Fidelity vs Merrill Edge 2025
In this head to head comparison of Fidelity vs Merrill Edge, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
In this head to head comparison of Fidelity vs Merrill Edge, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
When deciding between Fidelity and Merrill Edge for your investment needs, it’s essential to consider their available options and services. Fidelity stands out with a five-star rating in the Range of Investments, ranked 3rd by StockBrokers.com, while Merrill Edge receives a 4.5-star rating and holds the 7th spot. Both brokers offer a variety of investment vehicles, including stock trading, mutual funds, and options trading. However, Fidelity distinguishes itself with the availability of fractional shares trading and crypto trading, providing three different cryptocurrencies. In comparison, Merrill Edge does not offer fractional shares or cryptocurrency trading at this time.
If you’re interested in traditional or Roth IRA accounts, both Fidelity and Merrill Edge have you covered, offering these retirement savings options. For investors looking to engage in margin trading or explore Over-the-Counter (OTC) stocks, both brokers support these options. However, when it comes to niche markets like forex or futures trading, neither broker currently offers these services, which could be a deciding factor for more specialized investors.
When it comes to personalized financial guidance, both Fidelity and Merrill Edge offer advisor services to help investors make informed decisions. Whether you're starting fresh or have years of experience, these services may provide valuable insights. Ultimately, the choice between Fidelity and Merrill Edge will depend on specific investment preferences and the value placed on diverse trading capabilities, as Fidelity extends its offerings in unique areas like fractional shares and cryptocurrencies, enhancing its appeal for a more comprehensive investment strategy.
Feature |
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Stock Trading | Yes | Yes |
Account Feature - Margin Trading | Yes | Yes |
Fractional Shares (Stocks) | Yes | |
OTC Stocks | Yes | Yes |
Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes |
Options Trading | Yes | Yes |
Futures Trading | ||
Crypto Trading | Yes | |
Crypto Trading - Total Coins | 3 | 0 |
Range of Investments |
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Dive deeper: Best Options Trading Platforms for 2025, Best Futures Trading Platforms for 2025: A Beginner-Friendly Guide to an Advanced Market
When choosing between Fidelity and Merrill Edge for online trading platforms, Fidelity emerges as the slightly better option, earning a higher rating of 4.5 stars compared to Merrill Edge's 4 stars. Both platforms have strengths and offer comprehensive tools, but Fidelity's broader range of features and higher ranking by StockBrokers.com give it a competitive edge. The overall experience on Fidelity is bolstered by a more extensive set of technical indicators and drawing tools for charting, making it a preferred choice for traders who prioritize analytical capabilities.
Fidelity offers both Windows and Mac desktop applications, while Merrill Edge does not provide desktop-specific versions beyond their browser-based platform. Both companies deliver web-based trading platforms, but Fidelity stands out for offering a downloadable experience alongside that. Specifically, Fidelity supports a wider variety of technical features in charting, including 129 indicators versus Merrill Edge's 105 and 38 drawing tools versus Merrill Edge’s 23. Fidelity users can also utilize features like having a trading journal, which is not available with Merrill Edge.
In other aspects, both brokers allow traders to adjust open orders directly on stock charts, and they each offer the ability to display corporate events and historical trades. Merrill Edge, however, surpasses Fidelity by offering more fields in watch lists, at 285 compared to Fidelity's 92. Nevertheless, when it comes to chart personalization, both platforms are on equal footing, offering features like multiple chart profiles and automated technical analysis. Although Merrill Edge provides more customization fields for stock charts' SMA studies, Fidelity retains a slight lead overall, thanks to its combination of trading platform availability and advanced charting capabilities.
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Web Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | |
Desktop Platform (Mac) | Yes | |
Paper Trading | ||
Watch Lists - Total Fields | 92 | 285 |
Charting - Indicators / Studies | 129 | 105 |
Charting - Drawing Tools | 38 | 23 |
Platforms & Tools |
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Dive deeper: Best Online Brokers & Trading Platforms for 2025, Best Paper Trading Apps & Platforms for 2025
When it comes to educating investors, both Fidelity and Merrill Edge provide comprehensive resources across various investing topics. Fidelity and Merrill Edge cover a wide range of subjects, including stocks, ETFs, options, mutual funds, and bonds, ensuring users have access to essential knowledge in these areas. Both platforms enhance their learning experiences with educational videos and webinars, while also offering quizzes to help reinforce understanding. Fidelity takes it a step further with the ability for users to track their learning progress, an advantage not currently offered by Merrill Edge.
