Merrill Edge Commissions
| Product | Price |
|---|
| Stocks and ETFs | $0 |
| Stocks and ETFs broker assisted | $29.95 |
| Options | $0 + $0.65 per contract |
| Mutual funds | $19.95 per online transaction for no-load transaction-fee funds |
| Merrill Edge self-directed mutual funds | $0 for load-waived funds and no-load no-transaction-fee funds; $39.95 short-term redemption fee if an NTF fund is held less than 90 days |
| Bonds | $1 per bond ($10 minimum, $250 maximum) for online secondary trades in corporate bonds, municipal bonds, and government agencies; $0 for new issues including brokered CDs and for Treasuries |
Fees and Commissions at Merrill Edge
Main Takeaways:
• Merrill Edge charges commissions on some trades but not all.
• Brokerage and investment-advisory accounts differ at Merrill in their pricing.
• Account minimums apply in some situations.
If you’re thinking about opening an investment account of any kind at Merrill Edge or its affiliate Merrill Guided Investing, make sure you fully understand the firm’s pricing schedule.
Merrill Edge Commissions
Merrill Edge charges no commissions on online trades of the following products:
- Stocks
- ETFs
- Closed-end funds
- NTF mutual funds
- New issues, including brokered CDs
- Treasuries (auction and secondary)
That’s a long list. A few securities do come with trading charges, though. Options, for example, cost
65¢ per contract. A fixed-income security not listed above (muni debt, corporate bonds, agency bonds, etc.) costs
$1 each with a $10 minimum and a $250 maximum. A mutual fund with a transaction fee costs
$19.95 per transaction (buy, sell, or exchange). Mutual funds at Merrill without transaction fees are subject to a
$39.95 short-term redemption fee if they are sold within 90 days.
Any trade that is placed over the phone with the help of a live agent will be subject to a
$29.95 surcharge.
Exercises and assignments of option contracts at Merrill have
no special fees.
Brokerage accounts through Merrill Edge have
no minimums.
Merrill Edge Margin Rates
Merrill Edge offers margin accounts with the ability to trade option spreads, short stocks, and buy equities using leverage. The cost of using margin is determined by three factors:
- Total household assets on deposit with the Bank of America family of companies
- Total margin debits
- A base lending rate, which resets every week
Customers with larger debit balances and larger deposits within Bank of America generally qualify for lower rates.
Merrill Edge Managed Account Fees
Then there are robo accounts through Merrill Edge’s sister company Merrill Guided Investing. These managed accounts charge an annual asset-based fee based on the program you choose. There are two options: straight robo and robo with advisor access. The straight robo program costs
0.45% per year, and the advisor-assisted program costs
0.85% per year.
The basic program has an investment minimum
as low as $1,000; the hybrid program requires
as low as $20,000 to begin.
There are no commissions on automated trades in either setup, and the regular program can be
free for 6 months for new enrollments.
Merrill Edge Account Fees
Merrill does have a lengthy list of account fees for various activities. These can differ by account management (brokerage, robo, or robo-human) and tax treatment (retirement, custodial, fully taxable, etc.). Here are some examples:
| Event |
Brokerage |
Guided Investing |
Guided Investing with an Advisor |
| Account termination | $0 ($49.95 for IRA) | $49.95 | $95 ($75 for an IRA) |
| Account transfer (full) | $49.95 | $49.95 | $75 |
| Wire transfer | $24.95 ($30 for 529 plans) | $24.95 | $30 (branch); $15 (online) |
| Checkbook | Free | n/a | n/a |
| Cancelled check | $3 | n/a | n/a |
| Government security transfer | $125 | n/a | n/a |
| Cash advance | 0.25% with $2.50 min | n/a | n/a |
| Foreign transaction | 2% | n/a | n/a |
| Voluntary reorganization | $30 | n/a | n/a |
| Bond coupon | $5 | n/a | n/a |
Merrill Edge Review
Updated on 4/13/2026.
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