How to Invest With Merrill: Compare Your Investment Options (2024)

For more information about our brokerage services and investment advisory programs, see ml.com/CRS.

We offer a wide variety of investment products. These products are available to you for investment based on factors such as account limitations, client and Advisor/FSA eligibility and our product approval process. Refer to Form CRS.

You should evaluate which solution is right for you considering your investment profile; your preferences on working with an Advisor you select or working on a self-guided basis; the types of services you want; the investment solutions available; and the Program fees.

* Other fees may apply. Free and $0 means there is no commission charged for these trades. $0 option trades are subject to a $0.65 per-contract fee. Sales are subject to a transaction fee of between $0.01 and $0.03 per $1,000 of principal. There are costs associated with owning ETFs. To learn more about Merrill pricing, visit our Pricing page.

** Other fees may apply. Sales of ETFs are subject to a transaction fee of between $0.01 and $0.03 per $1,000 of principal. There are costs associated with owning ETFs and mutual funds. To learn more about pricing, visit merrilledge.com/pricing

1 Diversification, asset allocation and rebalancing do not ensure a profit or protect against loss in declining markets. As with other investments, mutual funds and ETFs are subject to market conditions and other associated risks. There is no guarantee that any specific fund or investment strategy will meet its investment objectives.

2 The Chief Investment Office (CIO) develops the investment strategies for Merrill Guided Investing and Merrill Guided Investing with Advisor, including providing its recommendations of ETFs, mutual funds and related asset allocations. Managed Account Advisors LLC (MAA), Merrill’s affiliate, is the overlay portfolio manager responsible for implementing the Merrill Guided Investing strategies for client accounts, including facilitating the purchase & sale of ETFs and mutual funds in client accounts and updating account asset allocations when the CIO’s recommendations change while also implementing any applicable individual client or firm restriction(s)

3 BofA Global Research is research produced by BofA Securities, Inc. (“BofAS”) and/or one or more of its affiliates. BofAS is a registered broker-dealer, Member SIPC, and wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America Corporation.

4 Merrill waives its commissions for all online stock, ETF and option trades placed in a Merrill Edge® Self-Directed brokerage account. Brokerage fees associated with, but not limited to, margin transactions, special stock registration/gifting, account transfer and processing and termination apply. $0 option trades are subject to a $0.65 per-contract fee. Other fees and restrictions may apply. Pricing is subject to change without advance notice.

5 There is an annual program fee of 0.45% based on the assets held in the account. This fee is charged monthly in advance.

6 There is an annual program fee of 0.85% based on the assets held in the account. This fee is charged monthly in advance.

7 Preferred Rewards Program Eligibility: You can enroll, and maintain your membership, in the Bank of America Preferred Rewards program if you have an active, eligible personal checking account with Bank of America® and maintain the balance required for one of the balance tiers. The balance tiers are $20,000 for the Gold tier, $50,000 for the Platinum tier, $100,000 for the Platinum Honors tier, $1,000,000 for the Diamond tier and $10,000,000 for the Diamond Honors tier. Balances include your combined, qualifying Bank of America deposit accounts (such as checking, savings, certificate of deposit) and/or your Merrill investment accounts (such as Cash Management Accounts, 529 Plans). You can satisfy the combined balance requirement for enrollment with either: 

  1. A three-month combined average daily balance in your qualifying deposit and investment accounts, or 
  2. A current combined balance, provided that you enroll at the time you open your first eligible personal checking account and satisfy the balance requirement at the end of at least one day within 30 days of opening that account. 

Eligibility to enroll is generally available three or more business days after the end of the calendar month in which you satisfy the requirements. Benefits become effective within 30 days of your enrollment, or for new accounts within 30 days of account opening, unless we indicate otherwise. Bank of America Private Bank clients qualify to enroll in the Diamond Tier regardless of balance, and may qualify for the Diamond Honors tier based on their qualifying Bank of America, Merrill and Private Bank balances. Certain benefits are also available without enrolling in Preferred Rewards if you satisfy balance and other requirements. For details on Bank of America employee qualification requirements, please call Employee Financial Services or, refer to the Bank of America intranet site. Employees of companies participating in the Bank of America Employee Banking and Investing Program may be eligible to participate on customized terms. Refer to CEBI Program for details. 

8 Clients enrolled in Preferred Rewards receive a Preferred Rewards discount off the Merrill Guided Investing program's annual asset-based fee of 0.45%, and the Merrill Guided Investing with Advisor and Merrill Edge Advisory Account programs' annual asset-based fee of 0.85% for any of their accounts enrolled in the respective advisory programs. Preferred Rewards enrolled clients receive a discount of 0.05% off of the annual rate for the Gold tier, 0.10% for the Platinum tier, or 0.15% for the Platinum Honors, Diamond and Diamond Honors tiers based on their Preferred Rewards tier effective at the time the applicable advisory program fee is calculated. It may take up to 30 calendar days for changes to your Preferred Rewards status or tier to be associated with and effective for your accounts in the advisory programs. This fee is charged monthly in advance. In addition to the annual program fee, the expenses of the investments will vary based on the specific funds within each portfolio. Actual fund expenses will vary; please refer to each fund's prospectus 

9 Please review the applicable Merrill Guided Investing Program Brochure (PDF) or Merrill Guided Investing with Advisor Program Brochure (PDF) for information including the program fee, rebalancing, and the details of the investment advisory program. Your recommended investment strategy will be based solely on the information you provide to us for this specific investment goal and is separate from any other advisory program offered with us. If there are multiple owners on this account, the information you provide should reflect the views and circ*mstances of all owners on the account. If you are the fiduciary of this account for the benefit of the account owner or account holder (e.g., trustee for a trust or custodian for an UTMA), please keep in mind that these assets will be invested for the benefit of the account owner or account holder. Merrill Guided Investing is offered with and without an advisor. Merrill, Merrill Lynch, and/or Merrill Edge investment advisory programs are offered by Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated ("MLPF&S") and Managed Account Advisors LLC ("MAA") an affiliate of MLPF&S. MLPF&S and MAA are registered investment advisers. Investment adviser registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. 

