SCH

Schwab.com Receives Several Awards for Its Online Brokerage Website Schwab Equity Ratings(R) Seen As Competitive Advantage for Firm SAN FRANCISCO, March 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Charles Schwab and Co., Inc., the brokerage subsidiary of The Charles Schwab Corporation (NYSE:SCH) Nasdaq, one of the nation's largest financial services companies, today announced that its Web site Schwab.com has been awarded top honors by Corporate Insight's 2004 e-Monitor Monitor Awards report for its online Research and News tools. Schwab.com was also recognized for its product range, account information, online help and other online services. Corporate Insight awarded Schwab a Gold Monitor for its research platform, which "offers excellent form and function" based on a combination of factors that include its proprietary Schwab Equity Ratings, the user experience for clients accessing it, the site's "excellent alerts system" and third-party research through Independent Research Providers such as Argus Research; Reuters, the global information company; Standard & Poor's; and Vickers Stock Research as possible competitive advantages for the firm. Available through Schwab.com's content-rich Quotes & Research tab, Schwab Equity Ratings offer an objective assessment of approximately 3,000 U.S. equities, more than any other major brokerage firm. Stocks are assigned grades of A, B, C, D or F, reflecting performance potential over the next 12 months and are used by investors to help decide stocks to buy and sell. The ratings assess four broad categories -- fundamentals, valuation, momentum, and risk -- and are updated each week to reflect new financial data and other information. Schwab organizes "A"-rated securities into such categories as small-cap growth or financial stocks, allowing clients to quickly find securities that may be good investments and fill a specific hole in their portfolio. "We're thrilled with the results because they demonstrate just how committed Schwab is to serving independent investors," said Andrew Salesky, senior vice president, Schwab eBusiness. "With more than 90 percent of our trades generated online, it's absolutely critical that we provide the best tools and user experience available on the Web and strive to go above and beyond the standard capabilities provided by competing brokerage firms." Schwab.com Delivers Exceptional Value to Online Customers Schwab.com also received several additional e-Monitor Awards for its broad array of products and enhanced tools, as well as its commitment to customer service. They are listed below. Silver Award -- In the Product/Service Range category, Schwab received a Silver Award for its broad array of products and for its streamlined product tabs. The pared down tiered account options help make new account selection easier and more efficient. -- In the Balances/Positions/History category, Schwab earned a Silver Award by providing real-time views of positions and balances, a two-year transaction history and quick access to multiple accounts in one view. -- For Online Help, Schwab achieved Silver status for an outstanding help search feature and excellent section-specific help throughout the site. -- In the Special Services category, Schwab earned a Silver Award for its strong tiered programs, with improvements to costs and services. Bronze Award -- In the Education Centers category, Schwab received a Bronze Award with good section-specific educational tools and online workshops that set the industry standard. "Looking ahead, Schwab clients will continue to benefit from features that significantly enhance their online experience, as well as the best research tools in the industry," continues Salesky. "We've seen tremendous momentum with Schwab's equity ratings over the last few years, so we know what clients want. This includes more helpful, actionable information extended across Schwab.com." About Charles Schwab The Charles Schwab Corporation, through its operating subsidiaries, provides securities brokerage and financial services to individual investors and the independent investment advisors who work with them. With over 7 million individual investor accounts and more than $1 trillion in client assets, The Charles Schwab Corporation is one of the nation's largest financial services firms. Its subsidiary Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (member SIPC) provides a complete range of investment services and products, including an extensive selection of mutual funds; financial planning and investment advice; retirement plans; referrals to independent fee-based investment advisors; and custodial, operational and trading support for independent fee-based investment advisors. Its subsidiary Charles Schwab Bank, N.A. (member FDIC) provides banking and mortgage services and products. The Corporation's other operating subsidiaries include U.S. Trust Corporation (member FDIC) and CyberTrader(R), Inc. (member SIPC) .These companies' Web sites can be reached at http://www.schwab.com/, http://www.schwabbank.com/, http://www.ustrust.com/, and http://www.cybertrader.com/. Schwab Equity Ratings are general guidance and not personal recommendations for any particular investor and do not take into account the financial, investment or other objectives or needs of, and may not be suitable for any particular investor. Before buying, investors should consider whether the investment is suitable. Investors should consider Schwab Equity Ratings as only a single factor in making their investment decision while taking into account the current market environment. The general buy/hold/sell guidance is relative to other rated equities only. DATASOURCE: Charles Schwab CONTACT: Emily Kao of Charles Schwab, +1-415-636-3464, or Web site: http://www.schwab.com/

Copyright