Fidelity is highly regarded in the field of investor education, receiving a perfect five-star rating and securing the #2 spot out of 14 brokers according to StockBrokers.com rankings. Merrill Edge also performs well, earning a 4.5-star rating and landing at #5 in the same evaluation. Unfortunately, neither broker currently provides paper trading, a feature that would allow beginners to practice without financial risk. Still, both platforms are strong contenders for those looking to expand their investment knowledge, with Fidelity offering a slight edge in educational support and user engagement tracking.
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Education (Stocks) | Yes | Yes |
Education (ETFs) | Yes | Yes |
Education (Options) | Yes | Yes |
Education (Mutual Funds) | Yes | Yes |
Education (Fixed Income) | Yes | Yes |
Paper Trading | ||
Videos | Yes | Yes |
Webinars | Yes | Yes |
Education |
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Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Platforms for Beginners of 2025
When considering a stock trading app, Fidelity emerges as a slightly stronger choice compared to Merrill Edge. Fidelity consistently offers comprehensive features across devices, enabling users to leverage advanced charting capabilities, video on demand, and even streaming live TV. It provides 119 technical studies as it ranks third among 14 brokers, reflecting its extensive functionality. Merrill Edge, although slightly lagging in these areas with 34 technical studies, maintains a competitive edge by offering reliable services and a 4.5-star rating, placing it sixth among the same group of brokers.
Both Fidelity and Merrill Edge provide apps compatible with iPhone and Android, allowing seamless stock trading experiences on mobile devices. They each support options trading and real-time streaming quotes, ensuring that users stay informed and can execute trades efficiently. However, Fidelity offers additional features like mobile after-hours stock trading, an Apple Watch app, and the ability to create and customize watch lists and columns, giving it a leading role in mobile platform versatility.
In terms of charting and analysis, Fidelity's app stands out with after-hours charting, and the option to view multiple time frames and compare stocks directly within the app. Its robust offering in technical studies surpasses Merrill Edge’s, providing users with more in-depth analytical tools. While both apps cater to different charting views, such as landscape mode, Fidelity’s comprehensive approach equips traders with a more detailed understanding and flexibility, which can be crucial for making informed investment decisions.
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iPhone App | Yes | Yes |
Android App | Yes | Yes |
Apple Watch App | Yes | |
Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
Charting - After-Hours | Yes | |
Charting - Technical Studies | 119 | 34 |
Mobile Trading Apps |
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Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps for 2025
When examining the account fees and charges between Fidelity and Merrill Edge, it's clear that both platforms offer appealing features to investors with slight variations in specific areas. Both Fidelity and Merrill Edge have eliminated minimum deposit requirements, making it easy for investors to start trading. They also offer commission-free stock trades and charge the same rate of $0.65 per options contract, ensuring low trading costs. However, a notable difference is in the IRA closure fee, with Fidelity charging nothing whereas Merrill Edge imposes a $49.95 fee.
Both platforms offer free account transfers (ACAT) whether partial or full, ensuring flexibility for investors looking to move their assets between different brokerages. The cost-free options exercise and assignment fees further align the services of Fidelity and Merrill Edge, creating a seamless trading experience. Despite these similarities, Fidelity stands out with consistently transparent rates for margin balances at various levels, whereas Merrill Edge's fees vary depending on individual circumstances.
For investors needing margin accounts, Fidelity provides clear rate percentages, starting at 13.075% for balances below $25,000, while offering slightly lower rates as balances increase. In comparison, Merrill Edge's varied rates necessitate further inquiry for specific margin rate information. Overall, Fidelity offers a more predictable fee structure with zero charges on numerous standard services, although both platforms provide competitive offerings suited to a range of investor needs.
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Minimum Deposit | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Stock Trades | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Options (Per Contract) | $0.65 | $0.65 |
Options Exercise Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Options Assignment Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
IRA Annual Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
IRA Closure Fee | $0.00 | $49.95 |
Dive deeper: Best Free Trading Platforms for 2025
When considering Fidelity and Merrill Edge for day trading, both platforms offer useful tools, but Fidelity provides a few more features that may benefit active traders. Fidelity's offerings include streaming time and sales for stocks, streaming live TV, direct market routing, and keyboard hotkey trade entry. These features could aid traders in quickly executing decisions and staying informed on live market conditions. Fidelity also provides level 2 quotes to give deeper insight into market pricing and has basic strategy backtesting capabilities. A notable advantage for those who short sell is Fidelity's short locator tool, which allows traders to view the real-time availability of shares available to short.
