Transparency and simplicity are also important to investors. Sixty-nine percent of investors in The 2014 ETF Investor Study by Charles Schwab say that it is extremely important that there are no hidden fees. Another 46 percent say they would not buy a commission-free ETF if they knew they had to pay a fee for selling the ETF too early.

With More Choice Comes More Tools

In response to client demand and to complement the wider array of commission-free ETFs, Schwab is also enhancing its research capabilities and filtering tools to help investors make more informed buying decisions. When researching an ETF, investors can now easily compare similar products with one click, and see relevant educational content alongside fund summary pages. Investors are also now able to screen and compare ETFs across different index weightings, including fundamental, equal-weight and low-volatility products.

About Schwab ETF OneSource

Schwab ETF OneSource offers investors and advisors access to the most commission-free ETFs anywhere in the industry. As of August 31, 2014, Schwab ETF OneSource has $31 billion in assets under management. The share of year-to-date ETF flows at Schwab going into Schwab ETF OneSource is 45 percent. Commission-free online trading is available to individual investors at Schwab, to approximately 7,000 independent investment advisors who use Schwab’s custodial services and through Schwab retirement accounts that permit trading of ETFs.

Schwab offers a range of resources to help clients choose ETFs that fit their investment needs, including the Schwab ETF Select List™; tutorials, education, research and tools available via Schwab’s online ETF center and the ETF Education Exchange; and live events at local Schwab branches.

About The 2014 ETF Investor Study by Charles Schwab

The 2014 ETF Investor Study by Charles Schwab is the fourth installment of an annual online survey of more than 1,000 individual investors between the ages of 25-75 with at least $25,000 in investable assets who have purchased ETFs in the past two years or are considering doing so in the near term.

Conducted by Koski Research from May 8-14, 2014, the study has approximately a three percent margin of error. Survey respondents were not asked to indicate whether they had accounts with Charles Schwab. All data is self-reported by study participants and is not verified or validated.