This page contains important information on enabling your accounts for trading on the thinkorswim® platforms. Please review the following before you begin the enablement process:
- Most self-directed brokerage accounts can be enabled for trading on thinkorswim. However, certain account types are ineligible for trading on thinkorswim: these include managed, corporate, educational, and specialty accounts such as charitable, pledged-asset line accounts, etc.
- Futures accounts and Portfolio Margin accounts are not eligible to be enabled at this time. If you hold a futures or portfolio margin account with Schwab, you will be notified when it becomes eligible for trading on thinkorswim.
- If you switch to trading on thinkorswim, you will be able to access the StreetSmart platforms, but will not be able to trade or view account details. Enabling an account for trading on thinkorswim will change the platform access for all authorized clients on the account.
- Any orders that are open during the enablement process will be cancelled. You will need to re-enter the desired orders after your account is enabled for trading on thinkorswim.
- Enablement requests received by 11:59 PM EST on trading days will be processed overnight, and the corresponding eligible accounts will be enabled by the next market open. Requests made on weekends or trading holidays will be processed the night after the next trading day.
If you would like to try out thinkorswim before making the switch, you can try paperMoney®, a simulated account offering that allows you to experience what thinkorswim has to offer completely risk-free. To launch paperMoney:
- Log in to Schwab.com and navigate to the Trading Platforms page under the Trade tab.
- Download and install thinkorswim.
- On the login screen, flip the switch from Live Trading to paperMoney.
To enable your account for trading on thinkorswim:
- Log into Schwab.com and navigate to Trade > Trading Platforms.
- Click “Enable trading on thinkorswim”. This will walk you through a quick process of selecting the accounts you’d like to enable for trading on thinkorswim.
Once you select the accounts you which to activate for trading on thinkorswim and hit Submit, your account(s) will be in the queue for processing. At this point in time, you may wish to review your order status and make note of any open orders you’d like to re-establish once your account is activated for trading on thinkorswim.
Once your account is activated for trading on thinkorswim, you can return to the trading platforms page to download thinkorswim if you have not already done so.
You can also find educational videos on how to trade on thinkorswim in our thinkorswim Learning Center.