On the other hand, Merrill Edge also provides some competitive features, including streaming time and sales and level 2 quotes, which help traders analyze the depth of the market. However, it does not offer streaming live TV, direct market routing, keyboard hotkeys for quick trade entries, or a short locator tool. Both platforms lack ladder trading capabilities, advanced strategy backtesting, and order liquidity rebates. Overall, while both platforms serve day traders, Fidelity might offer a slight edge with its broader range of trading tools tailored for active trading strategies.
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Streaming Time & Sales | Yes | Yes |
Streaming TV | Yes | |
Direct Market Routing - Equities | Yes | |
Level 2 Quotes - Stocks | Yes | Yes |
Trade Ideas - Backtesting | Yes | Yes |
Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv | ||
Short Locator | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Day Trading Platforms for 2025
In comparing Fidelity and Merrill Edge for their market research prowess, Fidelity stands out by offering a more comprehensive suite of resources. Both brokers are well-rated, with 5 stars each, but Fidelity takes a slight edge by providing additional features like social media sentiment data for stock research. Fidelity also offers a wider selection of downloadable PDF reports for stocks, boasting 11 compared to Merrill Edge's 3. Furthermore, Fidelity is ranked higher by StockBrokers.com, placing 3rd out of 14 brokers, while Merrill Edge follows slightly behind in 5th place.
Both Fidelity and Merrill Edge excel at providing research options across various asset types, including stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, pink sheets/OTCBB, and bonds. They also allow users to view their portfolio allocation by asset class, a useful tool for investors looking to diversify. For those interested in socially responsible investing, both brokers offer ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) research. Additionally, each offers screeners for stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, and bonds, equipping investors with a robust set of tools for generating trade ideas.
While both platforms offer ETF research and screeners, and various downloadable reports, Fidelity falls short on providing downloadable mutual fund research reports, a service offered by Merrill Edge. Nonetheless, Fidelity's strengths in downloadable stock research reports and unique features like social media sentiment analysis may tip the scales for those who value access to extensive information. Both offer a strong market research experience, but Fidelity provides a slightly more extensive array of tools and resources.
Feature |
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Research - Stocks | Yes | Yes |
Screener - Stocks | Yes | Yes |
Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
Screener - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
Research - Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes |
Screener - Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes |
Research - Fixed Income | Yes | Yes |
Screener - Fixed Income | Yes | Yes |
Research |
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When it comes to banking services, both Fidelity and Merrill Edge offer a variety of financial products, though there are some distinctions. Fidelity provides debit cards, credit cards, mortgage loans, and certificates of deposit (CDs). Meanwhile, Merrill Edge expands its offerings by also including checking and savings accounts alongside debit and credit cards, mortgage loans, and CDs. For individuals looking for comprehensive banking solutions, Merrill Edge's inclusion of checking and savings accounts may offer convenience, while Fidelity's banking options remain extensive with its focus on investment-related products.
Feature |
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Checking Accounts | Yes | |
Savings Accounts | Yes | |
Debit Cards | Yes | Yes |
Credit Cards | Yes | Yes |
Mortgage Loans | Yes | Yes |
Brokerage CDs | Yes | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokerage Checking Accounts for 2025
After opening live accounts and testing 14 of the best online brokers, our research and live account testing finds that Fidelity is better than Merrill Edge. Fidelity finished with an overall score of 96.2%, while Merrill Edge finished with a score of 92.7%.
Fidelity is a value-driven online broker offering $0 trades, industry-leading research, excellent trading tools and an easy-to-use mobile app.
Fidelity provides cryptocurrency trading options with access to three coins, while Merrill Edge currently does not offer any crypto trading services.
Dive deeper: Best Online Brokers for Crypto Trading in 2025
Fidelity and Merrill Edge both offer traditional and Roth IRA accounts with no annual fees; however, while Fidelity does not charge a closure fee, Merrill Edge charges $49.95 when closing IRA accounts.
