Exhibit 99

                            CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO
                             18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350,
                             AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO
                  SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

In connection with the Quarterly  Report on Form 10-Q of Merrill Lynch Preferred
Capital Trust III (the "Trust") and Merrill  Lynch  Preferred  Funding III, L.P.
(the  "Partnership")  for the  period  ended  June 28,  2002 as  filed  with the
Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the "Report"), I, John C.
Stomber, Regular Trustee of the Trust and Senior Vice President and Treasurer of
Merrill Lynch & Co.,  Inc.,  the General  Partner of the  Partnership,  certify,
pursuant to 18 U.S.C.  section 1350,  as adopted  pursuant to Section 906 of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that:

(1) The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d)
    of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and

(2) The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material
    respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Trust
    and the Partnership.




                   MERRILL LYNCH PREFERRED CAPITAL TRUST III



                   By: /s/ John C. Stomber
                   --------------------------------------------
                   Name: John C. Stomber*
                   Title: Regular Trustee




                   MERRILL LYNCH PREFERRED FUNDING III, L.P.


                   By: MERRILL LYNCH & CO., INC., as General Partner



                   By: /s/ John C. Stomber
                   --------------------------------------------
                   Name: John C. Stomber*
                   Title: Senior Vice President and Treasurer


Dated: August 9, 2002

___________________________
* John C. Stomber functions as the equivalent of the chief executive officer and
chief financial officer of each of the Trust and the Partnership for purposes of
Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.