Merrill Lynch

Merrill Lynch Wealth Management is the wealth management division of Bank of America. It is headquartered in New York City, and occupies the entire 34 stories of the Four World Financial Center building in Manhattan. With over 15,000 financial advisors and $2.2 trillion in client assets, it is the world's largest brokerage. It has its origins in Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc., which prior to 2009 was publicly owned and traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol MER. Merrill Lynch & Co. agreed to be acquired by Bank of America on September 14, 2008, at the height of the 2008 Financial Crisis. The acquisition was completed in January 2009 and Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. was merged into Bank of America Corporation in October 2013, although certain Bank of America subsidiaries continue to carry the Merrill Lynch name, including the broker-dealer Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith.