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Merrill Edge Review

April 13, 2023

Merrill Edge and its corporate parent Bank of America, make a strong case to be your cradle-to-grave financial services partner, taking top honors in our 2023 annual review for Overall Client Experience, Banking Services, Best Client Dashboard and High Net Worth Investors categories. Other than trigger-happy day trading, this broker does almost everything well and some tools are game changers. There are some limits on products, however. At Merrill Edge, penny stocks and crypto are left out in the cold.

Merrill Edge
5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $0.00
  • Stock Trades: $0.00
  • Options (Per Contract): $0.65
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Invest in a new account and get up to $600.

thumb_up_off_alt Pros

  • Portfolio Story, Dynamic Insights, and the Stock and Fund Stories are the best features for everyday investors since $0 commission stock trades.
  • Merrill Edge gives access to high-quality Bank of America Securities proprietary research.
  • Premium design feel.

thumb_down_off_alt Cons

  • Some site elements are slow to load.
  • Merrill doesn’t offer cryptocurrencies, futures, foreign exchange, fractional shares, or even paper trading.
  • We like the desktop investing platform Merrill Edge MarketPro, but day traders will find it’s missing features that TD Ameritrade, tastytrade, TradeStation and E*TRADE provide as a matter of course.

Overall summary

Feature Merrill Edge logoMerrill Edge
Overall 5/5 Stars
Investment Options 4.5/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees 4.5/5 Stars
Mobile Trading Apps 5/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 4.5/5 Stars
Research 5/5 Stars
Customer Service 4.0/5 Stars
Education 5/5 Stars
Ease Of Use 5/5 Stars

Investment options

Merrill Edge provides a diverse offering that meets the industry standard and goes beyond it with a stellar user experience and the available services of a mega-sized bank. That said, active traders will be left wanting more. On offer are stocks, ETFs, options, mutual funds and bonds. Fractional shares, paper trading, futures, forex, and cryptos are not available.

Investment guidance: In addition to self-directed investing, Merrill Edge also offers automated (robo-advisor) portfolio management ($1,000 minimum investment) as well as fully managed advisory services with an advisor ($20,000 minimum investment) through its Guided Investing program.

Cryptocurrency: Merrill Edge does not offer cryptocurrency. You will have to sign up with a crypto exchange to trade popular tokens such as bitcoin, ethereum or dogecoin.

Retirement services: Merrill offers traditional, Roth and rollover IRAs, and placed among the best IRA accounts in our 2023 review.

Feature Merrill Edge logoMerrill Edge
Stock Trading Yes
Margin Trading Yes
OTC Stocks Yes
Options Trading Yes
Complex Options Max Legs 4
Bonds (US Treasury) Yes
Futures Trading No
Forex Trading No
Mutual Funds (Total) 3466
Advisor Services Yes
Crypto Trading No
Crypto Trading - Total Coins 0
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Commissions and fees

Merrill Edge, like other discount brokers, provides customers unlimited free ($0) stock and exchange-traded fund (ETF) trades. Options trades cost $0.65 per contract, a common rate among top-tier brokers. Broker-assisted trades are a reasonable $19.95.

Penny stocks: Merrill Edge does not usually allow trading of securities that trade over-the-counter (OTC) and are priced below $5 per share. In practice, its restrictions mean that there is essentially no penny stock trading.

Preferred Rewards: Merrill’s rewards system makes for a top-notch combination of banking and brokerage. To qualify for the base tier, Gold, customers must maintain a three-month average combined balance in their bank and brokerage accounts of at least $20,000. Benefits through the Preferred Rewards program include money market savings interest-rate boosts, credit card bonuses, investment discounts and more.

Customers should still compare overall costs and rewards against competitors to make sure they are getting the best deal, as Merrill competes hardest in services, not always on price.

Feature Merrill Edge logoMerrill Edge
Minimum Deposit $0.00
Stock Trades $0.00
Penny Stock Fees (OTC) N/A
ETF Trade Fee $0.00
Options (Base Fee) $0.00
Options (Per Contract) $0.65
Options Exercise Fee $0.00
Options Assignment Fee $0.00
Futures (Per Contract) N/A
Mutual Fund Trade Fee $19.95
Broker Assisted Trade Fee $29.95
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Mobile trading apps

Merrill Edge's mobile app is easy to use, great for research and exceeds the industry standard experience. For existing Bank of America customers, the universal account access and functionality makes the app an easy winner. All mobile devices are supported, including Apple Watch.

