Online Broker Review

Updated Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Charts Grade: B

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Note: This is our review for Schwab StreetSmart charts. For our review of the standard Schwab account charts please click here.

Overview:

Schwab StreetSmart consists of two separate applications. The first, StreetSmart.com, is a web based application while the second, StreetSmart Pro, is a downloadable desktop application. Both feature their own charting engines. The first thing to note about StreetSmart.com is that the application interface is a pop up window in your browser. This is annoying for anyone that regularly has multiple tabs open in their browser. The charts themselves are missing many standard features, all of which are found in the standard Schwab account charts. The StreetSmart Pro charts, on the other hand, are quite good though not perfect. A few drawbacks include limited chart sizes, some missing features and a steep learning curve because of poorly designed menus. StreetSmart customers should use the Pro charts when possible and stick to the standard Schwab account charts when charting on the web.

Details:

Let's start by examining the simple StreetSmart.com charts and then we will move on to the StreetSmart Pro charts.

StreetSmart.com
Here is a one year mountain chart of IBM. I attempted to show earnings and dividend events but they do not seem to exist (click on images for larger views):

Next I created a two year candlestick chart of IBM and compared it to Hewlett-Packard (HP). I attempted to compare multiple stocks on a single chart but that does not seem to be possible:

StreetSmart.com features over twenty different technical indicators. Here is a three month candlestick chart of AT&T (ATT) with bollinger bands, MACD and RSI indicators:

There are also a few drawing tools. Here I edited the previous chart, showing a channel with the line tool and then I added a text note to describe the action:

Chart settings can also be saved and then loaded at a later date.

StreetSmart Pro
Here is a 250 day line chart of Cisco (CSCO):

The following is a three year line chart comparing CSCO and AMD. I attempted to compare multiple stocks on a single chart but that does not seem to be possible:

Chart colors can be completely customized so let's change the default settings to something more appealing. Here is a three month candlestick chart of CSCO with a black background and white grid lines:

StreetSmart Pro has even more technical indicators than StreetSmart.com, with roughly 40 indicators in total. Here is a four month candlestick chart of HSBC with bollinger bands, MACD and RSI indicators. Note how MACD and RSI are both shown in the same panel - there does not seem to be an option to add additional indicator panels:

Multiple chart windows, each with their own custom settings, can be opened simultaneously. Here are some example charts that I created:

Trend lines, support lines and resistance lines can be drawn but there does not seem to be a note tool, which is a feature found with many broker charting applications. Here is a six month chart of the Dow which I market up with trend lines:

Once charts are customized how you like, the settings can be saved and then loaded at a later date.

One annoying quirk I found with charts is that there is a maximum size. Charts are limited to be about 10% smaller than the full resolution of my 22" monitor. This is perhaps not an unforgivable sin but it is odd and unappealing for those running on higher resolutions.

Schwab StreetSmart Charts