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Charles Schwab Minimum Investment (2026): What It Takes to Open an Account

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Updated September 18, 2026. Quick answer: $500,000 for Schwab Wealth Advisory (SWA). Charles Schwab’s own Form ADV Part 2A brochure states this figure directly, though the firm reserves some discretion to adjust it. At that minimum, Charles Schwab’s own published fee schedule works out to $4,000 a year.

The minimum, in the firm’s own words

“The initial enrollment minimum for the SWA Program is $500,000.”

On waivability: “CS&Co. may reduce or waive this minimum in certain situations, including through individual negotiations or other business considerations.”

Minimum investment and what it would cost

ProgramMinimum investmentAnnual fee at that minimumWaivable?
Schwab Wealth Advisory (SWA)$500,000$4,000Partially, at the firm’s discretion
Source: Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. Disclosure Brochure for the Schwab Wealth Advisory Wrap Fee Program, June 30, 2026 (Standard SWA Fee Schedule effective October 1, 2024)

$500,000 is exactly SWA’s own enrollment minimum, where the marginal schedule and the $4,000-a-year quarterly-minimum floor land on the same figure by design.

Charles Schwab’s own fee schedule at other balances

Account balanceAnnual fee
$250,000$4,000
$500,000$4,000
$1,000,000$8,000
$2,000,000$15,500

What a larger account would cost

The minimum is only the entry point. On a $500,000 account, Charles Schwab’s own published fee schedule runs $4,000 a year; see the full dollar breakdown from Charles Schwab’s own fee disclosure across several account sizes.

Already a client and thinking about the minimum a different way, like whether you could get a better deal elsewhere? See what it costs to leave Charles Schwab, or read the general mechanics of switching financial advisors.

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Sources

Methodology. This page was built September 18, 2026, quoting directly from Charles Schwab’s own current Form ADV Part 2A / wrap-fee brochure, with the source linked above. The annual-fee-at-the-minimum figure applies that same brochure’s own published fee schedule to the disclosed minimum dollar amount; any distinction we could not independently confirm this session is named as an honest gap rather than presented as verified. Nothing here is personalized financial, tax, legal, or investment advice, and it is not a substitute for reading the firm’s own Form ADV Part 2A. See our Editorial Policy, Corrections, Affiliate Disclosure, and Disclaimer.

Comparing Charles Schwab against other options? See Charles Schwab alternatives, including a lower-fee full-service firm, a flat-fee route, and a robo/hybrid.

Weighing whether to move ahead? Read the full Charles Schwab review, including its fiduciary status and what it costs to leave.