[Dalewyn]

Doing more research, everyone seems to agree Fidelity is the most handy when it comes to using a brokerage like I would a bank. Their 2% all-around cashback Visa credit card is also admittedly nice. They outsource the banking aspects, though.

On the other hand, Schwab has an actual bank as a subsidary if I do want to use them also for banking, which is great for feeling reassured as a client/depositor if I want to diversify my current banking with US Bank.

Schwab also has those AMEX tie-ins, which is again reassuring because I really like and respect AMEX. Yeah it's just marketing, but damnit if it isn't effective. :V

Though either way I'm not concerned with the finer points of brokerage-banking or investing right now because I'm not sure if I will get into the whole investment money games beyond a Roth IRA. Maybe I will, but I can worry about that when I get to that point.

[justin66]

I understand the concern regarding banking. I keep "cash" in my Fidelity account in one or the other of two Fidelity money market funds that invest in US Treasuries. That's as safe as a bank, after a fashion (if the treasury starts defaulting on t-bills, everything including banks' FDIC insurance is going to go down the tubes). There was an extra step with Schwab that I found a little irksome - your free cash in one of their accounts goes into a sweep account that may or may not be FDIC insured (I don't remember), but it doesn't earn much interest. Moving that money into a money market fund that invests in treasuries was an extra step.

But they're both good choices. I remember when paying $15 for a stock trade was considered innovative. But the most recent Schwab website changes I experienced, maybe a year ago before I switched everything over, were a step backward.

I have the Fidelity 2% card and it's great.

I would have stayed with Vanguard forever if their website didn't suck and their brokerage services didn't also suck. They really were a leader for a while.