Merrill Edge Reviews 

Don’t trust them. I wouldn’t have had a penny from them if not for the aid of Celestial~~Drifts. Very badd

I recently moved my account from Merrill Edge to Schwab after being with Merrill for some time. I don't want to bash Merrill because I think there is probably a client for whom their model works very well.

If you have significant assets and want professional wealth management, Merrill may be a very good fit. My experience, however, was as someone managing my own portfolio, and that's where I ultimately found the platform lacking.

For a self-directed investor who wants detailed and thorough tools, I found the system somewhat clunky. I also experienced enough outages and delays in portfolio information that it became frustrating. The research and analysis tools weren't as comprehensive as I would have liked, and several requests for follow-up simply never materialized.

Ultimately, I decided there were better platforms for the way I invest.

I've since moved to Schwab. I wouldn't say Schwab is perfect either, but so far it has been a step up for me. Most importantly, when I contact my customer service advisor, my calls are returned within a reasonable amount of time. That matters.

Merrill may be a great fit for someone looking for professional management. But if you're managing your own account and want more detailed tools, research and responsive support, I would recommend looking at other platforms and deciding which one best fits the way you invest.

For now, Schwab has my business.

Worst experience ever. Wanted to open an account to move a considerable amount of money into it, and the new customer set up process has been terrible. Almost two months of trying to set it up. Phone calls after very long hold times, to be told what to do next, and I repeat to ensure I do exactly what they said for me to do...then do it, and someone else comes back and asks for something different. Absolutely terrible experience.

At first, my experience with this platform seemed very promising. The registration process was straightforward, the interface looked professional, and I was encouraged by seeing steady profits appear in my account. Everything gave the impression that the company was trustworthy and that withdrawing my earnings would be just as simple as making deposits. Unfortunately, that confidence quickly disappeared when I decided to withdraw my funds. Instead of processing my request, the platform began introducing unexpected fees that had never been clearly explained before. Each time I paid one charge, another fee appeared with a different reason, making it feel impossible to access my own money. When I contacted customer support for clarification, the responses were slow, vague, and unhelpful. Rather than providing clear answers or resolving the issue, they kept asking for additional payments without guaranteeing that my withdrawal would be completed. After weeks of frustration, I realized I needed outside assistance. I eventually found fixthewrong, and they guided me through the recovery process with professionalism and clear communication. Thanks to their support, I was able to recover my money after believing it was lost. While I am grateful for that outcome, the overall experience was stressful and disappointing. What started as a positive investment opportunity turned into a frustrating lesson about hidden costs and poor customer service. I strongly encourage anyone considering this platform to research carefully, read all terms thoroughly, and remain cautious before investing or paying any unexpected withdrawal fees.

At first, my experience with this platform seemed very positive, and I honestly believed I had found a reliable place to invest. The registration process was straightforward, the website looked professional, and the account manager was friendly and responsive whenever I had questions. My initial investment appeared to perform well, and within a short time my account balance showed encouraging profits. Watching the numbers increase gave me confidence, and I was even considering investing more because everything appeared to be going smoothly. Unfortunately, the situation changed completely when I decided it was time to withdraw some of my earnings. Instead of processing my request, the company suddenly informed me that I needed to pay several unexpected fees before any funds could be released. These charges were never clearly explained when I signed up, and every time I questioned them, another requirement seemed to appear. It felt like there was always a new excuse to delay the withdrawal process. I reached out to customer support multiple times hoping they would clarify the situation or provide a realistic solution, but the responses were slow, vague, and ultimately unhelpful. Rather than resolving my concerns, they kept repeating the same information without addressing why these surprise fees kept appearing. After weeks of frustration and failed attempts to access my own money, I started looking for other options. That was when I found fixthewrong, and their guidance made a significant difference. They carefully reviewed my situation, explained the available steps, and supported me throughout the recovery process. Thanks to their assistance, I was eventually able to recover my money, something I had almost given up hope of achieving. Looking back, I wish I had done more research before trusting this platform with my investment. A strong start and promising profits can create a false sense of security, but the real test comes when you try to withdraw your funds. If unexpected fees suddenly appear and customer support cannot provide clear answers or meaningful assistance, it should be treated as a serious warning sign. My experience taught me to be much more cautious, and I encourage anyone considering a similar platform to research thoroughly, remain vigilant, and avoid ignoring red flags, especially when it comes to withdrawing their own money.

