Updated:
TD Ameritrade
TD Ameritrade, the retail brokerage acquired by Charles Schwab in 2020, was known for its thinkorswim platform and RIA custody services.
TD Ameritrade
TD Ameritrade began as a discount brokerage in 1975, founded by Joe Ricketts. The firm's wealth originated through the Ricketts family's control of the company, which later went public. By the time of its acquisition, TD Ameritrade served both retail investors and registered investment advisors through its custodial platform. The firm generated revenue primarily from order flow, margin lending, and cash sweep programs. Its asset-class coverage spanned equities, options, futures, fixed income, mutual funds, and exchange-traded funds. TD Ameritrade housed assets in self-directed brokerage accounts, IRA rollovers, and advisory managed portfolios. Known portfolio integrations included its 2018 acquisition of Scottrade's client accounts and the ongoing support of thinkorswim, the advanced trading software originally developed by Tom Sosnoff and Scott Sheridan. Before closing the tie-up, Schwab acquired TD Ameritrade in a stock deal valued at approximately $26 billion (per SEC filing, November 2019). The transaction closed in October 2020 and integration completed in late 2023. The combined firm now operates 400-plus branch offices across the United States. TD Ameritrade's historical leadership included CEO Tim Hockey, who stepped down in 2020. TD Ameritrade's structural differentiator was its reliance on payment for order flow — routing trades to market makers like Citadel Securities and Virtu Financial. That model, along with zero-commission pricing, defined the post-2019 retail brokerage landscape. The merger with Schwab consolidated two of the largest independent custodians in the RIA channel.
General information
Firm type
RIA
Year founded
—
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Omaha
Corporate office
Omaha, NE, United States
Additional offices
Menlo Park · Berlin · Boston · Sydney · New York
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Is TD Ameritrade still independent?
No. TD Ameritrade was acquired by Charles Schwab in a deal announced November 2019 and closed October 2020. All client accounts were migrated to Schwab by late 2023. The TD Ameritrade brand no longer operates as a separate brokerage.
What happened to thinkorswim after the Schwab merger?
Charles Schwab continues to offer thinkorswim on desktop, web, and mobile platforms to former TD Ameritrade clients and new Schwab clients. The platform provides Level 2 quotes, advanced options trading, and charting tools.
How did TD Ameritrade make money?
TD Ameritrade generated revenue from payment for order flow, net interest income on margin loans and cash sweeps, and asset-based fees from advisory programs. After going commission-free in October 2019, order-flow revenue became a larger share of income.
Who owns the Ricketts family's wealth from TD Ameritrade?
Joe Ricketts, who founded TD Ameritrade, has a single-family office known as The Ricketts Family Office that manages the family's assets, including ownership stakes in the Chicago Cubs and other private investments. The family office is separate from the brokerage.
What was the size of the TD Ameritrade acquisition by Schwab?
Charles Schwab acquired TD Ameritrade in an all-stock transaction valued at approximately $26 billion (per SEC filing, November 2019). The deal combined two of the largest retail brokerages and RIA custodians at the time.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
Need institutional-grade insight on family offices?
Altss delivers:
Prefer a guided tour?
We’ll walk you through: