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Whether you want to invest on your own or with the help of a professional, Merrill is here to help along the way.
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Straightforward advice and guidance

Get guidance on which investment solutions might best fit your needs and easily track how your investments are doing.
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A rewarding relationship

Earn more benefits and rewards with Bank of America Preferred RewardsFootnote1 and find greater convenience when you invest with Merrill and bank with Bank of America.
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Personalized solutions

Get access to tools and research from Merrill, built for what matters most to you.
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Merrill has a solution for however you want to invest

Whether you want to do it on your own or with the help of a professional, we're here to help you reach your investing goals every step of the way.

Put your ideas into action

Build your own portfolio and choose your own investments with personalized tools and access to research and insights from Merrill Edge® Self‑Directed.Footnote2
Get up to $600 when you invest in a new Merrill Edge® Self‑Directed accountFootnote3
No investment minimum
Unlimited $0 stock, ETF and option tradesFootnote2
Option contracts and other fees may applyFootnote*

Invest online with professional help

Get a portfolio that's monitored and rebalanced by a team of Merrill investment professionals with Merrill Guided Investing.Footnotes4,5
Low $1,000 investment minimum
0.45%, calculated and assessed monthly based on your prior month's balance.Footnote5
Preferred Rewards fee discount.
Other fees may applyFootnote**
Merrill Guided Investing is an Investment Advisory Program
Select to Get started with Merrill Guided Investing

Work one‑on‑one with an advisor

Work with an advisor to define and pursue your investing goals and get ongoing advice when you want it with Merrill Guided Investing with an advisor.Footnotes4,5
$20,000 investment minimum
0.85%, calculated and assessed monthly based on your prior month's balance.Footnote5
Preferred Rewards fee discount.
Other fees may applyFootnote**
Merrill Guided Investing with Advisor is an Investment Advisory Program
Select to Get started with Merrill Guided Investing with an advisor

Get up to $600 when you invest in a new Merrill Edge® Self‑Directed accountFootnote3

Discover the many ways Merrill can help you reach your investing goals Invest your way

Get started with Stock Ideas

Disclosure:
See important information at the end of this video.
Building an investment portfolio is personal.
And now, Merrill Edge Self Directed is giving you access to the perspectives and insights you want… all in one place.
Introducing Idea Builder.
Get Immersed.
Get inspired.
Get investing ideas from top global minds and access…
On screen copy:
Get started with Stock Ideas.
Get started with Fund Ideas.
…to award-winning research.
Disclosure:
BofA Global Research is research produced by BofA Securities, Inc. a registered broker-dealer. Member SIPC. Learn more at Merrilledge/com/accolades.
Whether you're looking for a simple, uncluttered way to start…
Or you're ready to align your portfolio with a rapidly transforming world.
On screen copy:
A Transforming World.
Check out Idea Builder… and see how you can build a financial future that's all yours.
Disclosure:
Sustainable and Impact Investing and/or Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) managers may take into consideration factors beyond traditional financial information to select securities, which could result in relative investment performance deviating from other strategies or broad market benchmarks, depending on whether such sectors or investments are in or out of favor in the market. Further, ESG strategies may rely on certain values based criteria to eliminate exposures found in similar strategies or broad market benchmarks, which could also result in relative investment performance deviating. Impact investing and/or ESG investing has certain risks based on the fact that ESG criteria excludes securities of certain issuers for nonfinancial reasons and therefore, investors may forgo some market opportunities and the universe of investments available will be smaller.
Institutional Investor magazine announced BofA Global Research as one of the Top Global Research Firms popup in 2022 based on surveys held throughout the year. The magazine creates rankings of the top research analysts in a wide variety of specializations, drawn from the choices of portfolio managers and other investment professionals at more than 1,000 firms. 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 popup, and wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America Corporation. Learn more about the methodology at Institutional Investor popup. Rankings and recognition from Institutional Investor are no guarantee of future investment success and do not ensure that a current or prospective client will experience a higher level of performance results and such rankings should not be construed as an endorsement.
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (also referred to as "MLPF&S" or "Merrill") makes available certain investment products sponsored, managed, distributed or provided by companies that are affiliates of Bank of America Corporation ("BofA Corp."). MLPF&S is a registered broker-dealer, registered investment adviser, Member Securities Investor Protection (SIPC) popup and a wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America Corporation ("BofA Corp").
Investment products:
Are Not FDIC Insured Are Not Bank Guaranteed May Lose Value
© 2023 Bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved. 3199347

Invest online with access to exclusive tools and research

Find inspiration to invest on your own, explore ideas with tools and resources like Idea Builder.

Choose the strategy that's right for you

Invest online with professionally managed portfolios that are monitored and rebalanced so your investments stay in sync with your goals.

Talk to an advisor

A Merrill advisor works one-on-one with you to help define what's important to you and provide advice on how to pursue your investment goals.

