Merrill’s Identity Shift Isn’t Finished Yet

Merrill has mostly dropped “Lynch” from its corporate brand, but the full “Merrill Lynch” name is still embedded across advisor websites, local leader titles, and select parts of its wealth business.

The current setup is intentionally mixed: “Merrill” appears in the logo and on the homepage as “Merrill, a Bank of America company,” while “Merrill Edge” and “Merrill Guided Investing” also omit “Lynch.” At the advisor-led tier, however, “Merrill Lynch Wealth Management” remains the formal channel name, even as the marketing language on some pages still leans on “Merrill advisor.” 

A company spokesperson said the firm uses both naming conventions, with executives typically using “Merrill Wealth Management” titles and advisors often shortening the brand in bios for convenience.

Outside observers read the split as more than a design tweak: Group Vested CEO Binna Kim framed it as a cultural shift, arguing the firm kept flexibility for advisors whose clients were deeply attached to “Merrill Lynch.” 

The story is still in motion, with the brand now signaling a long transition rather than a clean break from “Merrill Lynch,” years after Bank of America first began dropping it from parts of the business in 2019.

Full story: BARRON'S