The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper The Spokesman-Review
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
Current Temperature
62°F
Current Conditions
Overcast clouds
View complete weather report
Subscribe now

Schwab drops stock trading commissions as fee war escalates

FILE - This July 14, 2010, file photo, shows a Charles Schwab office in Oakland, Calif. Charles Schwab is dropping commissions for online trading of U.S. stocks and exchange-traded funds, the latest slash in an industry battle that’s drastically cut the cost of investing. The announcement on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2019, sent shares of other brokerages plummeting. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File) ORG XMIT: NYBZ243 (Paul Sakuma / AP)
Associated Press

NEW YORK – Charles Schwab is dropping commissions for online trading of U.S. stocks and exchange-traded funds, the latest slash in an industry battle that’s drastically cut the cost of investing.

Tuesday’s announcement sent shares of other brokerages plummeting. TD Ameritrade lost 25.8%, its worst day in 13 years. ETrade Financial lost 16.4%. Schwab fell 9.7%.

Schwab said commissions for mobile and web trading of stocks and ETFs listed in the U.S. and Canada will drop to zero from $4.95 on Monday.

The industry has been slashing fees across investments for years, as customers demand lower expenses. Stock mutual funds last year kept $55 in fees for every $10,000 invested, according to the Investment Company Institute. That’s down from $100 in 2003.