Charles Schwab Expands thinkorswim with Futures, Forex Trading and Portfolio Margin

Charles Schwab, a leader in retail investing and trading, has diversified the capabilities of its thinkorswim trading platform suite with the intrduction of futures and forex trading, as well as portfolio margin.

thinkorswim platform suite is part of Schwab's overall trading offer, Schwab Trading Powered by Ameritrade, which went live in October 2023 and combines two of the industry's innovative firms, Charles Schwab and Ameritrade.

The launch of forex trading at Schwab offers a new opportunity for traders to potentially hedge against the risks that come along with international currency and interest rates, possible geopolitical events, and diversify their portfolio.

Previously only available via Schwab's StreetSmart platforms, futures enable qualified traders to buy or sell a specific commodity asset or index at a set future date for a set price. Curently, Schwab provides over 65 tradable currency pairs on thinkorswim. 

Portfolio Margin is an alternative calculation that bases margin requirements on the risk of an entire portfolio rather than the sum of individual positions and strategies. It contributes to lower margin requirements and increased leverage.

"The introduction of these latest capabilities reinforces our commitment to deliver a robust, innovative, and sophisticated trading experience through Schwab Trading Powered by Ameritrade," said James Kostulias, Managing Director and Head of Trading Services at Charles Schwab. 

"This rollout also represents our focus throughout the integration of Schwab and Ameritrade to deliver the best of what both firms provide to clients. Schwab clients are already deeply engaged with thinkorswim since it became available to them last fall, and with futures and forex trading along with portfolio margin now available on the platforms, we are ideally positioned to welcome the final group of Ameritrade clients to Schwab in May," added Kostulias.