Merrill Lynch

Do not use this firm. I invested my life savings with them and for 2 years they bought and sold stocks showing a realized gain of about 5% each year, sounds great, but they kept the "losers" in unrealized gains and are now selling those stocks at a huge loss of about 10% for this year so far. I understand the market goes up and down, but the reason for me choosing them was because they are supposed to know more than me. They apparently know how to make money for themselves. Now each year we paid taxes on those gains, and this year we will incur losses, but the government does not allow writing off more than $3,000 of losses per year. At this rate we will be dead before we can write off this amount of losses. They know this but I was just informed by my accountant who I also had to pay for his time to do our tax return with all these stupid trades. NEVER use this firm!

This company has the customer service I’ve ever came across. I’ve had to call for a number of times a week for month just have them address one issue. If you don’t call to follow up the they will assist you. Extremely long hold call times.

Well, after 3 weeks, almost a month, to transfer an IRA into a State Retirement Account, I called dozens of times, I spend at least 8-10 hours a week calling Merrill Edge, sometimes 12 hours a week. They never email me, and pretty much say that they are working on it, give them another week each time. Even though when I talk to customer service, I submitted the paperwork and started calling them on 03/06, they said even today on 03/25, we just got the paperwork and started working on it. Every time I call every other day since 03/06. They just got the paperwork and started working it, give them until next week to do it. That was weeks ago they said they would be done.

They absolutely waste your time. Tried to call 4 times. Was on hold for a total of 5 hours and still have not talked to anyone. Don’t waste your time with these guys. Complete idiots. Recommend taking your business elsewhere.

They posted my 312 page 1099-B tax form with the acquisition and sale dates swapped. This is a major problem because it requires manual correction on every transaction in the tax software. I've attempted calling them and cannot get anyone to answer. Very strange a company this large and dealing with finances does not have a call-back option. They devote sales people to call me every few weeks but they can't staff their support department? Come on.

I have now called three times and have been on hold for a total three and half hours. Do they not know people's time is just as important as their money. EXTREMELY frustrating. Switching my investments elsewhere.

I have a plan at Merrill through a previous employer. Merrill has made my rollover to a new plan near impossible. I have been asked to mail in forms, which was a painful process that I completed many weeks ago with still no acknowledgement. I have been forced to call them with huge wait times, not returned calls, and an inability to help me in this process. Returns have been average.

Completely pissed off at this company. I'm American I want someone who speaks English not Indo-English and hard to understand. Wasted 2 hours and 40 minutes without a resolution other than, "Sorry we can't help you".

I was not able to speak with a real person and their automated voice message system did not understand anything I said. I have an American accent so that was not the issue. The options were unhelpful and it was incredibly difficult to work with.

Have been w/ ML since the '80s. Have had other co.s also. Basically had one contact all those years. He has retired. Your contact people make the difference in any company. If you still have same broker and are more than pleased, stay there.

I filled out a Beneficiary Required Minimum Distribution Service form on their website. The copy they sent back to me was incorrect, and they refused to fix it. They said I have to call back another day to cancel the first form and start all over. I've already wasted an hour of my time filling out the first form online and trying to get it corrected by phone. So much for 24/7 customer service.

OK we just changed my password and you made me pick a different one than I am used to. Now I try to get in to my account to access the money I am desperate for to pull my teeth at the dentist and you lock me out my account then say the only way to fix it is call customer service!?!? You are also closed on Sunday so no customer service at all! Great. Thanks a lot!!!!

I applied for a hardship withdrawal. To prevent an eviction. My landlord raised my rent $400.. and on top of that, I ended up having a serious health issue. It's been 3 weeks, and I still don't have a diagnosis yet. I'm mid 40s, and have a very physically challenging job, working in a constant subzero (-25°f) environment. So when my health began to decline, I tried to push through it.. but I can't.. It started a few months ago. For the last 5 years I've been working 5 to 6 days a week, 9 to 11 hours each day. Because where I work, you're scheduled 3 days on, 4 days off. However, we have never been able to keep the staff at more than about 70% of what's needed. Roughly, that's about 250 people less than a full staff. Even worse, that 70% usually only lasts a couple of months.

Especially during these difficult time, my financial advisor is always available. I don’t have to worry about dealing with technology and press this button to get an automated system that is not helpful. It's great to speak to a human being and get advice and guidance from an actual person.

My financial advisor has been with me for over 10 years. He is attentive, responsive and always puts my needs first with an excellent plan. I trust him completely and have referred several friends who have also been very pleased.

