Merrill Edge Review: Bank of America's Broker Is Better Than You Think
Merrill Edge is what happens when one of America's biggest banks decides to get serious about self-directed investing. Owned by Bank of America, this broker gives you $0 stock and ETF trades, a solid roster of account types, and — crucially — the deepest banking-brokerage integration you'll find anywhere. If you already bank with BofA, adding a Merrill Edge account is almost a no-brainer. But here's the thing: Merrill Edge isn't trying to be Robinhood. It's not the flashiest platform, it doesn't offer crypto, and its mobile experience doesn't have the dopamine-hit design of the app-first brokers. What it does offer is a full-service brokerage backed by a $3 trillion bank, with the kind of research tools and retirement account options that matter when you're building actual long-term wealth — not just day-trading meme stocks. The real question isn't whether Merrill Edge is a good broker. It is. The question is whether the Bank of America ecosystem adds enough value to justify picking it over Fidelity or Schwab. Let's dig in.