Merrill Edge’s range of offerings includes the standard range of stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, bonds and options. It also offers a sustainable investment filter listing investments that specifically meet environmental, social or governance (ESG) characteristics.

This online brokerage, however, does not offer a wide range of more advanced assets. There is no access to cryptocurrency, foreign exchange (forex) or futures trading. For stocks, there is no access to international markets or penny stocks. Finally, there is no trading of split shares, so you can only buy a share if you can afford a full share.

Merrill Edge offers a cash management account to conserve your uninvested cash. The cash in this program earns interest and you can access it by debit card and check. You can also set up automatic scans, which check for any unused money in your investment account and transfer it to the cash management account.

Finally, Merrill Edge offers advisory services under the robo-advisor Merrill Guided Investing. There are two options: a fully automated robo-advisor and a version that provides one-on-one advice with a live financial advisor.

The standard robo-advisor option charges an annual advisory fee of 0.45%, with a minimum investment requirement of $ 1,000. To gain access to online financial advisers, you need a minimum investment of $ 20,000 and pay an annual advisory fee of 0.85%. These two fees are higher than comparable services offered by the top platforms in the Forbes Advisor ranking of top Robo-Advisors.