Bank of America today announced that its Merrill Edge Self-Directed platform has been recognized with several top rankings and awards. The recent accolades reflect the bank’s ongoing commitment to delivering industry-leading client care, innovative experiences, integrated banking and investing offerings, and intuitive tools to help clients pursue socially responsible investing.

“We are relentlessly focused on delivering a superior client experience and providing clients the insights they need to pursue their financial goals,” said Aron Levine, head of Consumer Banking and Investments at Bank of America. “Now more than ever, our clients encounter a wealth of data when making investment decisions and require critical information, including when they’re researching a company’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices. Our award-winning investing experience gives clients direct access to the information they need so they can invest in companies that reflect their own beliefs and personal values.”

Recognition and accolades for industry leadership

Notable accolades from January 2020 include:

• StockBrokers.com recognized Merrill Edge Self-Directed as No. 1 in Overall Client Experience for the second year in a row, No. 1 in Banking Services for the sixth year in a row, and No. 1 in its inaugural ESG Investing category.¹
• The Customer Service Institute of America (CSIA) named Merrill the winner of the International Service Excellence Award in the “Visionary” category for its focus on continuous improvement and creating ways to serve and innovate that are unique and revolutionary.²
• In its 2020 review, NerdWallet awarded Merrill Edge Self-Directed five stars, its highest rating, and six “Best of” accolades highlighting the platform’s high-quality research and analysis, including fund story, stock story and portfolio story.³

Award-winning personalized services

Since launching in 2010, Bank of America’s Merrill Edge Self-Directed platform has been consistently recognized as one of the best for its education, research tools and client experience.

The platform’s patent-pending technology – including its stock story, portfolio story and fund story experiences – delivers an engaging experience that helps clients navigate their unique financial needs. These personalized investing experiences provide clients access to jargon-free analysis and insights, along with guidance every step of the way to help them confidently put their ideas into action. Clients are also able to align their investments with their values, thanks to the impact investing resources that allow Merrill Edge Self-Directed clients to assess and develop their portfolios based on ESG scores.

According to a recent study by Bank of America, the impact that investments have on the world has grown in importance to investors. A recent Merrill Edge Report found that most Americans want to invest in companies that benefit social, political and environmental causes. The Merrill Edge Self-Directed platform was the first in the industry to provide online investors a comprehensive offering to align their investments with their personal values. Merrill continues to innovate its award-winning client experience, giving clients the knowledge and tools to easily monitor and compare their potential investment decisions and better understand them.

Bank of America

Bank of America is one of the world’s leading financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving approximately 66 million consumer and small business clients with approximately 4,300 retail financial centers, including approximately 2,800 lending centers, 2,600 financial centers with a Consumer Investment Financial Solutions Advisor and 2,000 business centers; approximately 16,800 ATMs; and award winning digital banking with approximately 38 million active users, including approximately 29 million mobile users. Bank of America is a global leader in wealth management, corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to approximately 3 million small business owners through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations across the United States, its territories and approximately 35 countries. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

For more Bank of America news, including dividend announcements and other important information, visit the Bank of America newsroom and register for news email alerts.

© 2020 Bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved.

Reporters May Contact:

Andy Aldridge, Bank of America
Phone: 1.980.387.0514
andrew.aldridge@bofa.com

¹ Merrill Edge Self-Directed was evaluated as one of 15 online brokers in the StockBrokers.com 2020 Online Broker Review published on January 21, 2020. StockBrokers.com evaluated brokers using 236 variables across eight categories. The “Best-In-Class” rating recognizes brokers that ranked in the top five in that category. Learn more at StockBrokers.com. Rankings and recognition from StockBrokers.com are no guarantee of future investment success, do not ensure that a current or prospective client will experience a higher level of performance results, and should not be construed as an endorsement.

² Merrill was named the winner in the “Visionary” category by the Customer Service Institute of America in 2020. The judging criteria is based on the balanced scorecard methodology, and the review of the organizations to determine if the customer is the focus of the business and how that is supported through culture, processes, procedures, training, hiring practices, and daily actions. Rankings and recognition from the Customer Service Institute of America are no guarantee of future investment success, do not ensure that a current or prospective client will experience a higher level of performance results, and should not be construed as an endorsement. Merrill Edge pays a fee to participate in the judging process.

³ Merrill Edge Self-Directed received 5 out of 5 stars overall in NerdWallet's Review, January 2020. NerdWallet evaluates brokers based on investment selection, customer support, account fees, account minimum, trading costs and more. Learn more at NerdWallet.com. Rankings and recognition from NerdWallet are no guarantee of future investment success, do not ensure that a current or prospective client will experience a higher level of performance results, and should not be construed as an endorsement.