Schwab MCP Server

A read-only Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for Charles Schwab API. Access your Schwab account data and market information through AI assistants like Claude, ChatGPT, and more.

Features

• Portfolio Analysis - View positions with cost basis, quantity, and market value
• Real-time Quotes - Get current prices for stocks and ETFs
• Options Data - Access options chains with Greeks
• Price History - Historical OHLCV data for technical analysis
• Account Info - View account balances and details

Security Note: This server is strictly READ-ONLY. No trading or account modification functionality is implemented.

Prerequisites

• Python 3.10 or higher
• A Charles Schwab Developer account with:
  • App Key (Client ID)
  • App Secret (Client Secret)
  • A valid Refresh Token
  • Callback URL configured

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/schwab-mcp-server.git
cd schwab-mcp-server

2. Create and activate a virtual environment:

python -m venv venv

# On macOS/Linux:
source venv/bin/activate

# On Windows:
venv\Scripts\activate

3. Install the package:

pip install -e .

Configuration

Environment Variables

Create a .env file in the project root:

SCHWAB_CALLBACK_URL=https://127.0.0.1:8182/callback
SCHWAB_TOKEN_PATH=~/.schwab-mcp/token.json
LOG_LEVEL=INFO
# Optional overrides if you don't keep them in the token file:
# SCHWAB_CLIENT_ID=your_app_key_here
# SCHWAB_CLIENT_SECRET=your_app_secret_here

Initial Token Setup

Create the token file at the path specified in SCHWAB_TOKEN_PATH (default: ~/.schwab-mcp/token.json):

{
  "client_id": "your_app_key_here",
  "client_secret": "your_app_secret_here",
  "access_token": "",
  "refresh_token": "YOUR_REFRESH_TOKEN_HERE",
  "expires_at": 0,
  "token_type": "Bearer"
}

Setting expires_at to 0 forces an automatic token refresh on first use.

The MCP server will load client_id and client_secret directly from this token file. Environment variables with the same names can override these values if needed.

---

Client Setup

Claude Desktop

Windows (Automated)

Run the PowerShell script to automatically configure Claude Desktop:

.\scripts\update_claude_schwab.ps1

The script will:

1. Stop Claude Desktop (prompts for confirmation)
2. Clear MCP-related cache files
3. Update the config with correct paths to the venv Python and src directory
4. Restart Claude Desktop

Options:

• -RepoPath - Path to this repo (default: auto-detected)
• -SkipRestart - Update config without restarting Claude
• -ServerName - MCP server name in config (default: schwab)

Manual Configuration

macOS: Edit ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Windows: Edit %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

Add the following configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "schwab": {
      "command": "python",
      "args": ["-m", "schwab_mcp.server"],
      "cwd": "/path/to/schwab-mcp-server",
      "env": {
        "SCHWAB_CALLBACK_URL": "https://127.0.0.1:8182/callback",
        "SCHWAB_TOKEN_PATH": "/path/to/.schwab-mcp/token.json",
        "PYTHONPATH": "/path/to/schwab-mcp-server/src",
        "LOG_LEVEL": "INFO"
      }
    }
  }
}

Restart Claude Desktop after saving the configuration.

---

ChatGPT Desktop

ChatGPT Desktop supports MCP servers through its settings. To configure:

1. Open ChatGPT Desktop
2. Go to Settings > Features > MCP Servers
3. Click Add Server and enter:
   • Name: schwab
   • Command: python
   • Arguments: -m schwab_mcp.server
   • Working Directory: /path/to/schwab-mcp-server
4. Add environment variables (client id/secret are read from the token file):
   • SCHWAB_CALLBACK_URL: https://127.0.0.1:8182/callback
   • SCHWAB_TOKEN_PATH: /path/to/.schwab-mcp/token.json
5. Save and restart ChatGPT Desktop

File-based setup (auto-detected by ChatGPT Desktop):

• macOS: create ~/Library/Application Support/ChatGPT/.well-known/mcp.json
• Windows: create %APPDATA%\ChatGPT\.well-known\mcp.json

Copy chatgpt_desktop_config.example.json to that location and update the paths to match your environment (Python executable, repo path, and token path). Restart ChatGPT Desktop after saving.

