1
                                                                       Exhibit 2



                          AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER


June 30, 1999

PARTIES

- -        Salomon Smith Barney Holdings Inc., ("Mergeco"), a Delaware corporation

- -        SSBHI Merger Company Inc. ("Surviveco"), a New York corporation

BACKGROUND

Mergeco and Surviveco desire to merge Mergeco into Surviveco with the results
that

(i)      Surviveco be the surviving corporation;

(ii)     each holder of capital stock of Mergeco will receive in exchange for
         each share of its capital stock an equivalent share of capital stock of
         Surviveco;

(iii)    the sole shareholder of all the capital stock of Surviveco will have
         its shares (with the exception of any shares received pursuant to (ii)
         above) cancelled;

(iv)     the certificate of incorporation of the surviving corporation will be
         amended as provided in this plan of merger, including changing the name
         of the surviving corporation to "Salomon Smith Barney Holdings Inc."


AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER

Section 1. Constituent corporations

The constituent corporations are Salomon Smith Barney Holdings Inc., a Delaware
corporation ("Mergeco") and SSBHI Merger Company Inc., a New York corporation
("Surviveco").
   2
Surviveco is the surviving corporation.

Mergeco was incorporated March 14, 1960 in Delaware.

Surviveco was incorporated February 23, 1977 in New York.


Section 2. Capital Stock

The outstanding shares of capital stock of Mergeco consist of 1,000 shares of
common stock having a par value of one cent ($.01) per share, all of which are
entitled to vote.

The outstanding shares of capital stock of Surviveco consist of 10 shares of
common stock having no par value, all of which are entitled to vote.

Section 3. Terms and conditions of Merger

(a)  On July 1, 1999 (the "Effective Date"), the separate existence of Mergeco
     shall cease and it shall be merged into Surviveco (the "Merger"). Surviveco
     shall (i) be the surviving corporation, (ii) continue to be governed by the
     laws of the State of New York and (iii) continue under the name "Salomon
     Smith Barney Holdings Inc."

(b)  The by-laws of Mergeco as restated on the date hereof shall be the by-laws
     of the surviving corporation.

(c)  The directors of Mergeco immediately prior to the Merger shall continue in
     office as directors of the surviving corporation after the Merger until
     their successors are elected and qualified. On the Effective Date, the
     directors and officers of Surviveco immediately prior to the merger shall
     cease to be directors and officers of the surviving corporation.

(d)  The resolutions of the board of directors of Mergeco in existence prior to
     the Merger shall survive the Merger, and all the resolutions of Surviveco
     (except for those relating to the Merger) shall be revoked as of the
     Effective Date.


Section 4. Manner of converting shares.

(a)  Each share of common stock of Mergeco issued and outstanding on the
     Effective Date shall on the Effective Date, without any action on the part
     of the holder of such share, become a fully paid and non-assessable share
     of common stock of the surviving corporation.

(b)  Each share of capital stock of Surviveco issued and outstanding on the
     Effective Date
   3
     shall on and after the Effective Date, without any action on the part of
     the holder of such share, be cancelled and retired.




Section 5. Termination; amendments.

     At any time prior to the filing of a certificate of merger for the Merger
     with the Secretary of State of the State of New York, this agreement may be
     terminated by the board of directors of either constituent corporation
     notwithstanding approval of this Agreement by the stockholders of either or
     both of the constituent corporations.

Section 6. Certificate of incorporation

The certificate of incorporation of the surviving corporation shall be amended
and restated to read in its entirety as follows:


                                   FIRST: NAME


           The name of the corporation is Salomon Smith Barney Holdings Inc.



                                 SECOND: PURPOSE


           The corporation is formed for the purpose of engaging in any lawful
           act or activity for which corporations may be organized under the
           Business Corporation Law (the BCL). The corporation is not formed to
           engage in any act or activity requiring the consent or approval of
           any state official, department, board, agency or other body without
           such consent or approval first being obtained.



                                  THIRD: OFFICE


           The office of the corporation is located in the City of New York,
County of New York.



                             FOURTH: CAPITAL SHARES
   4
       (a)   The corporation shall have the authority to issue 1,000 common
             shares, with a par value of one cent ($.01) per share and
             10,000,000 preferred shares, with a par value of one dollar ($1.00)
             per share.

       (b)   The Board of Directors is authorized, subject to limitations
             prescribed by law and the provisions of this Article FOURTH to
             provide for the issuance of the shares of Preferred Stock in
             series, and by filing a certificate pursuant to the applicable law
             of the State of New York, to establish from time to time the number
             of shares to be included in each such series, and to fix the
             designation, powers, preferences and rights of the shares of each
             such series and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions
             thereof. The authority of the Board of Directors with respect to
             each series shall include, but not be limited to, determination of
             the following:

             (i) the number of shares constituting that series and the
             distinctive designation of that series.

