Internship overview

Thinking about a career with an independent Registered Investment Advisory (RIA) firm? Schwab's unique Advisor Services RIA Intern Program can reveal new opportunities for your future by helping you understand how RIA firms operate and serve their clients.

RIAs have a unique place in the financial services industry: Many RIA firms are owned and operated by individual investment advisors. These advisors believe their independence is instrumental to offering advice based on their clients' best interests.

The details

Is this internship a good fit for you?

Ideal candidates:

  • Currently enrolled and have completed a minimum of two years of college-level education towards a related Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree and targeting graduation between December 2025 through May 2027
  • Finished courses focused on CFP® certification/financial planning, or business management, marketing, economics, communications, etc.
  • Seeking to work in the RIA and/or financial services industry after graduation
  • Knowledge of financial products and services, combined with extracurricular activities geared toward a career in the RIA and/or financial service industry
  • Able to work full-time and on-site at Schwab's Westlake, TX campus during the eight-week program.

Logistics and dates

This internship is a paid position lasting eight weeks.

  • The 2025 RIA Intern Program will run June 9–August 1, 2025.
  • The program will be held at Schwab's headquarters in Westlake, TX.
  • Interviews are conducted and offers are extended on a rolling basis. Start your application today.

How your eight weeks will be spent

The RIA Intern Program is an eight-week internship designed to prepare undergraduate students for employment within RIA firms. You will learn about the independent RIA industry, the advisory profession, and how advisors and Schwab work together to accomplish the goals of risk management and client asset protection. You'll gain corporate work experience by supporting teams across Schwab Advisor Services and exposure to back- and front-office RIA firm operations, build practical skills that will enable you to effectively interact with clients, and gain an understanding of the importance of client service.

As an intern, you will learn how RIAs serve their clients. Through a series of program sessions, you will gain experience in areas including client service, trading support, portfolio construction, and financial planning. This internship will also focus on soft skills, such as presentation development, public speaking, and professional relationship building.

Additional benefits of participating in the eight-week RIA Intern Program include:

  • Opportunity to study and take the Series 65 or Financial Paraplanner Qualified ProfessionalSM (FPQP®) exam
  • Successfully completing the program qualify intern alumni for 250 CFP Board Standard Pathway Experience Hours

The following summary provides a sample of the various topics and training sessions from our most recent program.

Timeline Table

Timeline table
  • Topic
  • Content
  • Intern orientation & RIA overview
    • Schwab history, strategy, culture, and differentiators
    • Client onboarding and relationship management, client experience and client loyalty
    • Introduction to the RIA model, RIA Benchmarking, and economic model
    • Facilitation and presentation skills, advisor case study exercises, presentations, and discussions with RIAs (ongoing throughout the eight weeks)
  • Advisor Custody and Trading client experience
    • SchwabAdvisorCenter.com overview
    • Quality client experience support call training
    • Introduction to service teams, advisor enrollment
  • Schwab Advisor Services™ client support
    • Schwab Alliance, eAuthorization, and eSignature
    • Complex and managed accounts, alternative investments, Schwab Charitable, compliance, cybersecurity, and personal brand
  • Technical skills development
    • Overview of Schwab Center for Financial Research Operational Due Diligence and Schwab Asset Management Services
    • The Schwab Center for Financial Research ("SCFR") is a division of Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. ("Schwab")
    • Schwab Managed Portfolio Team, operations, and research; Salesforce
    • Service with Emotional Intelligence, the power of micro-messages
  • RIA firm on-site experience rotation
    • Firm introductions and office tour, technology scorecard
    • Overview of firm's operations, business and service models, client experience, and marketing
  • Portfolio consulting & financial planning
    • Portfolio consulting overview and construction, financial planning overview, and case study
  • Trading
    • Equities, mutual funds, options, ETFs, trading platforms, and introductions to Alliance and International teams
    • Schwab Performance Technologies®/PortfolioCenter© overview
  • Professional development
    • Resume writing, mock interviews
    • Presentation preparation and practice, final presentations to Schwab Advisor Services senior management
    • Effective email communication, networking and consultative skills, and elevator pitch
    • Opportunity to study, take and obtain the Series 65 or Financial Paraplanner Qualified ProfessionalSM (FPQP®)
  • Final presentation development
    • While the final presentation topic is to be determined, interns will be placed on teams to research and develop innovative ideas that will enable the success of future RIA firms
    • Collaborate with teammates and subject matter experts to prepare and deliver an engaging presentation to Schwab Advisor Services leadership

Contact

RIAInternProgram@Schwab.com
(0924-SRWN)

Schwab Asset Management® is the dba name for Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc., the investment adviser for Schwab Funds. Schwab Funds are distributed by Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (Schwab), Member SIPC Schwab Asset Management and Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., Member SIPC, /Schwab are separate but affiliated companies and subsidiaries of The Charles Schwab Corporation.

Schwab Performance Technologies® (SPT) provide technology solutions to independent investment advisors, while Schwab provides them and their clients with custody, trading, and related support services. SIT, SPT and Schwab are separate companies affiliated as subsidiaries of The Charles Schwab Corporation, but their products and services are independent from each other.

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The above mentioned firms and their employees are not affiliated with or employees of Schwab unless otherwise noted. Mention should not be construed as a recommendation, endorsement of, or sponsorship by Schwab. The views expressed are those of the third party and are provided for information purposes only. Experiences expressed are no guarantee of future performance or success and may not be representative of you or your experience.

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