Ally Invest vs Merrill Edge

Ally Invest is a good low-price discount stock broker for savvy investors. How does it compare to Merrill Edge? Read our comparison chart below.

Ally Invest (formerly TradeKing) offers stock trades at $0 per trade and options trading at $0 + $0.50 per contract. There is no minimum deposit.

While Merrill Edge (a subsidiary of Bank of America) offers stock trades at $2.95 standard fee per trade and options trading at $0 + $0.75 per contract. BofA customers can get 30 free trades a month if balance requirements are met. There is no account minimum, no maintenance fee, and no inactivity fee.

Compare Ally Invest with Merrill Edge, side-by-side. Read on for an in-depth look, including ratings, reviews, pros and cons.

	Ally Invest	Merrill Edge
	SPECIAL OFFER Get Up to $3,500 - Learn More Read Ally Invest Review	SPECIAL OFFER Get $150 with New Merrill Edge Account - Learn More Read Merrill Edge Review
	Benefits and Features
Stock Trading	$0 per trade	$0 per trade
Options Trading	$0 base + $0.50 per contract	$0 + $0.65 per contract
Minimum Deposit	$0	$0
Mutual Fund Trading	$0 to buy/sell load mutual funds $9.95 to buy/sell no load mutual funds	$0 for no load, no-transaction-fee funds ($39.95 short-term redemption fee if the fund is held less than 90 days) $19.95 for no load, transaction-fee funds
Commission Free ETFs	500+	None
Penny Stocks	$0.01 per share on the entire order for stocks priced less than $2.00.
Broker Assisted Trades	$20 + Regular Commission	$29.95
Customer Service	(855) 880-2559	24/7
Inactivity Fee		None
Maintenance Fee		$0
Banking	Integrated with banking on ally.com. Manage your Ally banking and investment accounts in one place.	Through Bank of America
Mobile App		Yes
Desktop App		Yes
Forex Trading		No
Futures Trading		No
Locations		More than 2,100 Bank of America locations
Online Community		No
Seminars		Yes
Virtual Trading		No
	CreditDonkey® Reviews
Stock Trading
Options Trading
Banking
Mobile App
Commissions and Fees
Ease of Use
Online Community
Research
Trading Platform
Mutual Fund Trading
Online Platform
Pros & Cons	Pros: Low commission for stock trades No account minimums Ally platform Cons: No physical locations	Pros: No account minimums Current Bank of America customers experience seamless account integration Robust research opportunities Cons: Platform is not friendly for frequent traders who execute quick trades No commission-free ETFs available Market research reports can be hard for beginners to understand
Bottom Line	Good low-price discount stock broker for savvy investors... Read full review	Affordable online broker with robust research options for small to mid-size investors... Read full review
	Get Up to $3,500 Commission-Free Stock Trades Get Up to $3,500 Cash Bonus	Get $150 with New Merrill Edge Account Get $225 with New Merrill Edge Account Get $375 with New Merrill Edge Account
Blank fields may indicate the information is not available, not applicable, or not known to CreditDonkey. Please visit the product website for details. Ally Invest: Pricing information from published website as of 07/18/2019. Merrill Edge: Pricing information from published websites as of 07/10/2020.

Which is Better: Ally Invest or Merrill Edge?

Still need help deciding which investing is better? Read the in-depth reviews below. You may also be interested in comparing Ally Invest or Betterment.

In short: Ally Invest's options trading and commissions and fees are impressive. Merrill Edge's mobile app and research are impressive.

Articles on Ally Invest

Ally Invest Review
Ally Invest offers free trades for stocks and ETFs. But is it good? Find out how it compares to other online brokers.
• Ally Invest vs Robinhood
• Ally Invest vs Fidelity
• Ally Invest vs TD Ameritrade
Ally Invest Fees
Ally Invest offers commission-free stock trading and no minimum deposit. But are there hidden fees? Read this review before you open an account.
• Ally Invest vs E*TRADE
• Ally Invest vs Vanguard
• Ally Invest vs Betterment
Ally Invest Roth IRA
Ally Invest's Roth IRA account has no annual fee and low trade commissions. Is it right for your retirement funds? Read on to learn how Ally Invest Roth IRA accounts work.
• Ally Invest vs Charles Schwab
• Ally Invest vs Acorns
Ally Invest Phone Number
Ally Invest offers good customer service and online login access. The best way to connect with Ally Invest customer service may surprise you. Read on.

Articles on Merrill Edge

Merrill Edge Review
If you are looking for excellent customer service, competitive pricing, and robust investment options, you may have found what you are looking for in Merrill Edge.
• Merrill Edge vs Wealthfront

Which Do You Think is Best?

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