             (ii) the dividend rate on the shares of that series, whether
             dividends shall be cumulative, and, if so, from which date or
             dates, and the relative rights of priority, if any, of payments of
             dividends on shares of that series;

             (iii) whether that series shall have voting rights, in addition to
             the voting rights provided by law, and, if so, the terms of such
             voting rights;

             (iv) whether that series shall have conversion or exchange
             privileges, and, if so, the terms and conditions of such conversion
             or exchange, including provision for adjustment of the conversion
             or exchange rate in such events as the board of directors shall
             determine;

             (v) whether or not the shares of that series shall be redeemable,
             and, if so, the terms and conditions of such redemption, including
             the manner of selecting shares for redemption if less than all
             shares are to be redeemed, the date or dates upon or after which
             they shall be redeemable, and the amount per share payable in case
             of redemption, which amount may vary under different conditions and
             at different redemption dates;

             (vi) whether that series shall have a sinking fund for the
             redemption or purchase of shares of that series, and, if so, the
             terms and amount of such sinking fund;

             (vii) the right of the shares of that series to the benefit of
             conditions and restrictions upon the creation of indebtedness of
             the corporation or any subsidiary, upon the issue of any additional
             shares (including additional shares of such series or any other
             series) and upon the payment of dividends or the making of other
             distributions on, and the purchase, redemption or other acquisition
             by the corporation or any subsidiary of any outstanding shares of
             the corporation;

             (viii) the rights of the shares of that series in the event of
             voluntary or
   5
             involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the
             corporation, and the relative rights of priority, if any, of
             payment of shares of that series;

             (ix) any restrictions on transfers of shares of that series; and

             (x) any other relative, participating, optional or other special
             rights, qualifications, limitations or restrictions of that
             series.

       (c)   Shares of any series of preferred shares that have been redeemed
             (whether through the operation of a sinking fund or otherwise) or
             which, if convertible or exchangeable, have been converted into or
             exchanged for shares of stock of any other class or classes, shall
             have the status of authorized and unissued shares of preferred
             shares of the same series and may be reissued as a part of the
             series of which they were originally a part or may be reclassified
             and reissued as part of a new series of preferred shares to be
             created by resolution or resolutions of the board of directors or
             as part of any other series of preferred shares, all subject to
             the conditions and the restrictions on issuance set forth in the
             resolution or resolutions adopted by the board of directors
             providing for the issue of any series of preferred shares.

       (d)   Dividends on outstanding shares of Preferred Stock shall be paid,
             or declared and set apart for payment, before any dividends shall
             be paid or declared and set apart for payment on outstanding
             shares of Common Stock. If upon any voluntary or involuntary
             liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, the
             assets available for distribution to holders of shares of
             Preferred Stock of all series shall be insufficient to pay such
             holders the full preferential amount to which they are entitled,
             then such assets shall be distributed ratably among the shares of
             all series of Preferred Stock in accordance with the respective
             preferential amounts (including unpaid cumulative dividends, if
             any) payable with respect thereto.

       (e)   Subject to the provisions of any applicable law or except as
             otherwise provided by the resolution or resolutions providing for
             the issue of any series of Preferred Stock, the holders of
             outstanding shares of Common Stock shall exclusively possess
             voting power for the election of directors and for all other
             purposes, each holder of record of shares of Common Stock being
             entitled to one vote for each share of Common Stock standing in
             his name on the books of the Corporation.

       (f)   Except as otherwise provided by the resolution or resolutions
             providing for the issue of any series of Preferred Stock, after
             payment shall have been made to the holders of Preferred Stock of
             the full amount of dividends to which they shall be entitled
             pursuant to the resolution or resolutions providing for
   6
             the issue of any series of Preferred Stock, the holders of Common
             Stock shall be entitled, to the exclusion of the holders of
             Preferred Stock of any and all series, to receive such dividends
             as from time to time may be declared by the Board of Directors.

       (g)   Except as otherwise provided by the resolution or resolutions
             providing for the issue of any series of Preferred Stock, in the
             event of any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the
             Corporation whether voluntary or involuntary, after payment shall
             have been made to the holders of Preferred Stock of the full
             amount to which they shall be entitled pursuant to the resolution
             or resolutions providing for the issue of any series of Preferred
             Stock, the holders of Common Stock shall be entitled, to the
             exclusion of the holders of Preferred Stock of any and all series,
             to share ratably according to the number of shares of Common Stock
             held by them in all remaining assets of the Corporation available
             for distribution.




