Julia Kagan is a financial/consumer journalist and former senior editor, personal finance, of Investopedia. Amanda Bellucco-Chatham is an editor, writer, and fact-checker with years of experience ...

Merchant banks specialize in services for mid-sized firms needing international financing and underwriting. They differ from investment banks by not handling huge transactions like IPOs or mergers.

The rise of the merchant economy Over the past decade, the economic gravity of retail banking has shifted quietly but decisively toward the merchant. What used to be a peripheral service - acquiring ...