Estate planning at Merrill
How to protect 14 Merrill accounts — manage beneficiaries online, fund a trust in-branch, and file claims through Merrill's Merrill Life Services
Merrill Edge Client Services
Phone1-888-637-3343
Toll-Free1-855-450-9015
Fax(917) 778-0797
Mailing Address
Merrill Document Processing, PO Box 31024, Tampa, FL 33631-3024
Forms Questions (24/7)
Spanish Language Support
Merrill Lynch Client Services (Mon-Fri 9am-9pm ET)
Benefits & Retirement Accounts (Mon-Fri 9am-9pm ET)
401(k) Customer Service (Mon-Fri 8am-7pm ET)
Merrill Life Services
Phone1-855-450-9015
Fax(917) 778-0797
Mailing Address
Merrill Document Processing, PO Box 31024, Tampa, FL 33631-3024
Forms Questions (24/7)
WebsiteLearn more→
Merrill Life Services - Ownership Transition
Phone1-855-450-9015
Fax(917) 778-0797
Mailing Address
Merrill Document Processing, PO Box 31024, Tampa, FL 33631-3024
WebsiteNotify online→
Verified Apr 2026
Merrill offers 14 consumer investment accounts that interact with estate planning in distinct ways. Of those, 11 can name a trust as beneficiary or be retitled into a trust. Understanding the transfer methods available for each account type helps families keep assets out of probate and ensure they pass to the right people.
Merrill lets account holders update beneficiary designations online, in branch, by mail, and by phone, typically taking 15-30 minutes. Trust funding is also available, allowing families to retitle brokerage accounts into a trust.
Merrill provides specific procedures for both proactive estate planning and filing claims after a death.
Preparing your estate
Beneficiaries and trust funding
How to manage beneficiaries online, fund a trust in-branch, and review 14 account types at Merrill.
View details →When someone dies
Death claim process
Contact Merrill's Merrill Life Services to file a claim. 6-step process, 8 required documents, and contact information for survivors.
View details →Reach Merrill's Merrill Life Services at 1-855-450-9015 for help with any of these procedures.
Frequently asked questions
Merrill Edge is the self-directed online investing platform with commission-free trades and e-signature TOD availability. Merrill Guided Investing is the robo-advisor service ($1,000 minimum for growth strategies, 0.45% annual fee). Merrill Guided Investing with Advisor adds dedicated advisor access ($20,000 minimum for growth strategies, 0.85% annual fee). Merrill Lynch is the full-service wealth management division with dedicated financial advisors and Cash Management Accounts (CMA). All are part of Bank of America.
To retitle an existing individual Merrill Edge or Merrill Lynch brokerage account to a revocable living trust, complete the Letter of Authorization to Change Account Title to a Grantor Revocable Trust (available at merrilledge.com/forms-library or by calling 877-653-4732) along with the Trustee Certification Form. Provide the trust document (first page, signature pages, and trustee pages) and government-issued ID for all trustees. Mail to Merrill Document Processing, PO Box 31024, Tampa, FL 33631-3024, or bring documents to a Bank of America financial center. Processing takes approximately 1-2 weeks. To open a new brokerage account in the name of a trust, use the CMA Trust Application Booklet.
Sources
Data sourced from Merrill primary sources (16 pages reviewed). How we research.
Merrill Edge Client Services
Phone1-888-637-3343
Toll-Free1-855-450-9015
Fax(917) 778-0797
Mailing Address
Merrill Document Processing, PO Box 31024, Tampa, FL 33631-3024
Forms Questions (24/7)
Spanish Language Support
Merrill Lynch Client Services (Mon-Fri 9am-9pm ET)
Benefits & Retirement Accounts (Mon-Fri 9am-9pm ET)
401(k) Customer Service (Mon-Fri 8am-7pm ET)
Merrill Life Services
Phone1-855-450-9015
Fax(917) 778-0797
Mailing Address
Merrill Document Processing, PO Box 31024, Tampa, FL 33631-3024
Forms Questions (24/7)
WebsiteLearn more→
Merrill Life Services - Ownership Transition
Phone1-855-450-9015
Fax(917) 778-0797
Mailing Address
Merrill Document Processing, PO Box 31024, Tampa, FL 33631-3024
WebsiteNotify online→
Verified Apr 2026
Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your Merrill accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
