Catching Lightning in a Bottle: How Merrill Lynch Revolutionized the Financial World

In 1939 Charles E. Merrill and Winthrop H. Smith came up with a radical idea for investing: democratize the stock marketing and bring Wall Street to Main Street. Together they created a company that would earn the trust of small investors by putting their clients interest first. To achieve this they set down a series of guidelines for employees that came to be known as the Principles. While the rest of Wall Street scoffed, Merrill and Smith put their idea into action. Merrill Lynch expanded...