Merrill Edge has an offer available that gives customers up to a $900 bonus for opening an account! If you’re looking to make extra money from opening a brokerage account, this Merrill Edge deal may be the one you’re looking for.
There are a lot of brokerage bonuses out there, but what makes this offer extra special is the way it ties into your Bank of America accounts if you have one. More details on that below!
Merrill Edge Brokerage Overview
Merrill Edge is an online stock trading platform by Merrill.
It’s a self-directed brokerage account that offers unlimited free online stock, ETFs, and option trades with no minimum trade or balance requirements.
Previously, the company was called Merrill Lynch. Bank of America acquired the company in 2009 and renamed it just Merrill.
Merrill Edge $900 Bonus Offer
Currently, there’s a public offer for new Merill Edge customers that will give up to a $900 bonus:
- $150 cash bonus for transferring $20,000 in qualifying assets
- $225 cash bonus for transferring $50,000 in qualifying assets
- $375 cash bonus for transferring $100,000 in qualifying assets
- $900 cash bonus for transferring $200,000 in qualifying assets
The standard Merrill Edge offer is between $100 to $600 while this offer is $100 to $900. One good thing to be aware of is “qualifying assets” doesn’t have to be just stocks. Cash transfers also count towards the total.
Where Do I Enroll?
Ninja Update 9/17/2021: This $900 offer has expired, but a $600 one is currently available with similar details.
You can enroll by clicking on the link above to get started and entering the offer code 900ME.
Who Qualifies For The Bonus Offer?
The offer is valid for customers who open up a new individual:
- Merrill Cash Management Account OR
- Merill IRA (IRAs limited to Rollover, Traditional, Roth and Sole-Proprietor SEP only)
You can open up both if you want, but the bonus is capped at $900.
It doesn’t matter if you open both accounts and transfer $100,000 to each or put all $200,000 in a single account.
How Long Do I Have Keep The Qualifying Assets In My Merrill Edge Account?
You must leave the qualifying assets in the account for at least 180 days.
When Will I Get The Cash Bonus?
You’ll get the cash bonus will be deposited within 2 weeks following the 180 day period.
What Makes This Offer Special
There are a lot of brokerage bonuses out there, but what makes this offer extra special is the way it ties into your Bank of America accounts.
Bank of America offers a free-to-join program called the Preferred Rewards Program.
The idea is that you get rewarded for having money in a Bank of America (BofA) account or Merrill Edge (ME) investment account. There are three levels of status you can achieve based on your total average balance across all accounts; Gold, Platinum and Platinum Honors:
| Status Level | Average Combined Balance |
| Gold | $20,000 to $49,999 |
| Platinum | $50,000 to $99,999 |
| Platinum Honors | $100,000+ |
As you reach each status level, you’ll receive better benefits like:
- Discount on Merrill Guided Investing
- Increased interest rate on your savings account
- No-fee ATM withdrawals
- Reduction on mortgage origination fee
- Lower interest rates on auto loans
- Increase on credit card rewards
The last benefit is particularly interesting because if for example you reached Platinum Honors status, you’ll get a 75% bonus on all your eligible Bank of America credit cards.
On a card like the Bank of America Premium Rewards credit card, you’re going to earn an effective cash back rate of 2.625%!
WOW!
The best cash back credit cards out there earn 2% at the most – getting a 2.625% cash back rate is fantastic!
Terms & Conditions
- Offer valid for new individual Merrill IRAs or Cash Management Accounts (CMAs).
- Offer is limited to one CMA and one IRA, with no more than two enrolled accounts per accountholder.
- Eligible Merrill Edge IRAs limited to Rollover, Traditional, Roth and Sole-Proprietor SEP only. The Merrill IRA or CMA may be a Merrill Edge Self-Directed account, Merrill Edge Advisory Account or Merrill Guided Investing account.
- This offer does not apply to business/corporate accounts, investment club accounts, partnership accounts and certain fiduciary accounts held with Merrill, or to any types of accounts (including IRAs or CMAs) held with other business units of Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (MLPF&S).
- Merrill reserves the right to change or cancel this offer at any time, without notice. This offer may not be used as an inducement to sell any kind of insurance, including annuities.
- You must have the qualifying balance 180 days after funding.
- Must fund your account within 45 days with funds originating outside Bank of America and MLPF&S. Funds cannot originate from 401(k) accounts administered by MLPF&S.
- For purposes of this offer, qualifying net new assets are calculated by adding total incoming assets or transfers (including cash, securities and/or margin debit balance transfers) from external accounts, and subtracting assets withdrawn or transferred out of the account within the preceding 52 weeks.
- Your one-time cash reward will be deposited into your IRA or CMA within two weeks following the end of the 180 day period. If your account is enrolled in an investment advisory program, such as Merrill Edge Advisory Account, Merrill Guided Investing or Merrill Guided Investing with an Advisor, any cash reward deposited into your account will be subject to the program fee and other terms of the investment advisory program.
- The value of this reward you receive may constitute taxable income. In addition, Merrill may issue an Internal Revenue Service Form 1099 (or other appropriate form) to you that reflects the value of this reward. Please consult your tax advisor, as Bank of America Corporation and its affiliates and associates do not provide tax advice.
Related:
- Citi Personal Wealth Management $3,500 Bonus
- Chase Private Client $3,000 Bonus
- Chase Sapphire Banking $1,000 Bonus
The Bottom Line
The biggest brokerage bonus Merrill Edge has ever offered is $1,000. However, that deal is expired. I would rank this $900 bonus offer pretty close to it. It’s just a $100 difference and still ranks as one of the best brokerage bonuses currently available.
The maximum bonus amount of $900 is a great deal, but when you pair that with Bank of America’s Preferred Rewards Program, it makes it an incredible one.
Personally, I like to manage all my investment accounts under one roof, but I always take advantage of offers like this. It’s what I do for bank bonuses.
Note that there is a rumor going around that this may be the last bonus Merrill will offer for its brokerage account. If that turns out to be true, I would suggest taking advantage of this deal before it expires on April 15.
The deal isn’t as good as it sounds. If you read the fine print, you need $250k of “eligible Merrill Lynch statement-linked assets” not avoid the $125 annual fee, and self-directed accounts don’t qualify towards that $250k. So they offer you $900, but then catch you on the higher fee services or the $125 annual fee. Of course you can leave after 6 months, but it’s a pain and I don’t know what happens to the fee in that case (so maybe net we’re talking a $775 bonus).
That’s a CMA account, and you don’t need a CMA account to get the offer.