Pros
I chose Charles Schwab because I was looking for a more recognized company name than my previous employer to help build out my resume. The base salary is about $10K more than what I'd been offered at other companies which was also a plus. Office is relatively laid back and everyone helps each other out when they need it. Management at my branch is great but obviously this can vary between offices. Benefits are comparable to other companies.... medical, dental, vision, 401K with matching, disability, life insurance, etc. are offered. You can choose which you'd like to take part in. You pay for these out of your base salary, so keep this in mind when you are offered your base salary. You can figure your base salary will be about $1200 less once these are deducted assuming you sign up for medical, dental, disability, and vision. 401K is obviously at your discretion. You have choices between the companies you use as well for medical, which I think is nice. Company offers yearly bonuses as well but would depend on your position. Overall, I am satisfied with Schwab.
Cons
It will depend on where you work at Schwab, but one thing I don't really like is that the advice you'll get from a Schwab "financial consultant" will most likely not be as comprehensive as it would be at a more privatized firm, but what do you expect from a discount brokerage firm? So I don't know if this is really a downside or just a personal opinion that I have. But for example, if I was going out to look for comprehensive financial planning, I would not choose Charles Schwab. I've also noticed that being in a branch office and working at the front desk, a lot of customers seem to believe that I am basically a receptionist even though I am licensed exactly the same as a financial consultant/advisor and often speak down to me ... which is a little irritating.
