Betterment vs Merrill Guided Investing: Which Is Better in 2026?
Last updated July 2026
Short answer
Betterment and Merrill Guided Investing are often compared, but they are built for different jobs. Betterment is hands-off automated investing (robo-advisors) (automates a diversified portfolio), best for set-and-forget automated investing. Merrill Guided Investing is hands-off automated investing (robo-advisors) (automates a research-driven model portfolio), best for bank of america customers who want managed portfolios in the same app. Neither is universally better: pick Betterment if you want set-and-forget automated investing, Merrill Guided Investing if you want bank of america customers who want managed portfolios in the same app.
Both Betterment and Merrill Guided Investing get grouped under “AI investing tools,” which is why people compare them, but they sit in different categories and answer to different needs. Below is a balanced, 2026 look at what each one does, whether it reads the brokerage you already use, how each is priced, and who each fits, so you can tell which job you are actually hiring a tool for. Where relevant, we note where Walnut sits in its own category: chat-driven management of your own broker. Walnut is not an investment adviser.
Betterment vs Merrill Guided Investing at a glance
| Betterment | Merrill Guided Investing | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Hands-off automated investing (robo-advisors) | Hands-off automated investing (robo-advisors) |
| What the AI does | Automates a diversified portfolio | Automates a research-driven model portfolio |
| Connects your broker | No (holds your money) | No (holds your money at Merrill) |
| Read vs trade | Automated | Automated |
| Cost | ~0.25%/yr | Percentage of assets, higher with an advisor (verify current) |
| Best for | Set-and-forget automated investing | Bank of America customers who want managed portfolios in the same app |
| One limitation | You do not pick holdings, and it manages money inside Betterment, not your existing broker. | Priced above the cheapest automated services, and the portfolios lean on Merrill's own research and funds. |
Figures and features are point-in-time and change; treat the table as a starting map, not a live quote.
What is Betterment?
Automated, diversified portfolios with goal planning and tax features, with newer AI assistant features layered on. Best for people who want it fully hands-off.
How it works: You answer a short set of questions about your goals, timeline, and risk tolerance, then move money into a Betterment account. From there Betterment builds a diversified portfolio of low-cost ETFs and manages it for you, automatically rebalancing and, on taxable accounts, running tax-loss harvesting in the background. You do not choose individual stocks.
In practice, Betterment’s AI automates a diversified portfolio. It falls under hands-off automated investing (robo-advisors), which makes it best suited to set-and-forget automated investing. On connecting an account it is “No (holds your money)”, and on execution it is “Automated”. It is priced as ~0.25%/yr.
One honest limitation: You do not pick holdings, and it manages money inside Betterment, not your existing broker.
What is Merrill Guided Investing?
Merrill's automated investing service, built on Bank of America research, with an optional tier that adds an advisor.
How it works: A questionnaire sets a goal and risk level, and Merrill invests in model portfolios built by its investment office, rebalancing automatically. A higher-priced tier adds access to a financial advisor. Preferred Rewards status at Bank of America can reduce the fee, which is the main reason existing customers choose it.
In practice, Merrill Guided Investing’s AI automates a research-driven model portfolio. It falls under hands-off automated investing (robo-advisors), which makes it best suited to bank of america customers who want managed portfolios in the same app. On connecting an account it is “No (holds your money at Merrill)”, and on execution it is “Automated”. It is priced as percentage of assets, higher with an advisor (verify current).
One honest limitation: Priced above the cheapest automated services, and the portfolios lean on Merrill's own research and funds.
Betterment vs Merrill Guided Investing: how they actually differ
The core difference is category. Betterment focuses on set-and-forget automated investing (automates a diversified portfolio), and Merrill Guided Investing on bank of america customers who want managed portfolios in the same app (automates a research-driven model portfolio). On broker connection they differ too: Betterment is “No (holds your money)” versus Merrill Guided Investing at “No (holds your money at Merrill)”. That shapes everything downstream: how personal the answers are, where trades settle, and how much control you keep over individual positions.