Ease of use: Apple Face ID and fingerprint login, coupled with a cleanly designed dashboard, makes it very easy to jump in and check in on your portfolio. Research is excellent for stocks, ETFs, and mutual funds, thanks to the inclusion of Stock Story and Fund Story.

The Stock, Fund and Portfolio “Stories,” as Merrill Edge calls them, are central to the mobile app and are what propelled Edge to the top of the heap for our Overall Client Experience. Along with Dynamic Insights, these features provide exactly the sort of information we wish all personal financial advisors would provide their clients: enough information to be fully informed without being drowned in detail.


The Stock Story feature on the Merrill Edge mobile app. Press play for a demo.


Charting: Charting is comprehensive and includes a variety of customizations. However, the interface itself is outdated and not HTML 5, making it difficult to read, especially when using any of the 34 optional technical indicators, which are only supported in landscape mode.

Merrill Edge Mobile app gallery

Feature Merrill Edge logoMerrill Edge
iPhone App Yes
Android App Yes
Apple Watch App Yes
Stock Alerts Yes
Charting - After-Hours No
Charting - Technical Studies 34
Charting - Study Customizations Yes
Watch List (Streaming) Yes
Watch Lists - Create & Manage Yes
Watch Lists - Column Customization No

Other trading platforms and tools

Merrill Edge offers everyday investors access to everything they need (and more) to manage an investment portfolio through the Merrill Edge website. For active traders, Merrill Edge offers its MarketPro desktop trading platform, which is feature-rich but not suitable for day trading.

Dynamic Insights: Merrill Edge’s AI powered account dashboard, called Dynamic Insights, again won our industry award for No. 1 Client Dashboard. Dynamic Insights pulls all your data into one spot and uses AI to personalize it, making it the ultimate launching pad for your Merrill Edge account.

After opening Dynamic Insights, you will find a high-level summary of your brokerage and bank accounts. Below that, realized gains and losses, portfolio performance against the market, holdings insights including news events, tax events, movers, and ratings changes, are all included. A high-level market overview for the day is also present.

Trading tools: MarketPro is built for active traders and has a variety of bells and whistles. Highlights include 285 optional columns for watch lists, easy-to-use charting, automated technical analysis through Trading Central (Recognia), and numerous options tools, including the idea generation tool OptionsPlay.

On the downside, MarketPro has two drawbacks that might deter day traders. First, there are no one-click buy and sell buttons for speedy order entry, nor is there an option to disable the order confirmation window. Second, direct market routing or advanced order types, such as conditional orders, are not supported.

Feature Merrill Edge logoMerrill Edge
Active Trading Platform Merrill Edge Market Pro
Desktop Trading Platform No
Desktop Platform (Mac) No
Web Trading Platform Yes
Paper Trading No
Trade Journal No
Watch Lists - Total Fields 285
Charting - Indicators / Studies 104
Charting - Drawing Tools 23
Charting - Study Customizations 8
Charting - Save Profiles Yes
Trade Ideas - Technical Analysis Yes
Streaming Time & Sales Yes
Trade Ideas - Backtesting Yes
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Research

Merrill Edge offers research for stocks, ETFs, and mutual funds that will satisfy the pickiest of investors. Merrill is also very strong in environmental, social, and governance investing, or ESG.

Stock research: Merrill Edge offers several unique research tools found nowhere else, including Stock Story, Portfolio Story and Idea Builder. Also included are excellent third-party research integrations, including Trefis (company valuations), Trading Central (Recognia) for automated technical analysis, and 43 variables from MSCI ESG ratings, among others.

ETFs and mutual funds research: Merrill Edge is unique in that it uses both Morningstar and Lipper as its primary research providers. Thanks to this dual offering, Merrill Edge's ETF and mutual funds research is extremely thorough. In addition, Fund Story provides ratings on 25,000 funds, which includes 12,000 mutual funds.

Bonds research: While the breadth of fixed income research at Merrill Edge trails its close competitor Fidelity, we found the fixed income reports from B of A Global Research to be of high quality with in-depth coverage of news and fundamental analysis of the bond markets.

Feature Merrill Edge logoMerrill Edge
Research - Stocks Yes
Stock Research - ESG Yes
Stock Research - PDF Reports 3
Screener - Stocks Yes
Research - ETFs Yes
Screener - ETFs Yes
Research - Mutual Funds Yes
Screener - Mutual Funds Yes
Research - Pink Sheets / OTCBB Yes
Research - Bonds Yes

Education

Learning about investing and retirement is a pleasant experience at Merrill Edge, thanks to excellent organization and quality, as well as in-house curated content.

