In 1974 there were about 275 MBHCs
MBHCs controlled approximately $359 billion in assets
In 1996 the top five MBHCs had assets of $1 trillion
In 1956 a total of 53 MBHCs represented 428 banks with 783 branches
Another important advantage that MBHCs have over individual banks is economies of scale
By mid-1992 the top 150 MBHCs controlled 15 percent of all banks, 30 percent of all branch offices, and 50 percent of all deposits in the banking industry
In 1997 changes to the 1993 Glass-Steagall legislation allowed MBHCs to own securities subsidiaries, which could contribute as much as 25 percent of sales revenue