<story><title>Schwab Removes U.S. Stock, ETF and Options Commissions</title><url>https://pressroom.aboutschwab.com/press-release/corporate-and-financial-news/conjunction-chuck-schwabs-new-book-invested-schwab-remove</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>StevePerkins</author><text>Similar story with Fidelity.&lt;p&gt;Honestly, I just don&amp;#x27;t understand why people bother with traditional banks at this point.  Pretty much all of the major brokers offer cash management accounts that are equivalent of online banking.  Pretty much all with standard:&lt;p&gt;- No fees&lt;p&gt;- No minimum balance&lt;p&gt;- Free checkwriting (usually free physical checks for that matter!)&lt;p&gt;- ATM fee reimbursement (at least anywhere in the U.S., if not internationally too)&lt;p&gt;- Free debit cards&lt;p&gt;- Direct deposit&lt;p&gt;- Deposit paper checks by taking a picture with a phone app, etc etc etc.&lt;p&gt;The only possible downside that I can think of is that I&amp;#x27;d have to deal with a little extra hassle if I wanted a cashier&amp;#x27;s check.  But even then, it would simply take an extra day or two.  And it&amp;#x27;s not like I&amp;#x27;m closing on a new home purchase all that frequently.&lt;p&gt;Nevertheless, people that I talk to get weird and SCARED when I talk about it.  Even my wife keeps a separate checking account at a physical bank, because she just likes knowing that a brick-and-mortar building is there.  I don&amp;#x27;t get it myself, but human nature can be odd when it comes to money.</text></item><item><author>whalesalad</author><text>As a side note I use Schwab as a checking account and it’s incredible. Zero fees. Reimbursement of ATM fees. Easy overdraft protection from the brokerage account. I love them as a bank.&lt;p&gt;This is even more reason to love them.&lt;p&gt;I’ve used Chase, Citi, was a Simple customer for a long time... and Schwab blows all of them out of the water.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>ggm</author><text>&lt;i&gt;The only possible downside that I can think of is that I&amp;#x27;d have to deal with a little extra hassle if I wanted a cashier&amp;#x27;s check.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;p&gt;Almost everything wrong with consumer banking in america is contained, or stems from the ability to refer to cheque as a neccessary and normal thing in modern day finance.&lt;p&gt;I tore up my last cheque book ten years ago, I have had to resort to Western Union three times now (once a year) to send money to Her Majesties Customs and Excise for my UK pension topup, its the only thing I still do that way, and if the UK stopped using a closed-loop domestic clearing house and opened up SWIFT I&amp;#x27;d do this via the IBAN immediately.&lt;p&gt;Cheques are cool. They&amp;#x27;re also horrendously stone age and the &amp;quot;yes but...&amp;quot; are the collected history of insanity that is american banking.&lt;p&gt;Jimmy Stewart, holding the fort at the friendly credit union on christmas day...</text></comment>
<story><title>Schwab Removes U.S. Stock, ETF and Options Commissions</title><url>https://pressroom.aboutschwab.com/press-release/corporate-and-financial-news/conjunction-chuck-schwabs-new-book-invested-schwab-remove</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>StevePerkins</author><text>Similar story with Fidelity.&lt;p&gt;Honestly, I just don&amp;#x27;t understand why people bother with traditional banks at this point.  Pretty much all of the major brokers offer cash management accounts that are equivalent of online banking.  Pretty much all with standard:&lt;p&gt;- No fees&lt;p&gt;- No minimum balance&lt;p&gt;- Free checkwriting (usually free physical checks for that matter!)&lt;p&gt;- ATM fee reimbursement (at least anywhere in the U.S., if not internationally too)&lt;p&gt;- Free debit cards&lt;p&gt;- Direct deposit&lt;p&gt;- Deposit paper checks by taking a picture with a phone app, etc etc etc.&lt;p&gt;The only possible downside that I can think of is that I&amp;#x27;d have to deal with a little extra hassle if I wanted a cashier&amp;#x27;s check.  But even then, it would simply take an extra day or two.  And it&amp;#x27;s not like I&amp;#x27;m closing on a new home purchase all that frequently.&lt;p&gt;Nevertheless, people that I talk to get weird and SCARED when I talk about it.  Even my wife keeps a separate checking account at a physical bank, because she just likes knowing that a brick-and-mortar building is there.  I don&amp;#x27;t get it myself, but human nature can be odd when it comes to money.</text></item><item><author>whalesalad</author><text>As a side note I use Schwab as a checking account and it’s incredible. Zero fees. Reimbursement of ATM fees. Easy overdraft protection from the brokerage account. I love them as a bank.&lt;p&gt;This is even more reason to love them.&lt;p&gt;I’ve used Chase, Citi, was a Simple customer for a long time... and Schwab blows all of them out of the water.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>loeg</author><text>Typically, brokerages don&amp;#x27;t give you any interest on checking.  Now, banks haven&amp;#x27;t really either since 2008, but prior to that you could make a few dollars a year on checking interest.&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;www.kalzumeus.com&amp;#x2F;2019&amp;#x2F;6&amp;#x2F;26&amp;#x2F;how-brokerages-make-money&amp;#x2F;&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;www.kalzumeus.com&amp;#x2F;2019&amp;#x2F;6&amp;#x2F;26&amp;#x2F;how-brokerages-make-mone...&lt;/a&gt; is fascinating if you enjoy this kind of stuff.</text></comment>