Investors will want to read the brief interview with Charles Schwab Corporation (NASDAQ: SCHW) CFO Joseph Martinetto in the March issue of CFO Magazine. Thanks in large measure to Joseph Martinetto and his predecessor, Schwab has not been battered much by the subprime mortgage mess. Despite being chided in The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) and other financial newspapers, Schwab passed on investing in subprime products. It is refreshing to read about a CFO who states up front that subprime products do not meet the risk/return profile Schwab needs in order to act on behalf of their clients, therefore Schwab has no intention of investing regardless of public mockery. Who's laughing now?

For FY 2007, Schwab stock price is up 32%, income from continuing operations in up 26%, and total client assets under management are up 17% to $1.4 trillion. A measurable chunk of those increases comes from new client business from investors burned by other financial services companies that seem to have forgotten how to price risk appropriately. Martinetto states that Schwab processes about $1 billion in securitites transactions daily, so there is enough operating risk in the business without seeking out additional financial risk. According to Martinetto, the US economy is in for another 4-6 quarters of uncertainty due to the fallout from the housing market slump and credit crunch. Schwab stock currently trades under $19 and may provide a suitable investment for more conservative investors seeking a measure of stability.