In an effort to boost its banking deposits, sources told publication that BoA has been pressing brokers and advisors to convince investor clients to move their savings and checking accounts and other banking services to the embattled financial giant.

The article highlights some of the internal tensions since Bank of America bought Merrill Lynch in January, creating the world’s largest wealth management firm by size of assets.

"I want to focus on the markets - and that's challenging enough," said one broker who asked not to be identified, the publication said.

"It's the job of the branch managers" to help build up the bank's deposits, said a second broker, it said.

This round of rancor between the brokers and BofA bosses intensified last week over financial rewards to broker assistants who'd signed up clients as consumer-banking customers.

"We are proud to offer one of the deepest and most sophisticated portfolios of financial solutions in the industry," Lyle LaMothe, head of Merrill's US Wealth Management business, was quoted as saying in an e-mailed statement, "and as advisors our job is to make sure our clients are aware of the full breadth of resources and tools available to them."

Brokers say they're also annoyed by a mass e-mail campaign pitching BoA's banking services to their clients - although they can remove client names from the list before letters are distributed, the publication said.