Charles Schwab is now available as a broker partner in Option Alpha!
Our community has eagerly anticipated this integration and we're excited to provide the next generation of options trading to the Charles Schwab community. We have been hard at work making the new Schwab API work with Option Alpha and we're thrilled to expand our broker partner integrations to include one of the largest companies in the industry.
Link your Charles Schwab account
Connecting your Schwab account is simple and quick. You can authorize your account with a single click in your Trading Accounts tab of the Settings.
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Login to your Schwab account to complete the authorization. Don't have one yet? Open a Charles Schwab account here.
Once you’ve successfully logged in and verified your Schwab account, you are immediately authorized to connect any accounts you manage with that username.
You are now ready to create live bots in your Option Alpha account and link them to Charles Schwab!
Schwab Manual Reauthorization
Charles Schwab requires all traders to manually reauthorize their broker connection every 7 days. This is a security measure enforced by Schwab, and failure to re-authorize will temporarily break the connection between your Option Alpha account and Schwab.
How to reauthorize?
- Log in to your Option Alpha account.
- Navigate to Settings > Trading Accounts.
- Click Reauthorize next to the Schwab account.
- Follow the prompts to log into Schwab and approve the connection.
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What happens if I don't reauthorize?
- Your Option Alpha account will no longer communicate with Schwab until reauthorization is complete.
- Your bots will stop managing open positions and will not open new trades until the connection is restored.
- Tracking of Exit Options (profit targets, stop-losses, etc.) will stop until the connection is restored.
When do bots resume trading after reauthorization?
As soon as you successfully reauthorize your Schwab connection, your bots will immediately resume normal activities and begin monitoring, managing, and executing trades per your automation settings.
How will I be notified before my connection expires?
We'll send you email reminders prior to your connection expiring. You may also see a notification inside the OA homepage prior to your connection expiring. You can see when your current authorization expires in your Settings > Trading Accounts.
Best practices for Schwab trading
- Set a weekly reminder in your calendar to reauthorize.
- Reauthorize on the weekend to prevent disruptions during trading hours.
- Sign into Option Alpha daily to monitor bot activity and ensure the Schwab connection is working as planned for your strategies.
By staying proactive, you can maintain a seamless trading experience with Schwab and keep your bots running efficiently.
Visit Schwab's pricing page for more details about their commissions and fees.