Learning center: Resources in Merrill Edge’s Investor Education section feature an assortment of articles, videos and online courses that can be searched according to topic, format or your level of investing experience.

Investing basics: Merrill offers an excellent set of curated webinars on different themes, including ETFs, technical analysis and options trading. The on-demand videos can be searched through topic and/or difficulty level.

Life events education: Through Merrill Edge's Guidance and Retirement Center, customers can conduct goal planning for life events, use calculators to determine areas for improvement, read educational articles, watch videos, schedule one-on-one appointments, and more.

Podcasts: It’s worth mentioning that Merrill offers audio segments. The Merrill Perspective podcast discusses themes and current news topics. Though it’s driven by current events, it educates at the same time. We like it.

Feature Merrill Edge logoMerrill Edge
Education (Stocks) Yes
Education (ETFs) Yes
Education (Options) Yes
Education (Mutual Funds) Yes
Education (Bonds) Yes
Education (Retirement) Yes
Paper Trading No
Videos Yes
Webinars Yes
Webinars (Archived) Yes
Progress Tracking No
Interactive Learning - Quizzes Yes
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Customer service

To score Customer Service, StockBrokers.com partners with customer experience research firm Confero to conduct phone tests from locations throughout the United States. For our 2023 Broker Review, 168 customer service tests were conducted over six weeks, with wait times logged for each call.

Customer service representatives were asked for assistance or details in several areas of broker services, including account opening, trading tools, apps, rollovers, active trading, and more. Here are the results for Merrill Edge.

  • Average Connection Time: 2-3 minutes
  • Average Net Promoter Score: 8.5 / 10
  • Average Professionalism Score: 8.7 / 10
  • Overall Score: 8.4 / 10
  • Ranking: 4th of 14 brokers

Banking services

Merrill Edge is part of Bank of America, which offers a full suite of personal banking products, including savings accounts, checking accounts and credit cards. When it comes to banking and brokerage, Merrill Edge takes the crown thanks to seamless universal account management and its Preferred Rewards program.

Online banking services with Bank of America include $250,000 in FDIC-insured account protection. I’ve found moving back and forth between bank and brokerage accounts to be easy and efficient.

Feature Merrill Edge logoMerrill Edge
Bank (Member FDIC) Yes
Checking Accounts Yes
Savings Accounts Yes
Credit Cards Yes
Debit Cards Yes
Mortgage Loans Yes

Final thoughts

Overall, Merrill Edge offers customers a superb, well-rounded offering. Investors will appreciate Merrill Edge's $0 trades, robust research and reliable customer service. Similarly, Bank of America customers will discover that Merrill Edge is an excellent extension of the Bank of America brand.

Here are our top findings on Merrill Edge for 2023:

  1. With proprietary tools such as Stock Story and Portfolio Story alongside robust educational resources, Merrill Edge is among our Best in Class for Research, Beginners and IRA Accounts.
  2. Merrill Edge remains our top pick for investors looking to manage banking and brokerage under one roof. Merrill Edge received our industry awards for No. 1 Overall Client Experience and No. 1 Client Dashboard, thanks to offering $0 stock and ETF trades, excellent universal account management, the best multi-account rewards and outstanding customer service.
  3. While Merrill Edge offers a feature-rich trading platform, MarketPro, it didn't impress us enough to make our top picks lists for day trading.

Best Broker Guides

Explore our broker rankings:

What's the difference between Merrill Lynch and Merrill Edge?

Merrill Lynch is not the same as Merrill Edge, but they do share many resources and both are part of Bank of America. Merrill Lynch is a traditional full-service broker with financial advisors that serve affluent and emerging affluent investors. Merrill Lynch brokers are encouraged to focus on building and retaining relationships with wealthy clients. Merrill Edge is a discount online broker that has no account minimum and $0 commission stock and ETF trades while still providing some access to Merrill Lynch’s research and tools. Both are owned by Bank of America.

Can I trust Merrill Edge?

Yes, you can trust Merrill Edge. The broker is a subsidiary of Bank of America and the assets in your account are insured against insolvency (not market losses) from the Securities Investor Protection Corporation, or SIPC; the FDIC (bank cash deposits only); and Lloyd’s of London.

Is Merrill Edge good for beginners?