Betterment vs Merrill Guided Investing: strengths and trade-offs
Every tool gives something up for what it does well. Here is the honest give-and-take on each, so you can weigh the specific strengths against the limitations that come with them rather than judging on the headline category alone.
Betterment
Where it is strong
- Automated tax-loss harvesting and rebalancing you never have to touch
- Goal-based planning that can run several goals (retirement, house, safety net) at once
- Low management fee (around 0.25% per year on the digital plan; verify current)
What to watch out for
- No way to hold individual stocks or express a specific thesis; you accept the model portfolio
- Your money has to live in a Betterment account rather than the broker you already use
Merrill Guided Investing
Where it is strong
- Integrated with Bank of America, including reward tiers that cut the fee
- Portfolios come from a large in-house research operation rather than a pure algorithm
- An advisor tier is available without moving firms
What to watch out for
- More expensive than the cheapest automated services unless rewards tiers apply
- Portfolios lean on Merrill's own funds and research, which is a narrower opinion than an open comparison
The key divider: does it read your real holdings?
For AI investing tools, the distinction that matters most is whether the tool works from your actual, connected positions or reasons from something else: a separate account it manages for you, or the tickers and numbers you feed it. It decides how personal the answers can be, and where your money physically lives.
- Betterment: manages a separate account it holds. Betterment does not read the brokerage you already use. It opens and holds a new account, then invests the money you move into it, so its view is limited to what sits inside Betterment.
- Merrill Guided Investing: manages a separate account it holds. Merrill Guided Investing does not read the brokerage you already use. It opens and holds a new account, then invests the money you move into it, so its view is limited to what sits inside Merrill Guided Investing.
On this specific question the two land on the same side, so the deciding factors between them are elsewhere: category, cost, and who each is built for. This holdings-aware angle is the one Walnut is built around: it connects the brokerage you already use and reasons from your live positions, read-only by default, with any trades left for you to approve.
Betterment vs Merrill Guided Investing: which should you choose?
There is no universal winner here; the right pick depends on the job you are hiring the tool for. Match the category to your intent rather than chasing a single “best.”
- Choose Betterment if you want set-and-forget automated investing. Its AI automates a diversified portfolio, it is priced as ~0.25%/yr, and it fits hands-off automated investing (robo-advisors). It is built for someone who wants a genuinely hands-off, diversified portfolio and has no interest in picking stocks themselves. Keep in mind that you do not pick holdings, and it manages money inside betterment, not your existing broker.
- Choose Merrill Guided Investing if you want bank of america customers who want managed portfolios in the same app. Its AI automates a research-driven model portfolio, it is priced as percentage of assets, higher with an advisor (verify current), and it fits hands-off automated investing (robo-advisors). It is built for an existing Bank of America customer whose rewards tier makes the pricing competitive and who values everything in one app. Keep in mind that priced above the cheapest automated services, and the portfolios lean on merrill's own research and funds.
Because both sit in the same category, the choice comes down to the finer details above rather than a fundamental difference in approach.
Betterment vs Merrill Guided Investing: pricing and cost model
Cost is easy to misread when two tools charge in different shapes, so compare the model, not just the number. Betterment is priced as ~0.25%/yr, while Merrill Guided Investing is priced as percentage of assets, higher with an advisor (verify current). A percentage-of-assets fee scales with your balance, a flat subscription does not, and a “free” tier usually earns elsewhere (on cash, order flow, or premium upgrades), so the cheapest headline is not always the cheapest outcome for your situation.
Pricing and tiers change often. Confirm the current numbers on each provider’s own site before you decide; the framing above is point-in-time.
Where Walnut fits
If neither quite fits, Walnut sits in a third category: chat-driven management of your own brokerage. It connects the brokerage you already use through SnapTrade, lets you analyze and manage it by talking through Claude or ChatGPT, build thematic portfolios around a thesis, and place trades you approve. Read-only by default. See Walnut vs Betterment and Walnut vs Merrill Guided Investing. Walnut is not an investment adviser.
