The Merrill Edge mobile app is rated 4.7/5 on iOS and 4.4/5 on Android, making it one of the higher-rated brokerage apps among the major players. Its biggest differentiator is Bank of America integration — BofA customers can view and manage both their banking and investing from a single app, and Preferred Rewards tier progress is tracked in real time. Here is a complete review of the Merrill Edge mobile app in 2026.

Merrill Edge App at a Glance

Feature Details
App Store rating 4.7/5
Google Play rating 4.4/5
Available on iOS and Android
Also available within Bank of America mobile app
Cost Free
Stocks and ETFs Yes ($0 commission)
Options trading Yes (approved accounts)
Fractional shares No
Automatic investing Yes (via Guided Investing)
BofA integration Full (unified view of banking + investing)
Preferred Rewards tracking Yes
Biometric login Face ID, Touch ID, fingerprint

What You Can Do on the Merrill Edge App

Trading

  • Stocks and ETFs at $0 commission — market, limit, stop, and stop-limit orders
  • Options trading (single-leg and basic spreads) for approved accounts
  • Mutual funds by dollar amount
  • Fixed income: limited bond search and purchase
  • Extended hours trading available (pre-market and after-hours)

Important limitation: Merrill Edge does not offer fractional shares. All stock and ETF purchases must be in whole shares.

Bank of America Integration

This is Merrill Edge’s strongest mobile differentiator:

  • View BofA checking, savings, credit card, and mortgage balances alongside investment accounts
  • Transfer money between BofA bank accounts and Merrill Edge investment accounts instantly
  • Track combined BofA + Merrill Edge assets toward Preferred Rewards tier thresholds
  • The BofA mobile app shows a summary of Merrill Edge investment balances
  • Single sign-on: one login covers both banking and investing

For customers who do their banking at Bank of America, this integration is seamless and eliminates the need to track two separate apps.

Preferred Rewards Tracking

  • Real-time display of combined BofA + Merrill Edge asset total
  • Current Preferred Rewards tier (Gold, Platinum, Platinum Honors, Diamond)
  • Progress bar toward next tier threshold
  • Benefits summary for your current tier (free trades, cash rewards bonus %)
  • BofA credit card rewards multiplier based on Preferred Rewards status
Preferred Rewards Tier Combined Assets Cash Rewards Bonus
Gold $20,000–$49,999 25% bonus
Platinum $50,000–$99,999 50% bonus
Platinum Honors $100,000–$999,999 75% bonus
Diamond $1,000,000+ 75% bonus + concierge

Account Management

  • All Merrill Edge account types: brokerage, Roth IRA, Traditional IRA, rollover IRA, SEP IRA, Guided Investing
  • IRA contribution tracking and transfers
  • Guided Investing (robo-advisor) performance monitoring and goal tracking
  • Tax form and statement access
  • Dividend history and projected income

Research on Mobile

  • BofA Global Research stock ratings (Buy, Neutral, Underperform) with price targets
  • Morningstar ratings for ETFs and mutual funds
  • Basic stock charts with common indicators
  • News feed with Reuters and AP integration
  • Earnings calendar and analyst estimate data

MarketPro access: Merrill Edge’s advanced charting platform (MarketPro) is available via mobile browser but not as a dedicated app. It functions reasonably well on tablet but is limited on phone screens.

What the Merrill Edge App Cannot Do

Missing Feature Schwab Has It E*TRADE Has It Fidelity Has It
Dedicated active-trader app Yes (thinkorswim) Yes (Power E*TRADE) No (desktop only)
Real-time L2 quotes in app No Yes (Power E*TRADE) No
Fractional shares No No Yes ($1)
Futures trading No No No
Advanced charting in app Basic Good (Power E*TRADE) Basic

Who the Merrill Edge App Is Best For

Best fit:

  • Bank of America customers who want unified banking and investing
  • Preferred Rewards members tracking tier progress and rewards
  • Long-term investors managing IRAs and taxable accounts
  • Guided Investing (robo-advisor) users checking portfolio performance
  • Investors who value BofA Global Research on the go

Not ideal for:

  • Active traders needing real-time L2 quotes or advanced charting (no dedicated active-trader app)
  • Fractional share investors (not supported)
  • Futures or options power users (limited multi-leg on mobile)
  • Non-BofA customers — much of the app’s advantage is BofA-specific

Merrill Edge App vs. Competitors

Feature Merrill Edge Fidelity Schwab E*TRADE
iOS rating 4.7 4.8 4.8 4.6
Android rating 4.4 4.6 4.5 4.0
Active-trader app No No Yes (thinkorswim) Yes (Power E*TRADE)
Banking integration Full (BofA) Yes (Fidelity CMA) Yes (Schwab Bank) Limited
Fractional shares No Yes ($1) Yes ($5) No
Institutional research BofA Global Research Morningstar/CFRA Schwab Equity Ratings Morgan Stanley
Rewards tracking Preferred Rewards No No No

Key Takeaways

  • Merrill Edge app is rated 4.7/5 iOS and 4.4/5 Android — strong ratings with full BofA integration as the main advantage
  • Bank of America customers get unified banking and investing in a single app or the BofA app
  • Preferred Rewards tier tracking in real time makes the app uniquely valuable for BofA ecosystem users
  • BofA Global Research and Morningstar are available on mobile at no extra cost
  • No fractional shares, no dedicated active-trader app, and limited advanced charting are the key gaps

For the full platform overview, see our Merrill Edge review. For details on Preferred Rewards, see our Merrill Edge Preferred Rewards guide.

WealthVieu
Written by WealthVieu

WealthVieu researches and writes data-driven personal finance guides using primary sources including the IRS, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Federal Reserve, and Census Bureau.

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