Merrill Edge is a good choice for beginner investors. It placed in our top 5 brokers for this category in our 2023 annual review of online brokers. Its Stock Story, Fund Story, and Portfolio Story features make investing a piece of cake. Though it doesn’t offer fractional shares or paper portfolios, it has robust educational content. Merrill Edge is an excellent choice for novices.

Is a Merrill Edge account good?

Merrill Edge is a good choice for beginners, those interested in environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing, high net worth investors, and those looking to have their banking and investing experiences under one roof. Merrill Edge’s prices aren’t the lowest, but the prices are justified in the breadth and quality of their services.

How much money do you need to open a Merrill Edge account?

There is no minimum to open a Merrill Edge account. Certain services do require a minimum account balance. The robo-advisor portfolio management requires a $1,000 investment, and fully managed advisory services with an advisor carries a $20,000 minimum.

Does Merrill Edge have hidden fees?

Merrill Edge, like most U.S. online brokers, charges nothing for stock and ETF trades and there are no account fees. There are incidental charges, which can be found on its website. Unfortunately, its margin rates are not published, as they depend on the depth of the customer’s relationship with Bank of America and Merrill.

About Merrill Edge

Launched in 2010 and headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Merrill Edge is the self-directed trading arm of Bank of America. Merrill Edge’s origins go all the way back to discount broker Quick & Reilly. Merrill Edge was originally created by Merrill Lynch, which became a subsidiary of Bank of America in 2008.

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2023 Review methodology

Our mission at StockBrokers.com is simple: provide thorough and unbiased reviews of online brokers, based on an extraordinary level of hands-on testing and data collection. Our ratings and awards are based on this data and our experts’ deep authority in the field; brokers cannot pay for preferential treatment. Here’s more about trustworthiness at StockBrokers.com.

For the StockBrokers.com 13th Annual Review published in January 2023, a total of 3,332 data points were collected over three months and used to score 17 top brokers. This makes StockBrokers.com home to the largest independent database on the web covering the online broker industry.

As part of our annual review process, all brokers had the opportunity to provide updates and key milestones and complete an in-depth data profile, which we hand-checked for accuracy. Brokers also were offered the opportunity to provide executive time for an annual update meeting.

Our rigorous data validation process yields an error rate of less than .001% each year, providing site visitors quality data they can trust. Learn more about how we test.

Merrill Edge 2023 results

For the StockBrokers.com 2023 Annual Awards, published on Jan. 24, 2023, all U.S. equity brokers we reviewed were assessed on 196 different variables across eight areas: Commissions & Fees, Investment Options, Platforms & Tools, Research, Mobile Trading, Education, Ease of Use, and Overall.

StockBrokers.com also presented “Best in Class” awards to brokers for additional categories Beginners, Options Trading, Futures Trading, Active Trading, IRA Accounts, Investor Community, Penny Stock Trading, Banking Services and Customer Service. A “Best in Class” designation means finishing in the top five brokers for that category.

For more information, see how we test.

Primary categories

Merrill Edge logoMerrill Edge Overall Commissions & Fees Research Platforms & Tools Mobile Trading Apps Investment Options Education Ease of Use
Rating 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars 4.5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars 5/5 Stars
Rank #1
Streak #1
Best in Class check check check check check
Best in Class Streak 10 7

Secondary categories

Merrill Edge logoMerrill Edge Active Trading Banking Services Beginners Customer Service Futures Trading Investor Community IRA Accounts Options Trading Penny Stocks
Rank #1 check
Streak #1 9
Best in Class check check check check check
Best in Class Streak 9 3 2 4

Industry Awards

Feature Merrill Edge logoMerrill Edge
#1 Client Dashboard verified
#1 Overall Client Experience verified
#1 High Net Worth Investors verified

Merrill Edge fees and features data

The data collection efforts at StockBrokers.com are unmatched in the industry. The following tables show a deeper dive into the offerings available at this broker. You can also compare its offerings side-by-side with those of other brokers using our Comparison Tool.

In addition to meticulous annual data collection by our in-house analyst, every broker that participates in our review is afforded the opportunity to complete an in-depth data profile. We then audit each data point to ensure its accuracy.