Dive deeper: Best IRA Accounts for 2025
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0 of 5Overall Rating | Fidelity | Merrill Edge | |
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Research |
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Customer Service |
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Education |
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Winner | check_circle | ||
Review | Fidelity Review | Merrill Edge Review |
Broker Screenshots | Fidelity | Merrill Edge | |
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Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
Trading Fees | Fidelity | Merrill Edge | |
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Minimum Deposit | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
Stock Trades | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
Penny Stock Fees (OTC) | $0.00 | N/A | |
Mutual Fund Trade Fee | Varies | Varies | |
Options (Per Contract) | $0.65 | $0.65 | |
Futures (Per Contract) | (Not offered) | (Not offered) | |
Broker Assisted Trade Fee | $32.95 | $29.95 |
Margin Rates | Fidelity | Merrill Edge | |
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Margin Rate Under $25,000 | 13.075% | Varies | |
Margin Rate $25,000 to $49,999.99 | 12.575% | Varies | |
Margin Rate $50,000 to $99,999.99 | 12.125% | Varies | |
Margin Rate $100,000 to $249,999.99 | 11.575% | Varies | |
Margin Rate $250,000 to $499,999.99 | 11.325% | Varies | |
Margin Rate $500,000 to $999,999.99 | 9.00% | Varies | |
Margin Rate Above $1,000,000 | 8.75% | Varies |
Account Fees | Fidelity | Merrill Edge | |
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IRA Annual Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
IRA Closure Fee | $0.00 | $49.95 | |
Account Transfer Out (Partial) | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
Account Transfer Out (Full) | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
Options Exercise Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
Options Assignment Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Investment Options | Fidelity | Merrill Edge | |
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Stock Trading | Yes | Yes | |
Account Feature - Margin Trading | Yes | Yes | |
Fractional Shares (Stocks) | Yes | ||
OTC Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
Options Trading | Yes | Yes | |
Complex Options Max Legs | 4 | 4 | |
Futures Trading | |||
Forex Trading | |||
Crypto Trading | Yes | ||
Crypto Trading - Total Coins | 3 | 0 | |
Fixed Income (Treasurys) | Yes | Yes | |
Fixed Income (Corporate Bonds) | Yes | Yes | |
Fixed Income (Municipal Bonds) | Yes | Yes | |
Traditional IRAs | Yes | Yes | |
Roth IRAs | Yes | Yes | |
Advisor Services | Yes | Yes | |
International Countries (Stocks) | 25 | 0 |
Order Types | Fidelity | Merrill Edge | |
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Order Type - Market | Yes | Yes | |
Order Type - Limit | Yes | Yes | |
Order Type - After Hours | Yes | Yes | |
Order Type - Stop | Yes | Yes | |
Order Type - Trailing Stop | Yes | Yes | |
Order Type - OCO | Yes | ||
Order Type - OTO | Yes | ||
Order Type - Broker Assisted | Yes | Yes |
Beginners | Fidelity | Merrill Edge | |
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Education (Stocks) | Yes | Yes | |
Education (ETFs) | Yes | Yes | |
Education (Options) | Yes | Yes | |
Education (Mutual Funds) | Yes | Yes | |
Education (Fixed Income) | Yes | Yes | |
Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
Retirement Calculator | Yes | Yes | |
Investor Dictionary | Yes | Yes | |
Paper Trading | |||
Videos | Yes | Yes | |
Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
Progress Tracking | Yes | ||
Interactive Learning - Quizzes | Yes | Yes |
Stock Trading Apps | Fidelity | Merrill Edge | |
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iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
Android App | Yes | Yes | |
Apple Watch App | Yes | ||
Trading - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
Trading - After-Hours | Yes | Yes | |
Trading - Simple Options | Yes | Yes | |
Trading - Complex Options | Yes | Yes | |
Order Ticket RT Quotes | Yes | Yes | |
Order Ticket SRT Quotes | Yes |
Stock App Features | Fidelity | Merrill Edge | |
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Market Movers (Top Gainers) | Yes | Yes | |
Stream Live TV | Yes | ||
Videos on Demand | Yes | ||
Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
Option Chains Viewable | Yes | Yes | |
Watch List (Real-time) | Yes | Yes | |
Watch List (Streaming) | Yes | Yes | |
Watch Lists - Create & Manage | Yes | Yes | |
Watch Lists - Column Customization | Yes |
Stock App Charting | Fidelity | Merrill Edge | |
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Charting - After-Hours | Yes | ||
Charting - Can Turn Horizontally | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Technical Studies | 119 | 34 | |
Charting - Study Customizations | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Stock Comparisons | Yes | Yes |