How to Invest With Merrill: Compare Your Investment Options (2024)

FAQs

How does investing with Merrill Lynch work? ›

You just answer a few questions online and Merrill will recommend a strategy and manage the investments for you. With this option, you pay a monthly program fee and that covers investing and management. You can even choose to work directly with an advisor.

What is the average return on Merrill investments? ›

Portfolio and ETF Returns as of Apr 30, 2024
Return (%) as of Apr 30, 2024
30Y
Merrill Lynch Edge Select Aggressive Portfolio8.45
US Inflation Adjusted return5.77
Components
15 more rows

How to compare investments? ›

For each investment option, compare the findings of your cash flow analysis, including NPV, IRR, payback duration, and PI. Think on qualitative aspects like strategic fit, market potential, and alignment with your aims and values in addition to the financial measures.

How do I choose the right investment options? ›

Eight tips on how to choose a fund
  1. Decide on how you approach risk. ...
  2. Learn about asset classes. ...
  3. Decide how 'hands' on you want to be. ...
  4. Think carefully about your objectives. ...
  5. Decide whether you want income or growth (or both) ...
  6. Think about which assets sectors do you want to consider. ...
  7. Take a look at our Preferred List.

Are my investments safe at Merrill Lynch? ›

Any assets you hold in your Merrill Cash Management Account ® (CMA account) are protected by the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC). The SIPC provides up to $500,000 of account protection per client, inclusive of up to $250,000 for cash.

How much do you need to invest in Merrill Lynch? ›

Merrill Lynch Financial Advisors is the advisory service associated with Merrill Edge. The firm requires a $20,000 minimum investment, and it comes with a 0.85% annual management fee.

Is Bank of America Merrill investing good? ›

Merrill Edge is a comprehensive low-cost service that works with Bank of America to offer excellent research and resources, exceptional 24/7 customer service and superior trade quality and price improvement.

What is a good return on a $500000 investment? ›

Average Rate of Return: This is more difficult to calculate because by their nature private equity firms and hedge don't always report their losses and earnings. However, most estimates suggest that you can expect average returns of up to 14%.

What kinds of investment options does Merrill Lynch offer? ›

  • Overview.
  • Online Brokerage Account.
  • Stocks.
  • Options.
  • ETFs.
  • Mutual Funds.
  • Fixed Income.
  • Managed Portfolios.

What is the best way to compare investment returns? ›

Since you hold investments for different periods of time, the best way to compare their performance is by looking at their annualized percent return. In this example, your annualized return is 9.42 percent. Tip: Use FINRA's Fund Analyzer to find annual and total return for mutual funds and ETFs.

What is the 70% rule investing? ›

Basically, the rule says real estate investors should pay no more than 70% of a property's after-repair value (ARV) minus the cost of the repairs necessary to renovate the home. The ARV of a property is the amount a home could sell for after flippers renovate it.

How do you tell if your investments are doing well? ›

Relative performance — Comparing your return to the overall market is a better measure. If your total portfolio is up 20% for the year and the overall market is only up 15%, you have done very well. Or if your portfolio is down 10% and the overall market is down 15%, you have done well.

What is the safest investment with the highest return? ›

Overview: Best low-risk investments in 2024
  1. High-yield savings accounts. ...
  2. Money market funds. ...
  3. Short-term certificates of deposit. ...
  4. Series I savings bonds. ...
  5. Treasury bills, notes, bonds and TIPS. ...
  6. Corporate bonds. ...
  7. Dividend-paying stocks. ...
  8. Preferred stocks.
Apr 1, 2024

What is the safest option to invest money? ›

10 Safest Investment Options in India
  • Public Provident Fund (PPF) ...
  • National Pension Scheme (NPS) ...
  • Gold. ...
  • Savings Bonds. ...
  • Recurring Deposits. ...
  • National Savings Certificate. ...
  • Post Office Monthly Income Schemes (POMIS) ...
  • Senior Citizen Savings Scheme (SCSS)
Feb 19, 2024

Which choice is the riskiest investment? ›

The 10 Riskiest Investments
  1. Options. An option allows a trader to hold a leveraged position in an asset at a lower cost than buying shares of the asset. ...
  2. Futures. ...
  3. Oil and Gas Exploratory Drilling. ...
  4. Limited Partnerships. ...
  5. Penny Stocks. ...
  6. Alternative Investments. ...
  7. High-Yield Bonds. ...
  8. Leveraged ETFs.

Is Merrill Lynch a good company to invest with? ›

Merrill is a good company if you're looking for an established financial advisor to help create and implement a plan to meet your financial goals. Whether you're looking for guidance on investing or selling a business, Merrill can help with various levels of service and options for both in-person and online advising.

Is Merrill Lynch a good investment bank? ›

Advisors with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management have received numerous awards for their performance and service in recent years. It placed over 600 advisors on the Forbes list of Best In-State Advisors for 2018, more than any other company.

Is Merrill Lynch good for beginners? ›

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.

Is investing in Merrill good? ›

Merrill Edge is a good choice for long-term investors, especially those who already have an account with Bank of America. The Preferred Rewards program offers discounts and perks that increase with your balance—so you could benefit by having deposit and investment accounts under the same roof.

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