Schwab Lowers Option Contract Fees

Schwab Lowers Option Contract Fees 


SAN FRANCISCO, March 22  /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
today announced reductions to its online option trades for domestic retail
investors. Effective April 1, investors who place 30 or more trades per quarter
or with household assets of more than $1 million now benefit from improved
options pricing of $9.95 per trade plus $0.95 per contract (reduced from $1.40
per contract).

"We are empowering Schwab's active traders with very competitive fees, powerful
trading technology and knowledgeable options service to take advantage of the
fast growing options market," said Jeffrey M. Lyons, president, Active Trader
at Schwab. "At Schwab, options traders get much more than low commissions and
option trading tools. They get access to dedicated options specialists that
really know the business."

The new pricing adds to Schwab's already extensive options offering for active
traders. They include:

  -- Schwab Option Specialists to assist customers, as well as trading
     specialists available 24 hours by 7 days a week
  -- OptionBuilder(R) makes it easy for traders to build, research and trade
     multiple-leg options strategies
  -- SpreadSearch, an enhanced online option tool that help traders identify
     and execute simple to complex option strategies
  -- Streaming Greeks and Options Pricing Tools help traders evaluate and
     forecast option behavior and test trade strategies
  -- A variety of educational programs and tools, including online options
     seminars available on Schwab.com
  -- Account flexibility, including the ability to trade long options in IRA
     accounts



For more information about Schwab's options trading products and services,
please visit http://www.schwabat.com/options

About Charles Schwab

The Charles Schwab Corporation (NYSE/Nasdaq: SCH), through its operating
subsidiaries, provides securities brokerage and financial services to
individual investors and the independent investment advisors who work with
them. With over 7 million individual investor accounts and more than $1
trillion in client assets, The Charles Schwab Corporation is one of the
nation's largest financial services firms. Its subsidiary Charles Schwab & Co.,
Inc. (member SIPC) provides a complete range of investment services and
products, including an extensive selection of mutual funds; financial planning
and investment advice; retirement plans; referrals to independent fee-based
investment advisors; and custodial, operational and trading support for
independent fee-based investment advisors through its Schwab Institutional
division. Its subsidiary Charles Schwab Bank (member FDIC) provides banking and
mortgage services and products. The corporation's other operating subsidiaries
include U.S. Trust Corporation (member FDIC) and CyberTrader(R), Inc. (member
SIPC). These companies' Web sites can be reached at http://www.schwab.com/,
http://www.schwabbank.com/, http://www.ustrust.com/, and
http://www.cybertrader.com/. (0005-7339) 

DATASOURCE: Charles Schwab



CONTACT:  Emily Kao of Charles Schwab, [phone], or

; or Mike Boccio of Intermarket Communications,

[phone], or 



Web site:  http://www.schwab.com/

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