Trading fees

Feature Merrill Edge logoMerrill Edge
Minimum Deposit $0.00
Stock Trades $0.00
Mutual Fund Trade Fee $19.95
Options (Base Fee) $0.00
Options (Per Contract) $0.65
Futures (Per Contract) N/A
Broker Assisted Trade Fee $29.95

Account fees

Feature Merrill Edge logoMerrill Edge
IRA Annual Fee $0.00
IRA Closure Fee $49.95
Account Transfer Out (Partial) $0.00
Account Transfer Out (Full) $49.95
Options Exercise Fee $0.00
Options Assignment Fee $0.00

Margin rates

Feature Merrill Edge logoMerrill Edge
Margin Rate Under $25,000 Varies
Margin Rate $25,000 to $49,999.99 Varies
Margin Rate $50,000 to $99,999.99 Varies
Margin Rate $100,000 to $249,999.99 Varies
Margin Rate $250,000 to $499,999.99 Varies
Margin Rate $500,000 to $999,999.99 Varies
Margin Rate Above $1,000,000 Varies

Investment options

Feature Merrill Edge logoMerrill Edge
Stock Trading Yes
Margin Trading Yes
Fractional Shares No
OTC Stocks Yes
Options Trading Yes
Complex Options Max Legs 4
Futures Trading No
Forex Trading No
Crypto Trading No
Crypto Trading - Total Coins 0
Mutual Funds (No Load) 2952
Mutual Funds (Total) 3466
Bonds (US Treasury) Yes
Bonds (Corporate) Yes
Bonds (Municipal) Yes
Advisor Services Yes
International Countries (Stocks) 0
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Order types

Feature Merrill Edge logoMerrill Edge
Order Type - Market Yes
Order Type - Limit Yes
Order Type - After Hours Yes
Order Type - Stop Yes
Order Type - Trailing Stop Yes
Order Type - OCO No
Order Type - OTO No
Order Type - Broker Assisted Yes

Beginners

Feature Merrill Edge logoMerrill Edge
Education (Stocks) Yes
Education (ETFs) Yes
Education (Options) Yes
Education (Mutual Funds) Yes
Education (Bonds) Yes
Education (Retirement) Yes
Retirement Calculator Yes
Investor Dictionary Yes
Paper Trading No
Videos Yes
Webinars Yes
Webinars (Archived) Yes
Progress Tracking No
Interactive Learning - Quizzes Yes
View More

Stock trading apps

Feature Merrill Edge logoMerrill Edge
iPhone App Yes
Android App Yes
Apple Watch App Yes
Trading - Stocks Yes
Trading - After-Hours Yes
Trading - Simple Options Yes
Trading - Complex Options Yes
Order Ticket RT Quotes Yes
Order Ticket SRT Quotes No

Stock app features

Feature Merrill Edge logoMerrill Edge
Market Movers (Top Gainers) Yes
Stream Live TV No
Videos on Demand No
Stock Alerts Yes
Option Chains Viewable Yes
Watch List (Real-time) Yes
Watch List (Streaming) Yes
Watch Lists - Create & Manage Yes
Watch Lists - Column Customization No
Watch Lists - Total Fields 285

Stock app charting

Feature Merrill Edge logoMerrill Edge
Charting - After-Hours No
Charting - Can Turn Horizontally Yes
Charting - Multiple Time Frames Yes
Charting - Technical Studies 34
Charting - Study Customizations Yes
Charting - Stock Comparisons Yes

Trading platforms overview

Feature Merrill Edge logoMerrill Edge
Active Trading Platform Merrill Edge Market Pro
Desktop Trading Platform No
Desktop Platform (Mac) No
Web Trading Platform Yes
Paper Trading No
Trade Journal No
Watch Lists - Total Fields 285

Trading platform stock chart features

Feature Merrill Edge logoMerrill Edge
Charting - Adjust Trades on Chart Yes
Charting - Indicators / Studies 104
Charting - Drawing Tools 23
Charting - Notes Yes
Charting - Index Overlays Yes
Charting - Historical Trades Yes
Charting - Corporate Events Yes
Charting - Custom Date Range Yes
Charting - Custom Time Bars Yes
Charting - Automated Analysis Yes
Charting - Save Profiles Yes
Trade Ideas - Technical Analysis Yes
Charting - Study Customizations 8
Charting - Custom Studies No
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Day trading features

Feature Merrill Edge logoMerrill Edge
Streaming Time & Sales Yes
Streaming TV No
Direct Market Routing - Stocks No
Ladder Trading No
Trade Hot Keys No
Level 2 Quotes - Stocks Yes
Trade Ideas - Backtesting Yes
Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv No
Short Locator No
Order Liquidity Rebates No

Investment research overview

Feature Merrill Edge logoMerrill Edge
Research - Stocks Yes
Research - ETFs Yes
Research - Mutual Funds Yes
Research - Pink Sheets / OTCBB Yes
Research - Bonds Yes
Screener - Stocks Yes
Screener - ETFs Yes
Screener - Mutual Funds Yes
Screener - Bonds Yes
Misc - Portfolio Allocation Yes

