Why RIAs choose Schwab
You have a vision for how you want to serve your clients. Schwab has the tools, solutions, and expertise to help you deliver on it, starting with the first conversation and staying with you as you grow.
Custody, technology, and wealth services—together on one platform
Schwab Advisor Services™ puts custody, integrated technology, and wealth services on one platform for independent Registered Investment Advisors (RIAs). You get the infrastructure to serve your clients and grow your firm, backed by a team that actually knows your practice.
More clarity, less complexity as you make your move
From exploring the Schwab platform to finding the right fit for your team, here's what getting started looks like.
A track record you can count on
Here's what our commitment to independent advisors and their clients looks like:
#1 choice
for independent RIAs1
16,000+
independent RIA firms that custody at Schwab2
$5.5 trillion
in client assets on our custody platform3
270+
technology integrations to help you serve your clients4
Built around how you work
Client needs, operational decisions, the technology your firm relies on to run and grow: you'll find it all in one place and engineered to work together.
Expert consulting at every stage
Schwab gives you access to consulting support for the decisions that shape your firm, from strategic planning and succession to growth and cybersecurity. Pair that with the industry's largest RIA Benchmarking Study,5 and you're tapping into the kind of guidance that goes well beyond custody.
Schwab Advisor Services at a glance
Get an overview of how Schwab Advisor Services supports your practice—from trading and technology to security, advocacy, and practice management.
Fast-track your move to growth
Schwab Advisor ProDirect™ is a fee-based membership program for independent advisors. You get a dedicated team, the right resources, and a community of advisors to help you scale and grow like a Top Performing Firm.6
We're ready when you are
Exploring independence, thinking about making a move, or wondering what else our platform can do for you?
A conversation is the best way to start.
1. Number one choice claim is based on first-time firm ADV registrations where Schwab Advisor Services™ is listed as the custodian, as of December 2025.
2. Salesforce, as of July 2026.
3. Growth in Client Assets and Accounts, as of July 2026.
4. Salesforce: Third-Party Integration Metrics, as of July 2026.
5. About the 2026 RIA Benchmarking Study from Charles Schwab
Schwab designed the RIA Benchmarking Study to capture insights in the RIA industry based on survey responses from individual firms. The 2026 study provides information on topics such as asset and revenue growth, sources of new clients, products and pricing, staffing, compensation, marketing, technology, and financial performance. Fielded from January to March 2026, the study contains self-reported data from 1,236 firms that custody their assets with Schwab and represents over $2.5 trillion in assets under management, making this the leading study in the RIA industry. Schwab did not independently verify or validate the self-reported information. Participant firms represent various sizes and business models. The study is part of Schwab Business Consulting and Education, a practice management offering for RIAs. Grounded in the best practices of leading independent advisory firms, Business Consulting and Education provides insight, guidance, tools, and resources to help RIAs strategically manage and grow their firms.
Past performance is not an indicator of future results.
The Firm Performance Index evaluates firms in the study according to 15 metrics that align with the Guiding Principles for Advisory Firm Success, to arrive at a holistic assessment of each firm's performance across key business areas. It provides comprehensive comparisons for all firms participating in the study, not just within a peer group. The metrics in the Firm Performance Index measure growth in clients, assets and revenue; client attrition; staff attrition; operating margin; time spent on client service; time spent on operations; standardized workflows; written strategic plan and succession plan; and ideal client persona and client value proposition. The Firm Performance Index is calculated among all firms in the study without regard to assets under management or firm type. Firms that rank in the top 20% of the index are included in the Top Performing Firms.
6. Top Performing Firms are those that rank in the top 20% of the Firm Performance Index. The index evaluates all firms in the study according to 15 metrics to arrive at a holistic assessment of each firm's performance across key business areas. Past performance is not an indicator of future results. 2025 RIA Benchmarking Study from Charles Schwab, fielded January to March 2025. Study contains self-reported data from 1,288 firms.
Schwab Advisor ProDirect is a fee-based membership program, and members are subject to the terms and conditions of the Schwab Advisor ProDirect Member Agreement.