Both brokers have done a good job of keeping costs low. For example, neither company charges a commission for trading stocks, ETFs, or options (although investors do pay $0.65 per options contract). Mutual funds are also available for purchase without a commission. Charles Schwab and J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing do charge a fee for moving money out of your account, although Schwab's fee is $25 lower than J.P. Morgan's.