When it comes to the Individual Investor WALL Street has long been a one way Street.

In the 20th Century investing was a side show for many individual investors. In the 21st Century many futures are depending on it.

Wall street is a sales, trading and investment banking Machine. Always was and always will be, that's what they do, nothing wrong with that.

Their advisory role was always incidental to that business, always was always will be, the structure and Culture is just that. Hence the MERRILL LYNCH RULE. These functions need to be separated and specialized. That's what you are seeing now. It's just EVOLUTION of the financial System. Where are you in the food chain.