyperlink generates a pop-up window with lots of data points, including yield to call and trade increment. Some bonds will have market depth, which shows the bid and ask prices at various levels.
Placing a Trade
The pop-up window mentioned above has a green Buy button on it. A blue Buy link also appears in the search results from the matrix. Clicking on either link produces the same order ticket with the bond details populated on the ticket. It’s easy to use. There are just two order types: market and limit. The limit price may be automatically filled in on some tickets. There’s just one duration choice: fill or kill. Simply specify the number of bonds to purchase and review the order. If everything looks right, submit the order.
Creating a Bond Ladder
With Schwab’s software, it’s possible to place trades for multiple fixed-income securities as part of a ladder strategy. On the fixed-income matrix, there is a tab for building a ladder. This tool can be used to find up to 10 selections for a ladder. The ladder tool populates with suggested securities, and each rung has a different maturity date. Either Treasuries or CDs can be used.
Charles Schwab Bond Funds
Besides individual bonds, Schwab offers trading in bond funds, including mutual funds and exchange-traded funds. The broker-dealer’s fund screeners can be found under the Research tab. On either the ETF or mutual-fund screener, fixed income can be specified, and it’s possible to hone in on specific bond sectors, like global bond or short government.
Advisory Programs
In addition to self-directed trading of bonds, Schwab has some investment-advisory accounts that can access a wide range of fixed-income opportunities. There are some SMAs, or separately managed accounts, that can invest in a variety of debt instruments across several credit ratings and duration choices.
Charles Schwab Bonds Fees and Commissions
Although Schwab came through with a very extensive fixed-income program, it decided not to charge very much for it. Online trades of Treasury bills, notes, bonds, TIPS, and Treasury floating-rate notes cost $0 at Schwab for both new issues and secondary trades. Zero-coupon Treasury securities, including STRIPS, are $1 per bond online with a $10 minimum and a $250 maximum. New issues of CDs carry a selling concession in their prices, and Schwab lists a $1,000 minimum and $1,000 increments per investment.
The specialty securities mentioned in the first section, such as commercial paper and foreign bonds, have their own pricing, which can vary by instrument. Broker-assisted Treasury trades cost $25, and broker-assisted trades of many other fixed-income products cost the online fee plus $25.
The minimum purchase amount varies by security. Usually, it is one bond with a face value of $1,000.
For SMAs on the managed side of the business, there are no trading or transaction fees, although there is typically a $250,000 account minimum for fixed-income strategies. Managed Account Select fixed-income strategy fees start at 0.65%, and municipal bond ladder fees start at 0.45%. Wasmer Schroeder Strategies fees start at 0.55%.
Charles Schwab Bonds Investing Judgment
Schwab has an excellent fixed-income trading service for both brokerage and advisory customers. There is little cost in many situations, which makes the broker a strong value for bond traders.
Visit Charles Schwab Website
Visit Schwab Website
Updated on 6/30/2026.
Chad Morris is a financial writer with more than 20 years experience
as both an English teacher and an avid trader. When he isn’t writing
expert content for Brokerage-Review.com, Chad can usually be found
managing his portfolio or building a new home computer.
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