Merrill Lynch is chasing steadier money, more advisors, and a broader base of “wealth” clients, redefining what wealthy even means.

Wealth Management: A Changing Market?

The name Merrill Lynch is synonymous with wealth. Back in the day, the bull logo meant old-school prestige, private client advisors with corner offices, and asset minimums that quietly filtered out anyone without a boat or two. Today, the landscape looks different. Bank of America, Merrill’s parent company since 2009, is reengineering what wealth management means, who counts as wealthy, and how to serve them profitably in an era when clients expect market insight, financial therapy, and a sleek app. Merrill isn’t struggling. It’s performing steadily and intentionally, but it’s in the middle of a strategic identity update.

This is not a pivot for the sake of vibes. At the company’s recent Investor Day, it was clear that Bank of America sees wealth management as the future. It offers recurring fees, cross-selling opportunities, and fewer existential headaches than lending in a volatile rate environment. Today, the bank wants a bigger slice of the wealth management market where revenue is steadier and less tied to market swings.

The strategy is clear. The execution is ongoing. The tone is politely urgent.

Moderate Growth, Not Hyperventilation

Merrill is not trying to dominate the world in one dramatic power move. Instead, it is “targeting moderate asset growth,” while Bank of America refines the broader wealth strategy. This is less about explosive expansion and more about consistency. Think: jogging in breathable fabrics instead of sprinting in dress shoes.

The idea is to deepen relationships rather than chase every dollar. Merrill wants to win clients who stick around. Ones who open banking accounts, talk about retirement planning, and, ideally, bring family members into the fold. It is loyalty economics. Sticky money. The financial industry prefers euphemisms, but we all know what this is about. The end goal? A rise for wealth management margins of around 5%.

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Headcount Is Back in Style

The old narrative was that tech would replace advisors. Now, Merrill is hiring like it is trying to bring back the 90s. According to reports, Merrill is leaning heavily on headcount growth in its pursuit of a 30 percent profit margin. This means experienced advisors, yes, but also a pipeline of trainees, with a reported 2,400 students enrolled. It is an investment in human capital that the industry once declared inefficient. Turns out, humans still like talking to humans about their money.

But this is not the return of the lone-wolf advisor archetype. Merrill is also pushing banking and advisory accounts that tie clients more closely into the Bank of America universe. Checking, lending, brokerage, advice. The whole box set. For example, there are reportedly 9.5 million clients of Bank of America who do not hold a Merrill account. Cross-selling is not new, but it has evolved. The bank wants clients who treat Merrill as their financial home page, not just their investment side quest.

Merrill Lynch Wealth Management
President and Co-head, Merrill Wealth Management, Lindsay Hans (LinkedIn).

“Advisor-driven flows are a core part of our organic growth and a core part of how we will accelerate organic growth,” Merrill Co-Head Lindsay Hans told an audience attending BofA’s Investor Day.

Wealth Is a Spectrum, Not a Club

The most interesting shift is philosophical. Wealth used to be defined by minimum balances and gated services. Now, Bank of America is expanding who it considers a wealth client. The rising “mass affluent” segment is the next big battleground. These are not individuals who walk into private banking with inherited trust funds. These are professionals with stable incomes, long-term planning goals, and a desire to not feel judged when they ask what a municipal bond actually is.

Bank of America wants to capture more of these households as they grow. It is a long game. Acquire early. Advise continuously. Harvest loyalty later. High-end wealth management is still part of the picture, but the definition of “wealth” is widening. This is what happens when generational finance meets demographic change.

The Margin Holy Grail

The 30 percent margin target is not just a goal. It is the gravitational center around which strategy is forming. Merrill is working to integrate client banking, expand advisory accounts, and increase advisor productivity in pursuit of that number. Efficiency is not a Wall Street buzzword here. It is the metric that defines success.

This is not about cutting quality. It is about creating a machine where advisors do more advising and less administrative juggling. It is about client segmentation that actually means something. And it is about building a system where clients do not feel like they are being sold to even when, technically, they are.

So, Where Is This Going?

Merrill’s identity is evolving. It is still a prestige brand, but it is now tasked with playing well inside a much larger corporate ecosystem. Bank of America is betting that wealth management can grow across the full income curve, that advisors remain indispensable, and that clients want financial guidance from a place that feels stable. The ambition is not to be the flashiest, but to be the most durable.

Wealth management used to be about exclusivity. Now it is about scale with taste. And the bull is carefully entering the china shop.

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Source: Finance Magnates