Bank of America®
Preferred Rewards

Three-month combined average daily balance needed:

Gold

$20k to <$50k three‑month average combined balance

Platinum

$50k to <$100k three‑month average combined balance

Platinum Honors

$100k to <$1M three‑month average combined balance

Combine balances for maximum rewards

The Bank of America Preferred Rewards Program allows you to count your Merrill investing and Bank of America deposit balances to maximize your benefits.Footnote1

Help when you need it – how you want it

Other ways to invest

For more complex wealth management needs, work one‑on‑one with your dedicated advisor team at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. They'll help you build a comprehensive financial strategy and give you recommendations to help grow and preserve your wealth.
Footnote 
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.
Footnote 
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 our Pricing page.
Footnote 
You are eligible to enroll in the Preferred Rewards program if you have an active, eligible Bank of America® personal checking account or Bank of America Advantage Banking account and maintain a three-month average combined balance in your qualifying Bank of America deposit accounts and/or your qualifying Merrill investment accounts of at least $20,000 for the Gold tier, $50,000 for the Platinum tier, or $100,000 for the Platinum Honors tier. The combined balance is calculated based on your average daily balance for a three calendar month period. Bank of America Advantage SafeBalance Banking accounts count towards the checking account and balance requirements, and receive benefits. Bank of America Advantage SafeBalance Banking™ accounts do not count toward the account or balance requirements, and do not receive the fee waivers and other benefits of the program. Certain benefits are also available without enrolling in Preferred Rewards if you satisfy balance and other requirements.
Footnote 
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.
Footnote 
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.
Footnote 
Offer valid for new individual Merrill IRAs or Cash Management Accounts (CMAs). Cash bonus offers, in the aggregate, are limited to one CMA and one IRA per accountholder. Eligible Merrill IRAs limited to Traditional, Roth and owner-only SEP IRA. The Merrill IRA or CMA may be a Merrill Edge Self-Directed account, Merrill Edge Advisory account, Merrill Guided Investing account or Merrill Guided Investing with an Advisor account. You may be eligible for a different or better offer. Please contact us for more information.

Offer Limitations: This offer does not apply to business/corporate accounts, investment club accounts, partnership accounts and certain fiduciary accounts held with Merrill, or to any types of accounts (including IRAs or CMAs) held with other business units of Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (MLPF&S). Merrill reserves the right to change or cancel this offer at any time, without notice. This offer may not be used as an inducement to sell any kind of insurance, including annuities.

How it Works:

  1. You must enroll during account opening by entering the offer code in the online application or by providing it when speaking with a Merrill Financial Solutions Advisor at 888.637.3343 or at select Bank of America® financial centers. You are solely responsible for enrolling or asking to be enrolled in the offer.
  2. Fund your account with at least $20,000 in qualifying net new assets within 45 days of account opening. Assets transferred from other accounts at Bank of America, MLPF&S, Bank of America Private Bank, or 401(k) accounts administered by MLPF&S do not count towards qualifying net new assets.
  3. After 90 days of meeting the funding criteria described in Step 2, your cash reward will be determined by the qualifying net new assets in your account (irrespective of any losses or gains due to trading or market volatility) as follows:
    Qualifying Net New Asset Balance   Cash Reward
    Less than $20,000 $0
    $20,000 to $49,999 $100
    $50,000 to $99,999 $150
    $100,000 to $199,999 $250
    $200,000 or more $600

    For purposes of this offer, qualifying net new assets are calculated by adding total incoming assets or transfers (including cash, securities and/or margin debit balance transfers) from external accounts, and subtracting assets withdrawn or transferred out of the account within the preceding 24 weeks.

  4. Your one-time cash reward will be deposited into your IRA or CMA within two weeks following the end of the 90 day period. If your account is enrolled in an investment advisory program, such as Merrill Edge Advisory Account, Merrill Guided Investing or Merrill Guided Investing with an Advisor, any cash reward deposited into your account will be subject to the program fee and other terms of the investment advisory program.
Tax Disclaimer: The value of the reward you receive may constitute taxable income. Merrill may issue an Internal Revenue Service Form 1099 (or other appropriate form) to you that reflects the value of the reward. Please consult your tax advisor. Bank of America Corporation and its affiliates and associates do not provide tax advice.

You have choices about what to do with your employer-sponsored retirement plan accounts. Depending on your financial circumstances, needs and goals, you may choose to roll over to an IRA or convert to a Roth IRA, roll over an employer-sponsored plan from your old job to your new employer, take a distribution, or leave the account where it is. Each choice may offer different investment options and services, fees and expenses, withdrawal options, required minimum distributions, tax treatment (particularly with reference to employer stock), and different types of protection from creditors and legal judgments. These are complex choices and should be considered with care. For more information visit our rollover page or call Merrill at 888.637.3343.
Footnote 
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).
Footnote 
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 circumstances 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.
There is an annual program fee of 0.45% based on the assets held in the account for the Merrill Guided Investing Program and there is an annual program fee of 0.85% based on the assets held in the account for the Merrill Guided Investing with Advisor Program. This fee is charged month in advance.

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Investing in securities involves risks, and there is always the potential of losing money when you invest in securities.

Asset allocation, diversification, and rebalancing do not ensure a profit or protect against loss in declining markets.
Merrill, its affiliates, and financial advisors do not provide legal, tax, or accounting advice. You should consult your legal and/or tax advisors before making any financial decisions.

This material is not intended as a recommendation, offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any security or investment strategy. Merrill offers a broad range of brokerage, investment advisory (including financial planning) and other services. Additional information is available in our Client Relationship Summary (PDF).

Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (also referred to as "MLPF&S" or "Merrill") makes available certain investment products sponsored, managed, distributed or provided by companies that are affiliates of Bank of America Corporation ("BofA Corp."). MLPF&S is a registered broker-dealer, registered investment adviser, Member Securities Investor Protection (SIPC) popup and a wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America Corporation ("BofA Corp").
Merrill Lynch Life Agency Inc. (MLLA) is a licensed insurance agency and wholly owned subsidiary of BofA Corp.

Banking products are provided by Bank of America, N.A. and affiliated banks, Members FDIC and wholly owned subsidiaries of Bank of America Corporation.

Investment products offered through MLPF&S and insurance and annuity products offered through MLLA:
Are Not FDIC Insured Are Not Bank Guaranteed May Lose Value
Are Not Deposits Are Not Insured by Any Federal Government Agency Are Not a Condition to Any Banking Service or Activity


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