Trading Platforms | Fidelity | Merrill Edge | |
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Active Trading Platform | Active Trader Pro | Merrill Edge Market Pro | |
Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | ||
Desktop Platform (Mac) | Yes | ||
Web Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
Paper Trading | |||
Trade Journal | Yes | ||
Watch Lists - Total Fields | 92 | 285 |
Stock Chart Features | Fidelity | Merrill Edge | |
---|---|---|---|
Charting - Adjust Trades on Chart | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Indicators / Studies | 129 | 105 | |
Charting - Drawing Tools | 38 | 23 | |
Charting - Notes | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Historical Trades | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Corporate Events | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Custom Date Range | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Custom Time Bars | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Automated Analysis | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Save Profiles | Yes | Yes | |
Trade Ideas - Technical Analysis | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Study Customizations | 5 | 8 | |
Charting - Custom Studies |
Day Trading | Fidelity | Merrill Edge | |
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Streaming Time & Sales | Yes | Yes | |
Streaming TV | Yes | ||
Direct Market Routing - Equities | Yes | ||
Ladder Trading | |||
Trade Hot Keys | Yes | ||
Level 2 Quotes - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
Trade Ideas - Backtesting | Yes | Yes | |
Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv | |||
Short Locator | Yes | ||
Order Liquidity Rebates |
Research Overview | Fidelity | Merrill Edge | |
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Research - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
Research - Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes | |
Research - Pink Sheets / OTCBB | Yes | Yes | |
Research - Fixed Income | Yes | Yes | |
Screener - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
Screener - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
Screener - Mutual Funds | Yes | Yes | |
Screener - Fixed Income | Yes | Yes | |
Portfolio Asset Allocation | Yes | Yes |
Stock Research | Fidelity | Merrill Edge | |
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Stock Research - PDF Reports | 11 | 3 | |
Stock Research - Earnings | Yes | Yes | |
Stock Research - Insiders | Yes | Yes | |
Stock Research - Social | Yes | ||
Stock Research - News | Yes | Yes | |
Stock Research - ESG | Yes | Yes | |
Stock Research - SEC Filings | Yes | Yes |
ETF Research | Fidelity | Merrill Edge | |
---|---|---|---|
ETFs - Investment Objective | Yes | Yes | |
ETF Fund Facts - Inception Date | Yes | Yes | |
ETF Fund Facts - Expense Ratio | Yes | Yes | |
ETF Fund Facts - Total Assets | Yes | Yes | |
ETF Fund Facts - Total Holdings | Yes | Yes | |
ETFs - Top 10 Holdings | Yes | Yes | |
ETFs - Sector Exposure | Yes | Yes | |
ETFs - Risk Analysis | Yes | Yes | |
ETFs - Ratings | Yes | Yes | |
ETFs - Morningstar StyleMap | Yes | Yes | |
ETFs - PDF Reports | Yes | Yes |
Mutual Fund Research | Fidelity | Merrill Edge | |
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Mutual Funds - Investment Objective | Yes | Yes | |
Mutual Funds - Performance Chart | Yes | Yes | |
Mutual Funds - Performance Analysis | Yes | Yes | |
Mutual Funds - Prospectus | Yes | Yes | |
Mutual Funds - 3rd Party Ratings | Yes | Yes | |
Mutual Funds - Fees Breakdown | Yes | Yes | |
Mutual Funds - Top 10 Holdings | Yes | Yes | |
Mutual Funds - Asset Allocation | Yes | Yes | |
Mutual Funds - Sector Allocation | Yes | Yes | |
Mutual Funds - Country Allocation | Yes | Yes | |
Mutual Funds - StyleMap | Yes | Yes |
Options Trading | Fidelity | Merrill Edge | |
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Option Chains - Total Greeks | 5 | 5 | |
Option Analysis - P&L Charts | Yes | Yes |
Banking | Fidelity | Merrill Edge | |
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Bank (Member FDIC) | Yes | ||
Checking Accounts | Yes | ||
Savings Accounts | Yes | ||
Credit Cards | Yes | Yes | |
Debit Cards | Yes | Yes | |
Mortgage Loans | Yes | Yes |
Customer Service | Fidelity | Merrill Edge | |
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Phone Support (Prospect Customers) | Yes | Yes | |
Phone Support (Current Customers) | Yes | Yes | |
Email Support | Yes | ||
Live Chat (Prospect Customers) | Yes | Yes | |
Live Chat (Current Customers) | Yes | Yes | |
24/7 Support | Yes | Yes |
Overall | Fidelity | Merrill Edge | |
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Platforms & Tools |
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Mobile Trading Apps |
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Research |
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Education |
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Ease of Use |
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Winner | check_circle | ||
Review | Fidelity Review | Merrill Edge Review |