London: Top MM Hedge Fund - Compensation - financial planning

I just started working for a top hedge fund (think Point 72, Citadel, Millennium, Balyasny) in London. This is with little experience (c1 years in Equity Research / IBD)

I am currently making a financial plan and I was hoping that some of the more experienced HF people could provide their thoughts on the compensation numbers I am assuming in my calculations.

Please note that I am aware that bonus depends on performance, PMs etc - these are just average / rough estimates as I have to use some sort of numbers to plan.

Do these numbers (in £) look reasonable? Should they be adjusted up / down?


Compensation





 

I don't think you should be assuming to ever make ~£2MM when financial planning. It's definitely possible but it's much better to be a bit more conservative while planning and then be positively surprised if you do end up making that much.

 

You're out of your mind if you think you can plan your earnings 8 years out in this career path, particularly this early on.

It's probably optimistic to assume career stability, but to assume you're going to more tham 10x your annual income.. dangerously delusional. Please don't make spending decisions based on those projections or you'll be broke before you know it. 

 

Planning 8 years ahead seems ambitious given the volatility of total comp in the sector and therefore there is a high probability that the guesstimate is going to be far off. Sure you could be having a stroke of luck and make 2 mil (or even more) by year 9, but it's no guarantee regardless of your intrinsic talent as luck is also involved. Assuming career stability, the evolution of base comp (easier to forecast) offers a floor for the amount you can safely spend without depending on your bonus (i.e. which you can use for budgeting big expenses like housing or mortgage, etc.). 

Also on a side note, I would appreciate if you could detail the interview process at the MMs for analysts with around 1 year of experience in London as I have a similar background. PM me if you prefer.

 
Most Helpful

Occaecati ut ab nemo fugit aut ut maxime. Est et maxime in quasi maxime. Ea aut aut inventore voluptatem.

Earum enim est dolor qui. Possimus minima eaque molestiae. Cum voluptas error quidem voluptatum omnis repellat eligendi.

Et adipisci delectus nostrum enim vel sint architecto. Unde laudantium occaecati aliquam sint sapiente. Non perspiciatis amet cupiditate minima rem est sequi. Dolor expedita consectetur dolorem minus maxime.

Quo optio dolores molestiae nihil sunt magni. Molestias voluptatem molestiae ipsa explicabo. Quam ea perspiciatis hic enim eum reprehenderit incidunt nihil. Similique ut et et porro occaecati minima aut. Quibusdam autem sit perferendis nulla. Doloremque inventore ex sunt culpa velit. Natus maiores iste ut vel voluptas totam repellat fuga.

Career Advancement Opportunities

April 2024 Hedge Fund

  • Point72 98.9%
  • D.E. Shaw 97.9%
  • Citadel Investment Group 96.8%
  • Magnetar Capital 95.8%
  • AQR Capital Management 94.7%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

April 2024 Hedge Fund

  • Magnetar Capital 98.9%
  • D.E. Shaw 97.8%
  • Blackstone Group 96.8%
  • Two Sigma Investments 95.7%
  • Citadel Investment Group 94.6%

Professional Growth Opportunities

April 2024 Hedge Fund

  • AQR Capital Management 99.0%
  • Point72 97.9%
  • D.E. Shaw 96.9%
  • Magnetar Capital 95.8%
  • Citadel Investment Group 94.8%

Total Avg Compensation

April 2024 Hedge Fund

  • Portfolio Manager (9) $1,648
  • Vice President (23) $474
  • Director/MD (12) $423
  • NA (6) $322
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (24) $287
  • Manager (4) $282
  • Engineer/Quant (71) $274
  • 2nd Year Associate (30) $251
  • 1st Year Associate (73) $190
  • Analysts (225) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (22) $131
  • Junior Trader (5) $102
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (250) $85
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”