What's New: Schwab Alliance
Schwab Advisor Center® has digital tools and resources to help you onboard new relationships, support your clients, and scale your business. Below you can learn about the latest enhancements and resources, or explore recent updates by clicking on a topic.
Overview
Schwab Alliance is a version of the schwab.com website customized specifically for clients of advisors. You can customize it with your firm's branding, choose the information your clients see, and more. Most importantly, Schwab Alliance is the key to empowering your clients to electronically approve everything from new accounts to move money transactions.
Use these resources to get an overview of the tool; continue scrolling to see the latest enhancements.
- Materials to help you explain Schwab Alliance to your clients >
- A brochure that walks clients through the process of getting Schwab Alliance access >
- A guide to your clients' Schwab Alliance experience so that you can answer their top questions >
July 2021 (0621-1XF4)
We've improved your clients' experience when they call the Schwab Alliance team
The Schwab Alliance team has added new features to the phone system your clients encounter when they call for help with their accounts:
- Enhanced automated service. Previously, clients were asked to enter their account numbers when calling in. Now the system associates their phone number with the relevant account numbers automatically.
- Speech recognition for easier routing. The system now asks callers to explain what they're calling about—instead of asking them to choose from a preset menu of options—and then intelligently routes them to the appropriate service team member based on their answers.
- Self-service options. Once clients have authenticated via voice ID or by answering knowledge-based questions, they can obtain certain information without contacting a live representative, including account balances, stock quotes, and more.
These enhancements are designed to make your clients' experience easier and more efficient while maintaining Schwab's high security standards.
June 2025 (0625-1BPA)
Clients have access to the new RMD Center on Schwab Alliance
All clients who have access to Schwab Alliance can now view an enhanced required minimum distribution (RMD) experience.
This new interface gives clients at-a-glance insights into their RMD status for the current year. It displays distributions at the client level, instead of the account level, providing clients with a more holistic overview. Clients can see:
- Total RMD
- Withdrawals to date
- Remaining amount that must be withdrawn to meet the annual RMD requirement
- Scheduled withdrawals (this applies only to non-advised accounts)
Clients whose accounts at Schwab are all advised see a view-only version of the RMD Center. Clients who have one or more non-advised accounts see the Take My RMD link, which enables them to take distributions from their retail accounts only.
October 2024 (1024-TDCX)
New, mobile biometric login option for Schwab Alliance
Now your clients have a new, convenient, more secure option when logging into Schwab Alliance. The new method enables them to add an authentication step to their login process. A client enters their login ID as usual, but instead of entering a password, they receive an authentication message on the Schwab Mobile app. The client uses their device's biometric verification to indicate that they approve the login attempt, and they are then able to access their account as usual.
This additional security step gives the client the option to significantly enhance their account's security, even if a bad actor learned their login ID and password, the fraudster would be unable to access the account without mobile authentication.
To take advantage of this new option, your clients should log into Schwab Alliance, go to the Security Settings page, select Login Preferences from the menu, and then choose Log in with a notification to my mobile device.
Once a client makes that change, when they enter their login ID the system automatically sends a notification to the Schwab Mobile app, asking the client to provide their biometric data. Schwab Alliance then loads normally, with no need for the client to enter a password.
October 2023 (1023-3ZBX)
For advisor use only. For general educational purposes.
Any investments reflected are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to be nor should they be construed as a recommendation to buy, sell, or continue to hold any investment. Screen shots are for illustrative purposes only, may be historical in nature, and should not be used as a basis for any investment decision.
Schwab Advisor Services™ includes the custody, trading, and support services of Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (“Schwab"), a registered broker-dealer and member SIPC, and the technology products and services of Performance Technologies, Inc. (“PTI”). PTI and Schwab are separate companies affiliated as subsidiaries of The Charles Schwab Corporation, but their products and services are independent of each other. PTI’s integration solutions integrate data about accounts custodied at Schwab.
API integration is available through Schwab OpenView Gateway®, which is provided by PTI. Single sign-on is provided by PTI. Daily data files and trading integration are available through Schwab. Schwab OpenView Gateway® and Schwab OpenView MarketSquare™ are services of PTI.
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Schwab Performance Technologies® ("SPT") provides technology solutions to independent investment advisors, while Schwab provides them and their clients with custody, trading, and related support services. SPT and Schwab are separate companies affiliated as subsidiaries of The Charles Schwab Corporation, but their products and services are independent from each other.
Schwab Advisor Portfolio Connect™ is a product of SPT.
Institutional Intelligent Portfolios (“IIP”) is a technology and service platform made available by SPT to independent advisors who maintain a business relationship with Schwab Advisor Services.
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Schwab affiliates earn revenue from the underlying assets in Institutional Intelligent Portfolios® accounts. This revenue comes from managing Schwab ETFs™ or Schwab Funds® and providing services relating to certain third-party funds that can be selected for the portfolio, and from the cash feature on the accounts. Revenue may also be received from the market centers where ETF trade orders are routed for execution. Tax-loss harvesting is available for clients with invested assets of $50,000 or more in their Institutional Intelligent Portfolios account. Clients must be enrolled to receive this service. Cash balances held in the Sweep Program at Schwab Bank are eligible for FDIC insurance up to allowable limits per depositor, per account ownership category.