I have a small account with one stock. I moved & wanted to change my address online. I received a message, while trying to set up an online account, to call to be able to get online. The first person was no help with getting online &/or changing my address, but wanted to start charging me money to keep the account. Then I was passed to three other reps one by one that were equally unhelpful. Run away from this company if you value your money & sanity.

Was transferring in a 401k, went to Merrill, they provided me instructions via their web chat. It was blatantly obvious that it was for a 401k (they even provided me the 401k telephone number). Once I received a check, I went to submit it. They indicated that the 'to' line was filled out for an IRA, not a 401k, so I'd have to re-processes. They then gave me the runaround and wouldn't support trying to resolve the issue. After which I was forced to pay a $75 fee to re-issue a check. They wouldn't accept ownership of their own mistake in directions and said I'd have to pay the fee!

I've had a savings account, as well as a 401K account with Merrill Lynch through my employer for almost 10 years. When I got terminated I was still getting record keeping fees applied to both of my accounts every month (this went on for 5 months), and I could not do anything about it. My accounts were frozen so I was unable to merge the accounts together, or change my investments yet was still getting charged for the account. I called on several occasions seeking help with getting my accounts closed out and rollover the plans into my current employer accounts. However, every single time I called I got different answers to what the fees I would be charged for doing this.

I have tried calling Merrill Lynch customer service on many separate occasions, primarily to discuss stock trades about which I want additional information regarding the timeliness of execution of those trades. I have had several experiences wherein my limit order to buy or sell hit the specified price but the trade failed to execute. Most recently, I called to inquire where my Tax Form 1099 was (as of February 26, 2020, I still had not received it). I have never registered with Merrill Edge for paperless reporting, so I was expecting my tax form to arrive in the mail by the end of February, 2020.

My experience has not been good w/ Merrill Lynch. They disallowed sending emails via their website in 2020, and when I called, I was put on hold for LONG periods of time. They could use a callback feature, but they don't use one. I'd try Fidelity or Schwab as an alternative.

I have a checking account with Bank of America, decided to open an investment account and wrongly thought that it is convenient to chose Merrill. I had the worst experience ever. I never could make any transaction when the market was active because the system was always overloaded. This means that I always missed to sell or buy at good price. When the system works, it misleads me by showing wrong numbers: prices are not timely updated and sometimes the cash balance is not accurate. Once based on the balance I had, I bought some shares.

The good thing about Merrill is that I like the way they have laid out the site. Reporting is simple. They have tons of research and they have now created "stocks stories" which have all the relevant information available to you to make trades. Like all other trading platforms, they do not charge you trading fees. They also have tons of funds to pick from.

ON 11/24/2020 9:30 am place a trade on Merrill Edge app, AAL short 2,000 shares at 14.31. A few minutes later I tried to place a buy to cover at 14.18 which would have resulted in a profit of 260.00. The app just spun and spun and trade was never placed. At the time I thought it was my connection. The stock price rose, I went in to place another trade short 2000 more shares at 14.31 at 9:47 am. Now I have AAL short 4000 total shares at an average of 14.43. After this trade the whole site crashed completely, what I thought was my connection turned out to be a major system crash at Merril Lynch.

Our advisor's name is Greg, We would recommend Greg to friends, He is honest, friendly and professional. Never tries to push anything on us and always has time to answer questions in a way the answers are understandable, We have dealt with other brokers, both within Merrill, and outside. Have been taken advantage of by both. We have no doubt about Greg's honesty and his concern for our success in investing. He has also, along with his wife, become a friend.

My Bank of America Merrill Lynch advisor is readily accessible in person and on the telephone. He is friendly and helpful as regards my portfolio. He also has been in his position for some time and I am encouraged that I can keep accessing the same person.

They seem to help people with their money and trying to help you for the future so that you can know for sure that you will be ok for your money and if you need to get guidance for what to invest and what to see the best path for your future holds.

I have been involved with Merrill Lynch for over 15 years. They have always been accessible to me; answered all my questions in a way I could understand. They are knowledgeable and gave me information that helped me make good decisions.

This company is ok not great. They could be better but not now. It needs lots of work to get there. They don't explain thoroughly what they are doing financially. I'm new at this and have told them and still.

They send a copy of your stocks. My experience is that for 2 years and does not have anything bad. They are very good and they are there to help you and guide you. I recommended.

I wish they could have more communication with me. They should assign a person per every account to call the customers and help them achieve the best in their investments. I get no call from no one unless I call, and their attitude is very nasty.