Financial services giant Charles Schwab Corporation will invest $2.7 million to expand its operations in the state of Colorado, according to the Colorado governor's office. The company expects to create more than 500 new jobs with an average annual salary of $75,000 plus benefits; the jobs will be based at a newly leased facility in the unincorporated Douglas County area south of Denver. "We are really pleased to be able to expand our presence in Colorado, which is a market that's been very important to us in serving our clients," says Sherri Kroonenberg, senior vice president of Schwab Investor Services. "We've taken a thoughtful approach in the planning process, and the proposals we received were very competitive, but the fantastic support from Governor Ritter, Director of  Economic Development Don Elliman, and everyone involved in the state's economic development operations enabled us to reach our decision very quickly." She says the company plans to phase in the jobs over a three-year period. KMGH-TV reports on its website that the state has offered Schwab more than $1 million in financial incentives.