                       FIFTH: AGENT FOR SERVICE OF PROCESS


           The Secretary of State is designated as agent of the corporation upon
           whom process against the corporation may be served. The post office
           address of the corporation to which the Secretary of State shall mail
           process against the corporation served upon the Secretary of State is
           Salomon Smith Barney Inc., 388 Greenwich Street, New York, NY 10013,
           attention: General Counsel.



                           SIXTH: NO PREEMPTIVE RIGHTS


           Shareholders shall not be entitled to preemptive rights, directly or
           indirectly, in respect of any equity, voting, or other shares of the
           corporation.



                       SEVENTH: MANAGEMENT OF THE BUSINESS

           The following provisions are inserted for the management of the
           business and the conduct of the affairs of the Corporation, and for
           further definition, limitation and regulation of the powers of the
           Corporation and of its directors and shareholders:

                  (a)      The business and affairs of the Corporation shall be
                           managed by or under the direction of the Board of
                           Directors.

                  (b)      The directors shall have concurrent power with the
                           shareholders
   7
                           to make, alter, amend, change, add to or repeat the
                           By-Laws of the Corporation.

                  (c)      The number of directors of the Corporation shall be
                           as from time to time fixed by, or in the manner
                           provided in, the By-Laws of the Corporation. Election
                           of directors need not be by written ballot unless the
                           By-Laws so provide.

                  (d)      A director may be removed, with or without cause, by
                           a majority vote of the outstanding common shares.

                  (e)      The Corporation shall indemnify to the full extent
                           authorized by law any person made or threatened to be
                           made a party to an action or proceeding, whether
                           criminal, civil, administrative or investigative, by
                           reason of the fact that he, his testator or intestate
                           is or was a director, officer or employee of the
                           Corporation or any predecessor of the Corporation or
                           serves or served any other enterprise as a director,
                           officer or employee at the request of the Corporation
                           or any predecessor of the Corporation, provided that
                           this provision shall not provide for indemnification
                           to be made to or on behalf of any director or officer
                           if a judgment or other final adjudication adverse to
                           the director or officer establishes that his acts
                           were committed in bad faith or were the result of
                           active and deliberate dishonesty and were material to
                           the cause of action so adjudicated, or that he
                           personally gained in fact a financial profit or other
                           advantage to which he was not legally entitled.


                  (f)      In addition to the powers and authority herein or by
                           statute expressly conferred upon them, the directors
                           are hereby empowered to exercise all such powers and
                           do all such acts and things as may be exercised or
                           done by the Corporation, subject, nevertheless, to
                           the provisions of the BCL, this Amended and Restated
                           Certificate of Incorporation, and any By-Laws adopted
                           by the shareholders; provided, however, that no
                           By-Laws hereafter adopted by the shareholders shall
                           invalidate any prior act of the directors which would
                           have been valid if such By-Laws had not been adopted.


                               EIGHTH: AMENDMENTS

           The Corporation reserves the right to amend, alter, change or repeal
           any provision contained in this Amended and Restated Certificate of
           Incorporation, in the manner now or hereafter prescribed by statute,
           and al rights conferred upon shareholders herein are granted subject
           to this reservation.


                   NINTH: LIMITATION OF LIABILITY OF DIRECTORS


           To the fullest extent permitted under section 402 of the BCL, no
           director of the corporation shall be personally liable to the
           corporation or its shareholders for damages for any breach of duty in
           such capacity, provided that this provision
   8
           shall not limit

                  (a)      the liability of any director if a judgment or other
                           final adjudication adverse to him or her establishes
                           that his or her acts or omissions were in bad faith
                           or involved intentional misconduct or a knowing
                           violation of law or that he or she personally gained
                           in fact a financial profit or other advantage to
                           which he or she was not legally entitled or that his
                           or her acts violated section 719 of the BCL, or

                  (b)      the liability of any director for any act or omission
                           prior to adoption of a provision authorized by this
                           paragraph.


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have duly executed this Merger Agreement as
of the 30th day of June, 1999.




SALOMON SMITH BARNEY HOLDINGS INC.


By: /s/ MICHAEL A. CARPENTER
    ---------------------------
      Name: Michael A. Carpenter
      Title Chairman and Chief Executive Officer



SSBHI MERGER COMPANY INC.

By: /s/ MICHAEL A. CARPENTER
    ---------------------------
      Name: Michael A. Carpenter
      Title Chairman and Chief Executive Officer