Check the acquisition promise
Read the store headline, screenshots and description. What problem is the app promising to solve?
Study the storefront ↗Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner, and Smith Inc. · iOS
Explore the ad evidence, study the storefront, and build your next acquisition hypothesis.
01 / Creative research
Read the store headline, screenshots and description. What problem is the app promising to solve?
Study the storefront ↗Explore apps with direct store-link matches. Compare their hooks and formats without assuming the same approach works here.
Browse observed advertisers ↗Store rankings and revenue estimates describe market context. They do not establish ad spend, conversions or ROAS.
Review the market context ↗02 / Storefront & product
Study the product story and store experience behind the acquisition funnel.
03 / Market context
Keep revenue, downloads and store rankings separate from advertising performance.
I will never understand how so many high value companies with respectable reputations are still so willing to disregard the importance of having ease of access on their apps or online access. This app is forever taking too long to get from one screen to the next, is not at all intuitive so I, and apparently it’s common according to other reviews, have to go through all the menus and search everything just to find what I THINK is the correct selection for the task I want to do. But, sadly I still don’t quite understand how it works and i have used it quite often. Also, please don’t assume that everyone is savvy to the investment and trading world- in fact, it’s probably way more common to have fairly smart people like myself that just are not familiar with the terminology and the implications of actions and trying to get answers? Well good luck. Only benefit is that I can (sort of) manage my money myself. Although it makes no sense 90% of the time. Side note: I called the number given to me to talk to a financial advisor and I had just lost my job with no money left over for food bills etc and looking for new work, so I don’t understand why I was talked to so condescendingly when I just needed advice about what to do. I wanted to pay bills before they were late, but I was also asking to get a portion out to pay down some of my credit card bills since I didn’t know how long I would be between jobs yet (no unemployment because I live in a location that made this tremendously difficult at that time). So no unemployment, no government aid, property taxes and regular bills due.. I just wanted to know how bad it would be to get enough out to lower my credit card debt. I was not yelled at exactly, but he spoke to me in circles and didn’t seem to understand that I needed it but wanted the best advice to limit the damage potential. Anyway. Long rant. TL:DR - app needs a human touch to connect with people that don’t have a background in economics and investment. Pls and thank you
So have decided to try and do a withdrawal as it’s a tough time right now but couple issues with the app and company. Call the company and after spending 10 minutes on the phone going in circles with the auto system I’m told offices aren’t open. So I try the app. You go to the loan section and a big box with a red triangle is like you have no money to take a loan yet I’m seeing that I have money so don’t know what that’s about. Also even though it shows that box it still lets you do everything to try to get a loan even though you can’t get one. Maybe don’t have the selections available if you don’t qualify. Then try to do a withdrawal and I don’t want to do it as a hardship and I’m fine with paying to take my money out but it forces me to take a hardship. They then mail you a check. Most people in a hardship might and prob need money quicker than a paper check. Like how about doing direct deposit. Definitely won’t be using this company if I ever leave my job and set up a 401k on my own. I absolutely hate apps and companies that all of a sudden out of nowhere tell me that I have to reset up Face ID. This app tells me Touch ID and I don’t have that on my phone. I don’t always have my passwords next to me and I can’t remember them all as I make some pretty long and stupid passwords. Looking at some stuff at my bank come November or when ever I choose my insurance stuff this year I will be canceling my 401k and just doing something with my bank.
The worst financial services app I have ever used. Forced to use as it is the choice of my employer. The user experience is horrible, app performance is slow, the application has extremely limited features in mobile platform and forces to revert to desktop website even to perform basic actions like viewing transaction history of an ESPP account. Services are also horrible, with delays in vesting RSUs without any proper heads up/communication; leaves you wondering what happened to your equity rewards. My vested RSUs disappeared from my account, decreasing my net account value, no information in the mobile app explaining what happened, no messages in the message center, only a small alert box in the website (if you know where to look) that says it will be made available again for transaction no later than 8 days AFTER the vesting date. I tried linking an external checking account that required a validation by entering a small sum of money that was deposited there - except there were no deposits. Compared to my previous wealth management services from another reputed bank, the quality and service here is light years behind.
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