Stock research features

Feature Merrill Edge logoMerrill Edge
Stock Research - PDF Reports 3
Stock Research - Earnings Yes
Stock Research - Insiders Yes
Stock Research - Social No
Stock Research - News Yes
Stock Research - ESG Yes
Stock Research - SEC Filings Yes

ETF research features

Feature Merrill Edge logoMerrill Edge
ETFs - Strategy Overview Yes
ETF Fund Facts - Inception Date Yes
ETF Fund Facts - Expense Ratio Yes
ETF Fund Facts - Net Assets Yes
ETF Fund Facts - Total Holdings Yes
ETFs - Top 10 Holdings Yes
ETFs - Sector Exposure Yes
ETFs - Risk Analysis Yes
ETFs - Ratings Yes
ETFs - Morningstar StyleMap Yes
ETFs - PDF Reports Yes
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Mutual fund research features

Feature Merrill Edge logoMerrill Edge
Mutual Funds - Strategy Overview Yes
Mutual Funds - Performance Chart Yes
Mutual Funds - Performance Analysis Yes
Mutual Funds - Prospectus Yes
Mutual Funds - 3rd Party Ratings Yes
Mutual Funds - Fees Breakdown Yes
Mutual Funds - Top 10 Holdings Yes
Mutual Funds - Asset Allocation Yes
Mutual Funds - Sector Allocation Yes
Mutual Funds - Country Allocation Yes
Mutual Funds - StyleMap Yes
View More

Options trading overview

Feature Merrill Edge logoMerrill Edge
Option Chains - Basic View Yes
Option Chains - Strategy View Yes
Option Chains - Streaming Yes
Option Chains - Total Columns 68
Option Chains - Greeks 5
Option Chains - Quick Analysis Yes
Option Analysis - P&L Charts Yes
Option Probability Analysis Yes
Option Probability Analysis Adv No
Option Positions - Greeks Yes
Option Positions - Greeks Streaming Yes
Option Positions - Adv Analysis Yes
Option Positions - Rolling Yes
Option Positions - Grouping Yes
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Banking features

Feature Merrill Edge logoMerrill Edge
Bank (Member FDIC) Yes
Checking Accounts Yes
Savings Accounts Yes
Credit Cards Yes
Debit Cards Yes
Mortgage Loans Yes

Customer service options

Feature Merrill Edge logoMerrill Edge
Phone Support (Prospect Customers) No
Phone Support (Current Customers) Yes
Email Support Yes
Live Chat (Prospect Customers) Yes
Live Chat (Current Customers) Yes
24/7 Support Yes

About the Editorial Team

Sam Levine, CFA, CMT
Sam Levine, CFA, CMT

Sam Levine has over 30 years of experience in the investing field as a portfolio manager, financial consultant, investment strategist and writer. He also taught investing as an adjunct professor of finance at Wayne State University. Sam holds the Chartered Financial Analyst and the Chartered Market Technician designations and is pursuing a master's in personal financial planning at the College for Financial Planning. Previously, he was a contributing editor at BetterInvesting Magazine and a contributor to The Penny Hoarder and other media outlets.


Blain Reinkensmeyer
Blain Reinkensmeyer

Blain Reinkensmeyer has 20 years of trading experience with over 2,500 trades placed during that time. He heads research for all U.S.-based brokerages on StockBrokers.com and is respected by executives as the leading expert covering the online broker industry. Blain’s insights have been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and the Chicago Tribune, among other media outlets.


Carolyn Kimball
Carolyn Kimball

Carolyn Kimball is managing editor for Reink Media and the lead editor for the StockBrokers.com Annual Review. Carolyn has more than 20 years of writing and editing experience at major media outlets including NerdWallet, the Los Angeles Times and the San Jose Mercury News. She specializes in coverage of personal financial products and services, wielding her editing skills to clarify complex (some might say befuddling) topics to help consumers make informed decisions about their money.


Steven Hatzakis
Steven Hatzakis

Steven Hatzakis is the Global Director of Research for ForexBrokers.com. Steven previously served as an Editor for Finance Magnates, where he authored over 1,000 published articles about the online finance industry. Steven is an active fintech and crypto industry researcher and advises blockchain companies at the board level. Over the past 20 years, Steven has held numerous positions within the international forex markets, from writing to consulting to serving as a registered commodity futures representative.


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