Select Your Brokers to Compare
Fidelity vs Merrill Edge : Fees, Safety & Trading Conditions Compared (2026)
Broker Name
Fidelity
Merrill Edge
Broker Overview
Broker Type (e.g., Market Maker, ECN/STP)
STP broker
ECN broker
Years of Existence / Established Year
1946
2010
Customer Base / Number of Accounts
51.4 million
3.5+ Million Clients
Regulation & Security
Regulations (governing bodies)
SEC, MSRB, FINRA
SEC, FINRA
Awards Won (count for the last 2 years)
Best Online Broker for Beginning Investors 2024, Rated #1 for Overall Broker 2024, Best Online Broker 2023
Kiplinger 2023 Annual Broker Review, StockBrokers.com 2024 Annual Broker Review
Security Measures
FDIC , SIPC
SIPC
SSL Encryption / 2FA
Yes
Yes
Segregated Funds
Yes* Restriction for some clients
Yes
Negative Balance Protection
No
Yes
Trading Instruments/Products Offered
Assets Types / Trading Instruments (total count and breakdown)
10000+ mutual funds including fixed income, CDs, Annuities, life insurance, long-term Care Planning, 529 Plans IRAs, Health Savings Account
CDs, Fixed income
Currency Pairs
No
No
Commodities
No
No
Indices
No
No
Cryptocurrencies
Yes
No
CFDs
No
No
ETFs
Yes
Yes
Stocks
Yes
Yes
Options
Yes
Yes
Futures
No
No
Bonds
Yes
Yes
Mutual Funds
Yes
Yes
Fractional Shares
Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs)
No
No
Precious Metals
No
No
Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)
No
No
Equities
Yes
No
Trading Platforms & Technology
Trading Platform Availability
Yes
Yes
MT4
No
No
MT5
No
No
cTrader
No
No
Social Trading
No
Copy Trading
No
No
Other Trading Platforms (proprietary, etc.)
Trading dashboard, Fidelity mobile, Active Trader Pro
Merrill Edge MarketPro (proprietary), Merrill Edge Self-Directed platform (web-based), Mobile app (Merrill Edge)
Platform Compatibility (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android)
Yes
Yes
Account Types & Conditions
Account Types (Retail, Pro, VIP, etc.)
Fidelity® Cash Management Account., The Fidelity Account, Individual Retirement Account (IRA), 529 College Savings Account., Fidelity HSA, Custodial Account (UGMA/UTMA)
Individual, Joint, Custodial, Trust, and Retirement (IRA), 529 plans
Demo Account (Yes/No)
Yes
Yes
Islamic Accounts (Yes/No)
No
No
Minimum Deposit
$0
$0
Leverage Available
No
No
Trade Limit (maximum per trade)
Depends on assets class
Depends on asset class
Commission (per account type)
$0
$0
Best Suited For (e.g., beginners, experienced traders)
Beginners and experienced traders
Beginners to intermediate traders
Deposit & Withdrawal Options
Deposit Methods
ATM/debit card, Deposits eligible for FDIC insurance, Cash Manager, Fidelity Mobile, Bill Pay, Check writing, Automatic investments, Automatic withdrawals, Direct deposit, Electronic funds transfer (EFT), e-wallets
ACH transfer, wire transfer, check deposit, transfers from Bank of America
Withdrawal Methods
Electronic funds transfer (EFT), Bank wire, Paper check, Paper bill varies by account types
ACH transfer, wire transfer, check deposit, transfers from Bank of America
Other E-Wallets Supported
Venmo or PayPal
No
Tools & Educational Resources
Economic Calendar
No
Yes
Tools & Educational Resources (tutorials, webinars, market news, etc.)
Research and Tools, Investment Education, Webinars and Online Courses, Market News and Insights, Retirement and Planning Tools
Investing Education, Retirement Planning, Market Insights, Webinars and Online Seminars, Investment Guides and Tools
Fees & Commissions
Trading-Related Fees
Commission for U.S stocks, ETFs, Options- $0, Mutual funds- $49.95, Crypto spread- 1.0 pip, Margin liquidation -$32.95 per liquidation, Stock certificate transfer and ship $10 Per Certificate
Commission- $0 stock and ETFs, broker-assisted trade- $29.95 or $29.95 * + $0.65 per contract
Spread (typical, fixed, variable)
NA
NA
Per Lot Fees
NA
NA
Options Contract Fees
$0.65/ Contract fee
$0.65 per contact
Futures Contract Fees
NA
NA
Markup Fees on Spread
NA
NA
Guaranteed Stop Loss Fees
NA
NA
Maximum Leverage
No
No
Non-Trading Fees
Dormant Fees
$0
$0
Subscription Fees (for premium features, data feeds)
NA
NA
Advisory Fees
NA
0.85%
Swap Fees (Overnight Financing)
NA
Yes
Statement or Document Fee
NA
NA
Account Opening Fee
$0
$0
Account Maintenance Fee
$0
$0
Deposit Fee
$0
$0
Currency Conversion Fee
$50/ per trade
Varies for ADRs
Withdrawal Fee
Wire transfer-$3
Wire transfer fee-$25
Bonuses, Promotions & Benefits
Bonuses, Promotions, and Referrals
No
Yes
Customer Benefits (e.g., Retirement Plan)
Yes
Yes
Trading Hours
Trading Hours (for each asset class if applicable)
Premarket session -7:00 a.m. to 9:28 a.m. ET.
Pre-market trading: 7:00 AM to 9:30 AM ET, Regular trading hours: 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM ET, After-hours trading: 4:01 PM to 8:00 PM ET
Customer Support
Support Hours (e.g., 24/7, weekdays only)
8:30 a.m. - 8:30 p.m. ET , Monday- Friday
24/7
Customer Support Methods (phone, email, live chat)
Phone: 800-343-0860, 800-835-5095, Live chat, Login for personalized help, FAQs
Phone: 888.637.3343, Schedule an appointment
Support Languages
2
2
Additional Information
Headquarters Location
Boston, MA
Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
Complaints (for crypto brokers)
No
No
Explore More Broker Matchups
Here are more Comparisons to help you choose wisely
Our Latest Contents
Stay updated with our newest insights and guides!
Top Broker Reviews
Discover brokers trusted by global traders.
No