Merrill Edge vs Vanguard

Merrill Edge is an affordable online broker with robust research options for small to mid-size investors. How does it compare to Vanguard? Read our comparison chart below.

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.

While Vanguard offers low stock trade prices (starting at just $2) for investors with account balances over $500k. For those with smaller balances, it's best for less active traders, as trade prices go up after 25 trades/year. Vanguard offers 125+ no-transaction-fee mutual fees and 55+ commission-free ETFs. There is no minimum deposit and service fees can be waived by signing up for electronic statements.

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

	Merrill Edge	Vanguard
	SPECIAL OFFER Get $150 with New Merrill Edge Account - Learn More Read Merrill Edge Review	Norton Internet Security 60-day free subscription - Learn More Read Vanguard Review
	Benefits and Features
Stock Trading	$2.95 per trade	Less than $50,000: $7 per trade for the first 25 trades per year, then $20. $50k - $500k: All trades $7. $500k - $1M: All trades $2. $1M - $5M: First 25 trades per year free, then $2. $5M+: First 100 trades per year free, then $2
Options Trading	$6.95 + $0.65 per contract	Less than $500,000: $7 + $1 per contract. $500,000+: $2 + $1 per contract
Minimum Deposit	$0	$0
Mutual Fund Trading	$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	$0 for no-transaction-fee funds. For transaction-fee funds: $20 for account balances less than $500,000; $8 for account balances $500,000+
Commission Free ETFs	None	Around 1,800 ETFs from about 100 other companies
Broker Assisted Trades	$29.95	$25.00
Customer Service	24/7	Monday-Friday 8am -10pm ET
Inactivity Fee	None	$0
Maintenance Fee	$0	$20/year. Waived if account owner signs up for e-delivery service OR have at least $10,000 in Vanguard ETFs and mutual funds
Banking	Through Bank of America	No
Mobile App	Yes	Yes
Desktop App	Yes	Yes
Forex Trading	No	Yes
Futures Trading	No	No
Locations	More than 2,100 Bank of America locations	No
Online Community	No	No
Seminars	Yes	Yes
Virtual Trading	No	No
	CreditDonkey® Reviews
Stock Trading
Options Trading
Mutual Fund Trading
Online Platform
Banking
Mobile App
Commissions and Fees
Ease of Use
Research
Pros & Cons	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	Pros: Large selection of mutual funds and commission-free ETFs Broker assistance is available at no additional cost Easy to use Cons: Commission structure penalizes frequent traders Customer service wait times Commission costs on non-Vanguard investment options
Bottom Line	Affordable online broker with robust research options for small to mid-size investors... Read full review	Good choice for ETF and mutual fund investors interested in Vanguard-sponsored investments... Read full review
	Get $150 with New Merrill Edge Account Get $225 with New Merrill Edge Account Get $375 with New Merrill Edge Account
Merrill Edge: Pricing information from published websites as of 12/07/2019. Vanguard: Pricing information from published websites as of 09/15/2019.

Which is Better: Merrill Edge or Vanguard?

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

In short: Merrill Edge's stock trading, mobile app, and research are impressive. Vanguard's mutual fund trading and ease of use are impressive.

Articles on Merrill Edge

Merrill Edge
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 Fidelity
• Merrill Edge vs TD Ameritrade
• Merrill Edge vs Charles Schwab

Articles on Vanguard

Vanguard Brokerage Review
Vanguard Brokerage may be a full-service broker, but typically long-term investors preferring ETFs and mutual funds see the greatest return on their investment with them.
• Vanguard vs Betterment
• Vanguard vs Wealthfront
• Vanguard vs E*TRADE

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