Bonus Time - Lots of speculation

2005 analyst this year should be 90-110k at the min most likely 100-120k

I'm hoping will be 130k-150k bonus

i was trying to determine what each "class" would get as their first year bonus to see the general trend of first year bonuses.

i think class of 06 will get first year bonus of 60-80k

class of 07: 50-70K class of 08: 50-70K or 40-60K

Why are you anticipating bonus numbers to be lower of '07,'08 analysts ?

just my guess that the market won't stay this hot for too much longer...downturn is inevitable, right

gotta remember...bonus norms for first years were around 35k a few years back

I'd guess that 2007 analysts will get 0 this year same with 2008, but I predict 2009 analysts will get $40,000 this year. Just a weird hunch.

$28k back in 2002. wow, i feel old, and that bonus looks pathetic next to the #s being paid today. remember, though, it was 2002 (i think 1st yr avg was around $25-$30k.)

Disclaimer: The post above has been made by someone who is not currently employed in IBD, and has not had an interview yet...

well the lowest bonus I've heard of was a big fat zero....which was a clear message, naturally and i've known it to happen more than once. It's tough to find out brackets as people never want to know that they're being underpaid as that sucks - even on a board like this where you're relatively annonymous. At my shop no one tells each other their bonus quantum, it's more talked about indirectly - people who stay on are relatively pleased with their payout, those who walk weren't...alhtough you never know whether they had higher expectations that you etc etc and it all gets kind of murky. Potentially more open elsewhere though!!!

as is pay at all levels in finance. when economic growth is fast, companies are doing more capital raising, trading volumes are higher, and banks have to compete more with a generally tighter labor market for grads.

taking a view on bonuses is like taking a view on economic growth, they're extremely correlated, except that the secular trend in financial salaries has been consistently up as the "financialization" of the world is outpacing the availability of qualified new graduates

in the next few years, expect some reversion of bonuses toward the trend, but with a smaller dip than in the last downturn

I am going to be starting full-time this upcoming summer, so I am very interested in these projected bonus numbers.

Do you think it is unreasonable for me, a 2007 class analyst, to expect my bonuses to be 60-80k my first year and 70-90k my second year?

What could be the reason behind 0-bonus? bad personal performance? what do you do then? or bad performance company? do you look for a new job then? interested because I'm starting next summer at a BB in London that is performing really well and what people would do in such sitiations.

could also easily be something like 50-70 if 2007 is the year we really start slowing down

in any reasonable bank is if they are trying to give you a clear sign that the job is not working out, in which case you definitely look for a new job. it's pretty rare though. if you work hard it should not happen unless it was just a poor match to begin with, in which case it's probably time to do something else anyway

oh yes

are you guys serious? 25-35k that seems so ridiculous for 2007 analysts........i thought you're almost sure of getting 70-80% of base at the minimum.