CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Between 51% and 89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Regulation
Comparing online brokers Charles Schwab and HYCM (Henyep Capital Markets): Charles Schwab, founded in 1971, is a publicly traded U.S. bank and broker, while HYCM, founded in 1977, is privately held and not a bank. Schwab’s status as a listed company adds transparency for investors, whereas HYCM operates as a non-bank broker without public shares.
On regulation, Schwab holds 5 Tier-1 licenses and 0 Tier-2 licenses; HYCM holds 2 Tier-1 and 1 Tier-2 license. ForexBrokers.com rates Schwab with a Trust Score of 99 (90–99 = highly trusted) and HYCM at 85 (80–89 = trusted). For context, 70–79 is average risk, 60–69 high risk, and below 59 should not be trusted.
Fees
Charles Schwab and HYCM both offer forex traders ways to keep costs manageable, but their pricing works a bit differently. Schwab does not charge a direct commission on forex trades; instead, traders pay through the bid/ask spread. In October 2024, its average EUR/USD spread was 1.35 pips, which sits on the higher side compared with many brokers. Schwab also has no minimum deposit for its main brokerage accounts, and forex access is available through Schwab One and Schwab Global. For commissions and fees, Charles Schwab earns 4 stars and ranks #25 out of 36 brokers.
HYCM, by comparison, gives traders more account-based pricing choices. Its Raw account is the cheapest option, with an all-in cost of about 0.6 pips on EUR/USD after commission. The Classic account starts from a 1.2 pip spread, while the fixed-spread account offers a 1.5 pip spread. This makes HYCM a stronger pick for traders who want lower-cost forex pricing, especially if they trade frequently. For commissions and fees, HYCM earns 4.5 stars and ranks #18 out of 36 brokers.
Overall, HYCM comes out ahead on pricing, mainly because its Raw account has lower all-in trading costs than Schwab’s typical forex spread. Schwab still stands out for its easy account setup and no minimum deposit, but traders focused on commissions and fees will likely find HYCM more cost-effective.
|
Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
HYCM (Henyep Capital Markets)
|
|
Minimum Deposit
|
$0
|
$20
|
|
Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account
|
1.27
|
1.3
|
|
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account
|
1.27
|
0.6
|
|
Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw)
|
Yes
|
No
|
|
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw)
|
No
|
No
|
|
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw)
|
No
|
Yes
|
|
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw)
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Dive deeper: Best Low Spread Forex Brokers.
Range of investments
When it comes to range of investments, Charles Schwab gives traders a much wider menu than HYCM (Henyep Capital Markets). Schwab lists about 40,000 tradeable symbols and 73 forex pairs, while HYCM offers 1,199 symbols and 70 forex pairs. Both brokers let clients trade forex as either CFDs or spot contracts, and both also provide access to exchange-traded securities on U.S. and international markets, so you can buy real shares such as Apple or Vodafone rather than only derivatives.
There are some key limits to note on both sides. Neither broker offers copy trading or the ability to buy actual cryptocurrency, but both do support cryptocurrency CFDs. Based on ForexBrokers.com’s ratings, Charles Schwab earns 5 out of 5 stars for Range of Investments and ranks #5 out of 36 brokers, while HYCM scores 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #28. Overall, Schwab stands out for its much larger selection of instruments.
|
Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
HYCM (Henyep Capital Markets)
|
|
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs)
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Tradeable Symbols (Total)
|
40000
|
1199
|
|
Forex Pairs (Total)
|
73
|
70
|
|
U.S. Stocks (Shares)
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares)
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Copy Trading
|
No
|
No
|
|
Cryptocurrency (Underlying)
|
No
|
No
|
|
Cryptocurrency (CFDs)
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Disclaimers
|
Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients).
|
Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients).
|
Dive deeper: Best Copy Trading Platforms.
Trading platforms and tools
Charles Schwab and HYCM (Henyep Capital Markets) both give traders a good range of platform choices, including free paper trading, a proprietary platform, desktop software for Windows, and a web-based trading platform. Both brokers also let you trade directly from a chart, which can make placing orders faster and easier. For trading tools, the two are similar in the basics, but Charles Schwab stands out with a higher user rating and stronger overall ranking for trading platforms and tools.
The main difference is that HYCM supports MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, while Charles Schwab does not offer either platform. That can matter for traders who prefer MetaTrader’s familiar layout and charting features. Still, Charles Schwab earns a 5-star rating and a #7 ranking out of 36 brokers in this category, compared with HYCM’s 4-star rating and #35 ranking, making Schwab the stronger pick overall for trading platforms and tools.
|
Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
HYCM (Henyep Capital Markets)
|
|
Virtual Trading (Demo)
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Desktop Platform (Windows)
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Web Platform
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Copy Trading
|
No
|
No
|
|
MetaTrader 4 (MT4)
|
No
|
Yes
|
|
MetaTrader 5 (MT5)
|
No
|
Yes
|
|
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total)
|
374
|
30
|
|
Charting - Trade From Chart
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Dive deeper: Best MetaTrader 4 Brokers, Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers.
