Merrill to add targeted 2027 advisor bonuses, keeps core grid

Merrill has announced targeted bonus incentives for 2027 and will keep its basic compensation grid in place, Financial Planning reported.

The outlet described the incentives as "laser-targeted" and reported that Merrill is sticking with its grid while seeking to boost recruiting. The report does not, in the material reviewed here, break out who the bonuses reach or what they are worth.

Industry consultants say one of the surest ways to lose advisors is to make frequent changes to their pay, according to the report. That framing suggests the unchanged grid is doing the retention work while the targeted cash does the recruiting work: extra money for a narrow group, and the same payout formula for everyone else.