They recently started rolling out a new “Account Holdings” page format. It is not better at all. Instead of being able to see all of the columns for a security on my screen, I only see a couple of columns at a time. VERY frustrating. I’ve been with Merrill Edge for 6+ years and this is the first time the’ve made a mistake like this. I will give them some time to correct this. If they don’t then I will start to move funds out.

I normally never write reviews or post things online, but I felt like I had to share my experience because if it helps even one person avoid going through the same situation, then it's worth it. My experience with this platform started out fine, but everything changed when I tried to withdraw my money. Every time I thought I had completed all the requirements, they came back with a new condition or another verification step that supposedly had to be finished before my withdrawal could be processed. It felt like the goalposts kept moving, and no matter how closely I followed their instructions, there was always something else they claimed was missing. What made it even more frustrating was that they insisted my withdrawal could not be released unless I paid additional fees. I was told these payments were necessary to unlock the funds, so I made them, expecting that would finally resolve the issue. Instead, after the payments were made, there was still no clear answer, no confirmed withdrawal, and no real explanation about when or if I would actually receive my money. Communication became increasingly vague, and I was left feeling like I was going in circles without any real progress. After spending far too much time trying to sort everything out on my own, I eventually found fixthewrong, and they helped me recover my money successfully. The process was much more straightforward than what I had been dealing with, and for the first time in a long while, I finally saw real progress. I now have access to all of my money again, which honestly came as a huge relief after everything that happened. Looking back, I wish I had been much more cautious from the beginning and paid closer attention to the warning signs instead of assuming each new request would finally be the last one. I'm not someone who's used to saying things online or leaving reviews, but I genuinely think sometimes you have to speak up to help save lives and prevent other people from ending up in the same stressful situation. Please be careful when dealing with this bad company, ask questions before sending any money, and don't ignore red flags if the withdrawal process keeps changing or they continue asking for additional payments without providing a clear and verifiable solution.

My retirement account got moved over to Merrill. I wanted to make a small purchase on Aptera and they blocked me from trading. I don't need a freaking nanny, if you want to give a warning it is a risky buy, then say so, but give me the option to decide if I want to take that risk. I am tired of the Authoritarian non-sense.

This has to be the worst company to do business with. My father passed away he had some investments with these people they gave us their runaround we needed to do this we needed to do that and it was such a bunch of BS it was pathetic. These people are very unprofessional. They don't have one person handling in your account they have tons of people that's why things got so screwed up. And then when you go in everybody knows your business instead of dealing with one person you have to deal with five or six other different people not a way to do business especially when it comes to your investments. I would not recommend this company for nothing they are the worst ever. Very rude no one knows what the other hands doing. I suggest you invest elsewhere anyplace but Merrill ledge I'm serious people consumer beware it's a nightmare to get your money they don't mind taking it but they sure don't like to pay you back. Do it at your own risk. I can now lay my father to rest after 13 months of dealing with these people 13 months spending money that we didn't have to on this and on that crazy ,crazy experience. We're thinking about suing them.

I have never written a bad review, or any review before. However.....I would never recommend investing with Merrile Edge. My father had a small account there and they are holding my money hostage. They keep having me fill out the same notarized papers. Every time I do... they ask me to change something... get it re notarized, change again, re notarized. 3 times!!! And it takes 2 weeks between each notary for them to bother and look at to and recommend changes. The people who work there are NOT helpful. Other employees give you completely wrong information and add a month to your struggle to get your money. That would be Chance Cartenas who promised me there would be absolutely NO more changes on the affidavit. That was not true. Christian Winston handled the next call with me and NOT VERY WELL. EVERY time you call here you talk to a different person. Let me be clear... these are NOT mistakes I'm making. They tell me what to do. I do it, then they require more!
For the love of God please put beneficiaries on your policies!