Forex trading apps
Charles Schwab and HYCM both make it easy to trade from a phone, with iPhone and Android apps, price alerts, trendline drawing, and auto-saving chart drawings. That means either broker gives mobile traders the basic tools they need to follow the market and manage trades on the go. Charles Schwab stands out more for charting depth, offering 374 technical studies in its mobile app compared with 30 at HYCM.
Where Charles Schwab pulls further ahead is in convenience and overall mobile experience. Its app includes watchlist symbol syncing, so updates you make on your phone carry over to your online account, while HYCM does not offer that feature. These differences help explain why Charles Schwab earns a 5-star mobile trading app rating and ranks #6 out of 36 brokers, while HYCM is rated 4 stars and ranks #33.
|
Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
HYCM (Henyep Capital Markets)
|
|
Android App
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Apple iOS App
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Mobile Price Alerts
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Mobile Watchlists - Syncing
|
Yes
|
No
|
|
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies
|
374
|
30
|
|
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Dive deeper: Best Forex Trading Apps.
Market research
Charles Schwab and HYCM (Henyep Capital Markets) both give traders useful market research features, including daily market commentary, forex news from top-tier sources like Bloomberg and Reuters, and an economic calendar with major global events. Neither broker offers Autochartist, a sentiment tool showing long and short ratios, TipRanks, or Acuity Trading research tools. The main difference is that HYCM includes Trading Central, such as Technical Analytics, while Charles Schwab does not.
When it comes to overall research quality, Charles Schwab stands out with a 5-star rating and a #5 ranking out of 36 brokers for the Research category, compared with HYCM’s 3.5-star rating and #32 ranking. For traders who want stronger market research support, Charles Schwab appears to offer the better experience overall, even though both brokers cover the basics well.
|
Feature |
Charles Schwab
|
HYCM (Henyep Capital Markets)
|
|
Daily Market Commentary (Articles)
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources)
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Autochartist
|
No
|
No
|
|
Trading Central
|
No
|
Yes
|
|
Client sentiment data
|
No
|
No
|
|
TipRanks
|
No
|
No
|
|
Acuity Trading
|
No
|
No
|
|
Economic Calendar
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Dive deeper: Best Brokers for Forex Research.
Beginners and education
For beginners looking for trading education, Charles Schwab stands out as the stronger choice compared with HYCM (Henyep Capital Markets). Schwab offers online educational client webinars at least once a month, along with at least 10 beginner videos and at least 10 advanced videos, making it a useful option for traders who want to keep learning as they gain experience. It also earns a 5-star Education rating and ranks #6 out of 36 brokers for Education on ForexBrokers.com. By contrast, HYCM does provide at least 10 beginner videos and a 3.5-star Education rating, but it does not offer monthly educational webinars and does not match Schwab’s depth of advanced video content, ranking #28 out of 36.
When it comes to forex and CFD learning materials, Charles Schwab appears to offer more support for new traders overall, while HYCM has a smaller selection geared toward beginners. Neither broker is highlighted here as offering at least 10 dedicated forex or CFD education pieces, but Schwab clearly has the broader teaching tools, especially for people who want structured learning and regular webinar access. For beginners comparing online brokers, Charles Schwab is the better pick for education, while HYCM may suit those who only need basic introductory videos.
Dive deeper: Best Forex Brokers for Beginners.
Winner
After testing 63 of the best forex brokers, our research and account testing finds that Charles Schwab is better than HYCM (Henyep Capital Markets). Charles Schwab finished with an overall rank of #6, while HYCM (Henyep Capital Markets) finished with an overall rank of #26.
Charles Schwab is a highly trusted financial institution and multi-asset broker catering to U.S.-based and international forex traders. Schwab's award-winning thinkorswim platform offers over 70 tradeable currency pairs alongside impressive tools, research, and education. That said, the broker’s forex offering is still largely limited to what is available on thinkorswim.
FAQs
Can you trade cryptocurrency with Charles Schwab or HYCM (Henyep Capital Markets)?
Charles Schwab vs HYCM (Henyep Capital Markets): neither broker supports buying actual (delivered) cryptocurrency, but both allow trading cryptocurrency CFDs.
What funding options does each broker offer?
Charles Schwab vs HYCM (Henyep Capital Markets): Schwab supports ACH/SEPA and bank wire transfers but not PayPal or Skrill, while HYCM supports Skrill and bank wires but not ACH/SEPA or PayPal; Visa/Mastercard availability is not specified for either broker.
announcementPlease note:
We review each broker’s overall global offering – a “Yes” checkmark in our Compare Tool does not guarantee the availability of any specific features in your country of residence. To verify the availability of any features within your country of residence, please contact the broker directly.
navigate_before
navigate_next
|
Broker Screenshots
|
Charles Schwab |
HYCM (Henyep Capital Markets) |
|
|
Broker Gallery (click to expand)
|
|
|
|
|
Regulation
|
Charles Schwab |
HYCM (Henyep Capital Markets) |
|
|
Trust Score
|
99
|
85
|
|
|
Year Founded
|
1971
|
1977
|
|
|
Publicly Traded (Listed)
|
Yes
|
No
|
|
|
Bank
|
Yes
|
No
|
|
|
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID).
