Head-to-head comparison across ratings, fees, asset coverage, and platform breadth.
4.1 / 5
Best-in-class short-locate inventory for active day traders and short sellers. Now a Clear Street division with ~8,000 ETB names, an in-house HTB desk sourcing 100M+ shares/month, 40+ DMA routes, and no PFOF. $30K minimum; not for beginners or buy-and-hold.
4.5 / 5
Best for full-service investors who want thinkorswim, broad 24/5 trading, deep customer service, and integrated banking. Cost-competitive on most fronts but lags on margin rates and fractional-share breadth.
Each broker scored 0–5 across the same 8 dimensions.
Green cells mark the winner on each metric. Tie rows are uncoloured.
| Metric | CenterPoint | Charles | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| OverallEditorial score | 4.10 / 5 | 4.50 / 5 | Charles |
| Sub-ratingsCommissions & fees | 4.00 | 4.20 | Charles |
| Sub-ratingsPlatforms & tools | 4.50 | 5.00 | Charles |
| Sub-ratingsMobile app | 2.00 | 4.40 | Charles |
| Sub-ratingsResearch | 3.00 | 5.00 | Charles |
| Sub-ratingsEducation | 2.50 | 5.00 | Charles |
| Sub-ratingsCustomer service | 4.30 | 4.90 | Charles |
| Sub-ratingsRange of investments | 2.50 | 4.70 | Charles |
| Sub-ratingsActive trading | 5.00 | 4.70 | CenterPoint |
| PricingLowest margin rate | 8.00% | 11.13% | CenterPoint |
| PricingDefault cash sweep yield | — | 0.45% | Charles |
| PricingPFOF on equities | Does not accept | Accepts | CenterPoint |
| Asset class | CenterPoint | Charles |
|---|---|---|
| OTC / Pink Sheets | Yes | |
| Fractional shares | No | Limited |
| Listed options (single + multi-leg) | Yes | |
| Mutual funds | No | Yes |
| US Treasuries / bonds | No | |
| Forex | No | Yes |
| Futures | No | |
| Crypto (direct) | No | Limited |
| IRAs (limited) | Limited | |
| 24-hour overnight equity trading | No | Yes |
| Hard-to-borrow short locates | Yes | |
| OTC / penny stocks | Yes | |
| Options (single & multi-leg) | Yes | |
| US Treasuries | Yes | |
| Corporate / muni bonds, CDs | Yes | |
| Futures / futures options | Yes | |
| IPOs | Yes |