fbpx

Schwab CEO responds to Berko

Dear Editor,

To Malcolm Berko’s reader, “T.M.,” who asked “Is Charles Schwab a safe, inexpensive and honest place to handle my account?”: On behalf of everyone at Schwab, we welcome your account and the opportunity to serve you and demonstrate the safety, value and integrity that have been hallmarks of our company for more than 40 years. We strive not only to have the highest-quality, empathetic and knowledgeable professionals answering the phone when our clients call, but also to pick up the phone as fast as we can.

 Contrary to what Mr. Berko suggests, whenever you call us, you can just say, “I want to speak to a representative,” and we will bring a live person on the line as quickly as possible—there is no need to go through push-button scripts. So far in 2017, we are averaging about 90-100 seconds before you will speak to someone on the phone. This isn’t as fast as we want or as well as we have done historically, but we are hiring rapidly with over 1,100 open positions at Schwab as I write this.

 We pride ourselves on outstanding customer service, measure it closely and have been recognized by numerous third parties, including JD Power, which ranked Schwab highest in investor satisfaction among all full-service brokerage firms in both 2016 and 2017. So you can see that, although we are a profitable company, we are primarily focused on serving our 10 million-plus clients and objective third parties notice this. However, if you or any other Schwab client are ever not satisfied for any reason, we will refund any related commission, transaction fee or advisory program fee we have charged you—a guarantee that is unique among brokerage firms.

 I also wanted to respond to the uninformed personal references about me by Mr. Berko. The Roman numeral “II” in my name comes from being named after my father’s father, who passed away shortly before I was born—a hard-working high school graduate from Cincinnati whose life was cut short by cancer. Being named after him is a source of pride, not ego. My mother was a stay-at-home mom, and my late teacher father never made more than $21,000 any year of his life. 

To T.M.: Yes, we believe Charles Schwab is a safe, inexpensive and honest place to handle your account, and we’re confident enough to back it with a satisfaction guarantee. We would be honored to welcome you to Schwab.

Walt Bettinger

President and CEO

Charles Schwab

You May Also Like

NAIOP South Florida Appoints Officers, Executive Board and Board of Directors for 2022

NAIOP South Florida, a Commercial Real Estate Development Association offering advocacy, education and business opportunities to its members, has announced the following officers for the 2022 Board of Directors: President:

Pride Week Festival Begins With Tribute to Pulse Nightclub Survivor

Miami Beach Pride’s week-long festivities will commence with a special tribute to the LGBTQ+ community honoring the victims of the tragic shooting at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando. A ceremonial “flip

Surfside luxury condo sees notable sales

Arte at Surfside is making waves. There’s, of course, the news that Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner are renting at the 16-resident luxury condominium. And there’s the December penthouse sale

Up in the Air: A Discussion

In a dynamic region where residents are typically on the move, everyone is wondering about the health of the airline industry and the safety of airports and airplanes. Everyone is

Other Posts

South Florida Yachting Legend Passes

Robert “Bob” Roscioli, an icon in the South Florida marine industry, has passed away. Many recognize the name Roscioli from the widely-successful and world-renowned Roscioli Yachting Center, a full service

Four key steps

[vc_row css_animation=”” row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern”][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text] What a crazy time we are all experiencing. Right now, getting back to basics is most important. It is not and

Pandemic adds to worries about hurricane season

An above-normal 2020 Atlantic hurricane season is expected, according to forecasters with NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center, a division of the National Weather Service. The outlook predicts a 60% chance of

The difference between leading and managing

[vc_row css_animation=”” row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern”][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text] Leadership and management are often misunderstood as one in the same. They are not. Certainly, a good leader should be able

Drew Limsky

Drew Limsky

Editor-in-Chief

BIOGRAPHY

Drew Limsky joined Lifestyle Media Group in August 2020 as Editor-in-Chief of South Florida Business & Wealth. His first issue of SFBW, October 2020, heralded a reimagined structure, with new content categories and a slew of fresh visual themes. “As sort of a cross between Forbes and Robb Report, with a dash of GQ and Vogue,” Limsky says, “SFBW reflects South Florida’s increasingly sophisticated and dynamic business and cultural landscape.”

Limsky, an avid traveler, swimmer and film buff who holds a law degree and Ph.D. from New York University, likes to say, “I’m a doctor, but I can’t operate—except on your brand.” He wrote his dissertation on the nonfiction work of Joan Didion. Prior to that, Limsky received his B.A. in English, summa cum laude, from Emory University and earned his M.A. in literature at American University in connection with a Masters Scholar Award fellowship.

Limsky came to SFBW at the apex of a storied career in journalism and publishing that includes six previous lead editorial roles, including for some of the world’s best-known brands. He served as global editor-in-chief of Lexus magazine, founding editor-in-chief of custom lifestyle magazines for Cadillac and Holland America Line, and was the founding editor-in-chief of Modern Luxury Interiors South Florida. He also was the executive editor for B2B magazines for Acura and Honda Financial Services, and he served as travel editor for Conde Nast. Magazines under Limsky’s editorship have garnered more than 75 industry awards.

He has also written for many of the country’s top newspapers and magazines, including The New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Miami Herald, Boston Globe, USA Today, Worth, Robb Report, Afar, Time Out New York, National Geographic Traveler, Men’s Journal, Ritz-Carlton, Elite Traveler, Florida Design, Metropolis and Architectural Digest Mexico. His other clients have included Four Seasons, Acqualina Resort & Residences, Yahoo!, American Airlines, Wynn, Douglas Elliman and Corcoran. As an adjunct assistant professor, Limsky has taught journalism, film and creative writing at the City University of New York, Pace University, American University and other colleges.