Try Walnut on top of your broker
Walnut is the AI that knows your portfolio: ask anything in plain English, research any fund, and get an honest second opinion. On the broker you already use, read-only, and you approve every trade. Walnut is not a registered investment adviser.
FAQ
Is Betterment or Merrill Guided Investing better?
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Neither is universally better, because they are built for different jobs. Betterment is hands-off automated investing (robo-advisors) and suits set-and-forget automated investing. Merrill Guided Investing is hands-off automated investing (robo-advisors) and suits bank of america customers who want managed portfolios in the same app. Pick the one whose job matches what you actually want to do.
What is the difference between Betterment and Merrill Guided Investing?
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Betterment is hands-off automated investing (robo-advisors): automates a diversified portfolio. Merrill Guided Investing is hands-off automated investing (robo-advisors): automates a research-driven model portfolio. They solve different jobs, so the better choice depends on whether you want set-and-forget automated investing or bank of america customers who want managed portfolios in the same app.
Is Betterment or Merrill Guided Investing better for beginners?
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Betterment is generally the more beginner-friendly of the two (set-and-forget automated investing). The other is better once you know what you want from it. Neither replaces understanding what you own.
Does Betterment connect to my brokerage?
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Betterment: no (holds your money) (manages a separate account it holds). Merrill Guided Investing: no (holds your money at merrill) (manages a separate account it holds). If keeping your current broker matters, that distinction is often the deciding factor.
Does Betterment see my real holdings?
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Betterment does not read the brokerage you already use. It opens and holds a new account, then invests the money you move into it, so its view is limited to what sits inside Betterment. By contrast, Merrill Guided Investing manages a separate account it holds: Merrill Guided Investing does not read the brokerage you already use. It opens and holds a new account, then invests the money you move into it, so its view is limited to what sits inside Merrill Guided Investing.
Betterment vs Merrill Guided Investing: which is cheaper?
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Betterment is priced as ~0.25%/yr; Merrill Guided Investing is percentage of assets, higher with an advisor (verify current). The models are not always comparable (a percentage of assets is different from a flat subscription), so weigh cost against the job each does. Pricing and tiers change, so verify the current numbers on each provider's site before deciding.
Can I use Betterment and Merrill Guided Investing together?
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Often yes, because they do different things. Many investors use one for set-and-forget automated investing and the other for bank of america customers who want managed portfolios in the same app. Just watch for overlapping subscription costs and remember that trades ultimately settle in whatever account actually holds your money.
Who is Betterment best for, and who is Merrill Guided Investing best for?
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Betterment best fits someone who wants a genuinely hands-off, diversified portfolio and has no interest in picking stocks themselves. Merrill Guided Investing best fits an existing Bank of America customer whose rewards tier makes the pricing competitive and who values everything in one app. If you see yourself in one description more than the other, that is usually the clearer signal than any single feature or price.
What are the main trade-offs between Betterment and Merrill Guided Investing?
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Betterment's main thing to watch is that no way to hold individual stocks or express a specific thesis; you accept the model portfolio. Merrill Guided Investing's is that more expensive than the cheapest automated services unless rewards tiers apply. Neither is a dealbreaker on its own; the right call is whichever trade-off you can most live with given what you actually want the tool to do.
Where does Walnut fit between Betterment and Merrill Guided Investing?
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Walnut is a third option in a different category: chat-driven management of the brokerage you already use. It connects your real account, lets you analyze and manage it by talking through Claude or ChatGPT, build thematic portfolios, and place trades you approve. Your login stays with your broker and the connection is read-only by default. Walnut is not an investment adviser.
Related comparisons
Walnut is informational, not investment advice. Competitor features and pricing are point-in-time and change; verify the current details on each provider's site before deciding. Nothing here is a recommendation to use any particular product or security.