---

Claude Code (CLI)

Add the MCP server to your Claude Code configuration. Create or edit ~/.claude/claude_code_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "schwab": {
      "command": "python",
      "args": ["-m", "schwab_mcp.server"],
      "cwd": "/path/to/schwab-mcp-server",
      "env": {
        "SCHWAB_CALLBACK_URL": "https://127.0.0.1:8182/callback",
        "SCHWAB_TOKEN_PATH": "/path/to/.schwab-mcp/token.json"
      }
    }
  }
}

Alternatively, you can add it to your project's .claude/settings.json for project-specific configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "schwab": {
      "command": "python",
      "args": ["-m", "schwab_mcp.server"],
      "cwd": "/path/to/schwab-mcp-server",
      "env": {
        "SCHWAB_CALLBACK_URL": "https://127.0.0.1:8182/callback",
        "SCHWAB_TOKEN_PATH": "/path/to/.schwab-mcp/token.json"
      }
    }
  }
}

---

OpenAI Codex

For Codex CLI, configure the MCP server in your environment:

1. Set up environment variables in your shell profile (.bashrc, .zshrc, etc.):

export SCHWAB_CALLBACK_URL="https://127.0.0.1:8182/callback"
export SCHWAB_TOKEN_PATH="$HOME/.schwab-mcp/token.json"
# Optional overrides if you don't keep them in the token file:
# export SCHWAB_CLIENT_ID="your_client_id"
# export SCHWAB_CLIENT_SECRET="your_client_secret"

2. Configure Codex to use the MCP server by adding to your Codex configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "schwab": {
      "command": "python",
      "args": ["-m", "schwab_mcp.server"],
      "cwd": "/path/to/schwab-mcp-server"
    }
  }
}

---

Available Tools

Tool	Description
get_account	Get account information including type and balances
get_positions	Get all positions with cost basis and market value
get_quote	Get real-time quote for a single symbol
get_quotes	Get real-time quotes for multiple symbols
get_option_chain	Get options chain with Greeks for a symbol
get_price_history	Get historical OHLCV price data

Usage Examples

Once configured, you can ask your AI assistant questions like:

• "What are my current positions and their cost basis?"
• "Get me a quote for AAPL"
• "Show me the options chain for MSFT expiring in January"
• "What's the price history for NVDA over the last 6 months?"
• "What are my account balances?"

Testing

Using MCP Inspector

Test the server locally using the MCP Inspector:

npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector python -m schwab_mcp.server

Manual Test

Verify authentication is working:

python -c "from schwab_mcp.auth import TokenManager; from schwab_mcp.config import settings; tm = TokenManager(settings.schwab_client_id, settings.schwab_client_secret, settings.schwab_token_path); tm.load_token(); print('Token loaded successfully')"

Troubleshooting

Token Refresh Fails

• Ensure your refresh token is valid and not expired (7-day expiration)
• Verify your client ID and secret are correct
• Check that your Schwab Developer app is approved and active

Server Won't Start

• Verify Python 3.10+ is installed: python --version
• Ensure all dependencies are installed: pip install -e .
• Check that the .env file exists and has correct values

No Data Returned

• Confirm your Schwab account has the appropriate permissions
• Check if markets are open (some data limited outside trading hours)
• Review logs for API error messages

Security

• Read-only access only - No trading or account modification capabilities
• Token storage - Tokens are stored locally with restricted file permissions (600)
• No credential logging - Sensitive data is never written to logs
• Environment variables - Credentials should be passed via environment, not hardcoded

References

• Schwab Developer Portal
• MCP Specification
• MCP Python SDK

License

MIT - Use at your own risk. Not affiliated with Charles Schwab.