I've been trying to withdraw out of a custodial account for almost 3 months now and every week I've been getting a rejection for some document missing. Incompetent reps have offered me options that are based on wrong information and lack of proper knowledge, delaying and complicating this entire process. There is no communication at this firm, very poor training for customer service reps and the money is just sitting there on their side earning interest for them and not me. I think the delay is intentional to help them earn interest. Last I heard is they won't accept my credit card statement as proof of payment that would substantiate the withdrawal because it only shows the charge. I think they're off their rocker. Who they think is paying off that credit card? and it shows the bank's name on it. Investing with them is not worth the stress. I'm done with ME and moving over to Fidelity.

Visited a local Merrill Edge office inside a B of A branch. Very simple instructions to wire funds out to a outside bank yet the wire did not go out the next day. No response after the rep told me that if something goes wrong, he will contact me immediately. I did not have a good feeling leaving the Merrill Edge office that day and not surprise at all about the mishap. My advice is to open an account at Charles Schwab or Fidelity. Second major mistake by Merrill Edge.

I have been with Merrill Edge for quite a few years and recently left my job and started daytrading for the last year and a half. They have the worst service by far and I honestly think they’re software or they themselves are skimming from my account on each trade as I trade multiple times a day and profits don’t show on my Proft/Loss are almost always incorrect and not in my favor of course!!
Do not use Merrill Edge for a trading platform. It will drive you nuts, Customer Service is not great either.
I have moved all my assets to Schwab that has thinkorswim platform that is very advanced as a trading platform, highly recommend!!!

Ultimately, I have hired an attorney to try and recover money that was lost/missing??

My experience with Merrill Edge has been incredibly frustrating. Despite following their specific instructions and submitting notarized documents there times, they rejected my paperwork every time. I called the customer support to why the reason no response i still sent emails no response still.
The new strategy is hitting different. Multiple payouts coming in from different platforms and #Qurentseven.. I'm playing the games smarter now.

worst customer service ever , poor training and un patient ,hope I don't need call them again

Terrible. Life services dept sucks. They never call you and are rude as hell

I made the mistake to open an account with Merrill Edge. From the start, the experience has been surprisingly poor. Well, perhaps not so surprising, given that it's "a Bank of America company". Terrible CS. My assets transfer form was not looked at for weeks, and I only got updates on the process from the out-transferring brokerages. The forms I submitted along were lost somewhere in the "system" and I had to waste time contact CS 4 times for them to find them. Still unprocessed. Even after the assets have long been received into the account and I executed trades, it still says on some page that forms (long submitted) are required in order to process the transfer! The "secure messaging" it's said, in the "welcoming" message, to be used to send and receive messages, yet there's no capability for it other than "upload" docs, which I sent 3 of, never addressed. Online chat is useless lip-service. Etc. A regrettable waste of time and money for me here.

Merril edge is in the charade business I have been fighting with them for over a month filling out paperwork after paperwork I am the POA on an IRA which funds are used for care of a relative in a nursing home well they saw fit beginning the year just to stop the reoccurring distribution I tried and tried to get them to restart and it was always some excuse I liquidated the account and now all you get is more more excuses it's in the queue it's in the queue I've contacted the security exchange commission now it's on to the Florida financial regulations commission they're holding money that I liquidated so I can put it in Fidelity and not have a problem they have no authority or right to do what they're doing they are scam artists I would not recommend anyone investing a dime in anything involved with Merrill they are under numerous lawsuits and they are not professional and they will flag you and you will never see your money I for one and mentally physically frustrated and tired there has to be something to make them get off their butts and put the funds in the account they don't own them and have no authority to hold them I have been filling out paperwork for a month these people need to be put in jail

Awful service. If you sign up for a managed account and then later on change your mind and want to move back to doing it yourself they make it purposely drag on for well over a month and you cant see any of your money, they take it all during that time and it feels like its gone. It is a total mess. Should be illegal.

My financial advisor was thorough, both in information, resources, and patience. I was safely able to roll-over my IRA and gained better understanding of the process as a whole and potential mishaps that I can now avoid. He was kind and helpful. I'm really glad Merrill Edge has such reliable members in their team.