|
No
|
No
|
|
|
Tier-1 Licenses
|
5
|
2
|
|
|
Tier-2 Licenses
|
0
|
1
|
|
|
Tier-3 Licenses
|
0
|
0
|
|
|
Tier-4 Licenses
|
0
|
1
|
|
|
Tier-1 Licenses (Highly Trusted)
|
Charles Schwab |
HYCM (Henyep Capital Markets) |
|
|
Australia (ASIC Authorised)
|
No
|
No
|
|
|
Canada (CIRO Authorised)
|
Yes
|
No
|
|
|
Hong Kong (SFC Authorised)
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
|
Japan (FSA Authorised)
|
|
No
|
|
|
Singapore (MAS Authorised)
|
Yes
|
No
|
|
|
Switzerland (FINMA Authorised)
|
|
|
|
|
United Kingdom (U.K.) (FCA Authorised)
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
|
USA (CFTC Authorized)
|
Yes
|
No
|
|
|
New Zealand (FMA Authorised)
|
|
No
|
|
|
Regulated in one or more EU or EEA countries (MiFID).
|
No
|
No
|
|
|
Tier-2 Licenses (Trusted)
|
Charles Schwab |
HYCM (Henyep Capital Markets) |
|
|
Kenya (CMA Authorised)
|
|
|
|
|
Israel (ISA Authorised)
|
|
No
|
|
|
South Africa (FSCA Authorised)
|
|
No
|
|
|
UAE (DFSA, FSRA, or CMA Authorised)
|
|
Yes
|
|
|
India (SEBI Authorised)
|
|
No
|
|
|
Jordan (JSC Authorised)
|
|
|
|
|
Investments
|
Charles Schwab |
HYCM (Henyep Capital Markets) |
|
|
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs)
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
|
Tradeable Symbols (Total)
|
40000
|
1199
|
|
|
Forex Pairs (Total)
|
73
|
70
|
|
|
U.S. Stocks (Shares)
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
|
Global Stocks (Non-U.S. Shares)
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
|
Copy Trading
|
No
|
No
|
|
|
Cryptocurrency (Underlying)
|
No
|
No
|
|
|
Cryptocurrency (CFDs)
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
|
Disclaimers |
Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients).
|
Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients).
|
|
|
Cost
|
Charles Schwab |
HYCM (Henyep Capital Markets) |
|
|
Average spread (EUR/USD) - Spread-only account
|
1.27
|
1.3
|
|
|
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Raw spread account
|
1.27
|
0.6
|
|
|
Inactivity Fee
|
No
|
No
|
|
|
Order execution: Agency
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
|
Order execution: Market Maker
|
No
|
Yes
|
|
|
Funding
|
Charles Schwab |
HYCM (Henyep Capital Markets) |
|
|
Minimum Deposit
|
$0
|
$20
|
|
|
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw)
|
No
|
No
|
|
|
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw)
|
No
|
Yes
|
|
|
Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw)
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
|
Non-wire bank transfer (Deposit/Withdraw)
|
Yes
|
No
|
|
|
Trading Platforms
|
Charles Schwab |
HYCM (Henyep Capital Markets) |
|
|
Proprietary Desktop Trading Platform
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
|
Desktop Platform (Windows)
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
|
Web Platform
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
|
Copy Trading
|
No
|
No
|
|
|
MetaTrader 4 (MT4)
|
No
|
Yes
|
|
|
MetaTrader 5 (MT5)
|
No
|
Yes
|
|
|
cTrader
|
No
|
No
|
|
|
Trading Tools
|
Charles Schwab |
HYCM (Henyep Capital Markets) |
|
|
Virtual Trading (Demo)
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
|
Price Alerts
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
|
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total)
|
374
|
30
|
|
|
Charting - Trade From Chart
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
|
Charts can be saved
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
|
Mobile Trading
|
Charles Schwab |
HYCM (Henyep Capital Markets) |
|
|
Android App
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
|
Apple iOS App
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
|
Mobile Price Alerts
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
|
Mobile Watchlists - Syncing
|
Yes
|
No
|
|
|
Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies
|
374
|
30
|
|
|
Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
|
Mobile Charting - Trendlines Autosave
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
|
Mobile Research - Economic Calendar
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
|
Research
|
Charles Schwab |
HYCM (Henyep Capital Markets) |
|
|
Daily Market Commentary (Articles)
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
|
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources)
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
|
Autochartist
|
No
|
No
|
|
|
Trading Central
|
No
|
Yes
|
|
|
TipRanks
|
No
|
No
|
|
|
Client sentiment data
|
No
|
No
|
|
|
Economic Calendar
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
|
Education
|
Charles Schwab |
HYCM (Henyep Capital Markets) |
|
|
Webinars
|
Yes
|
No
|
|
|
Videos - Beginner Trading Videos
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
|
Videos - Advanced Trading Videos
|
Yes
|
No
|
|
arrow_upward