OREANDA-NEWS. Merrill Edge has been recognized in five recent industry reviews, highlighting its excellence in customer service and educational resources, in addition to being named as one of the top online brokers by Barron’s.

“We’re honored to be recognized by these prestigious organizations, and we are proud of our growth in these rankings year-over-year,” said Aron Levine, head of Merrill Edge at Bank of America. “These annual awards are a great indicator of our ability to provide our clients with the tools and resources they need to pursue their financial goals.”

Notable accolades for 2015–16 include:

2016 Barron’s Best Online Brokers1

Merrill Edge received an overall ranking of four stars out of five in the Barron’s 2016 Best Online Broker Survey, retaining its position from last year and ranking sixth overall among the 16 firms evaluated. Merrill Edge ranked No. 1 for “in-person service” and was also listed among the lowest-cost online brokers for occasional traders who qualify by having $100,000 of household assets in their accounts. Merrill Edge earned a ranking of greater than four points in the following areas:

  • Portfolio Analysis & Reports: 4.7 out of 5

  • Mobile: 4.7 out of 5

  • Research Amenities: 4.6 out of 5

  • Customer Service/Education: 4.5 out of 5

  • Usability: 4.1 out of 5

Barron’s also ranked Merrill Edge among the best in the following categories:

2016 StockBrokers.com Online Broker Review2

The StockBrokers.com 2016 Online Broker Review awarded Merrill Edge praise in its third review of the site. Based on in-depth individual reviews and analysis of 295 variables across 10 key areas, Merrill Edge ranked fifth overall. With four stars out of five, Merrill Edge topped all competitors in “Banking Services” for the second year in a row, as well as “Customer Service,” and was recognized in the following categories:

  • “Best-in-Class” distinction: Banking (5 out of 5), Research (4.5 out of 5), Customer Service (4.5 out of 5), Investor Education (4 out of 5), and Commissions and Fees (4 out of 5)

  • “Industry Award”: No. 1 in Banking Services, No. 1 in Phone Support, No. 1 in Live Chat Support

 

2016 Investor’s Business Daily Best Online Brokers

In its special report, 2016 Best Online Brokers, Investor’s Business Daily again recognized Merrill Edge. The survey of 10,000 investors ranked Merrill Edge as one of the top five brokerages in three out of 12 categories this year, including “Low Commissions and Fees” for the third year in a row:

 

2015 International Service Excellence Awards3

Merrill Edge, one of 12 finalists, was awarded the rare distinction of Highly Commended in the 2015 International Service Excellence Award Contact Center category. The awards are managed by the Customer Service Institute of America, and recognize individuals and organizations around the globe that excel in service and demonstrate a commitment to customer service excellence.

  • International Service Excellence Award in the Contact Center category – Highly Commended

 

2015 Corporate Insight e-Monitor Awards

Corporate Insight’s e-Monitor Awards, recognizing financial service firms for excellence in the online and offline (including in-person and phone) user experience, acknowledged Merrill Edge with a total of seven awards for 2015. This year’s ranking marked improvement in the “Account Information” and “Quotes & Trading” categories and resulted in recognition in seven out of nine total evaluation categories, including:

  • Silver Award: Account Information, Investor Education, News & Research, Quotes & Trading, Prospect Experience, and Mobile Capabilities

  • Bronze Award: Planning Tools & Calculators