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

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.