Merchant banking primarily involves financial advisory services for large corporates and wealthy individuals. A merchant bank caters for the commercial banking needs such as international finance, long term company loans and stock underwriting. This type of bank does not have retail offices where a customer can go and open a savings account or current account. A merchant bank is sometimes said to be a wholesale bank, or in the business of wholesale banking. This is because merchant banks tend to deal primarily with other merchant banks and large financial institutions.