Exit opps for Structured Finance/Securitization?

Wondering what exit opps are possible and places to go from a structuring role in a Securitised Products Team in a IB

Does anyone also have any experience or is it viable to lateral from the Securitised Products Team to the LevFin team or Restructuring?

Thanks

27 Comments
 
Most Helpful

As a securitized products banker, this is a little bit of an odd question. Securitized products is basically completely unrelated to either of those things, so I would not describe them as typical "exit opportunities."

In my experience, securitized products does not have the similar two-years-and-out pattern that you get with "regular" IB, so "exit opportunities" are not quite as much of a focus, though you can absolutely get jobs on the buyside (focused on securitized products) or at an issuer if you want. 

A lot of us end up staying because of the hours aren't terrible and the work is pretty interesting/niche (can be very quanty if you're into it, or softer/client-facing if not).

 

Just a question, do you cover all asset classes or just RMBS or CLOs etc. Also from a structurer stand point is it easy to switch asset classes from RMBS to CLOs for example? 
thanks

 

Bankers/traders are generally focused on one type of asset class (I only cover RMBS), though there can occasionally be some blurred lines depending on exactly what you cover. For example, though I am an RMBS banker, some of our clients do small-multifamily or CRE-like loans which we cover.

Structurers tend to not be as focused on a single asset class, though I imagine that could depend somewhat on the bank. That being said, I do think that they have focus-areas, as I tend to work with certain structurers more than others.

 

What is the WLB like for securitized products bankers/structurers? Also how 'quantitative' is the structurer role compared to that of a banker?

 

Just saw a second year analyst move to PE. Not a big fund or one you've heard of but they switched. They were also at a BB known for sec prod. 

 

I agree the WL balance and the actual work is very interesting, just wondering if there's a lower comp ceiling compared to other groups/buy side.

Also what are some of the big buy side names that would take securitisation bankers? - Apollo, Centerbridge? KKR

 

Basically anywhere that has any sort of credit/debt strategy...places that come to mind are Angelo Gordon, Apollo, Ares, Blackstone, Cerberus, Lone Star/Hudson, Starwood, etc. plus a bunch of other places that are probably less "name brand" outside of the securitized space, but are large within it. 

Again, the up-and-out/buyside-or-die mentality is less prevalent in this space, but you can definitely go that direction if you want.

 

Do you know the reason behind why there's an increase of these groups being offloaded to the buy side? 

 

Punitive bank capital requirements post-GFC have made banks less efficient holders (or even intermediaries) of the risk on the margins.

Meanwhile, PE firms have been buying insurance companies and now have a ton of stable, long-dated capital to deploy into IG or near-IG assets. The securitized space is uniquely well positioned to fill this role because it tends to be more complex and less liquid that comparably-rated corporate credit.

If you have the ability to understand and structure the sort of niche/idiosyncratic types of assets in the securitized space, and you're not as constrained by need for liquidity (which insurance arms of PE firms aren't), you can make a decent excess return.

If you look up Apollo's 2021 investor day presentation, it outlines the thesis (which they're especially bullish on) pretty well.

 

Is it possible to move directly into securitized products/abs trading? Or vice versa - possible to move from abs trading to securitized products banking? 

 

Absolutely doable, particularly at the junior level. In fact, analysts at my bank are not really "committed" to one or the other until the ~second year I think.

Obviously, as time goes on, the skillsets tend to diverge a bit so it becomes less common. But no reason to think a quantitatively-oriented banker couldn't pivot to trading if the right need/fit came along.

 

Itaque similique tenetur autem. Accusamus nihil perspiciatis dolorem consequatur explicabo. Sequi pariatur aut laudantium ducimus veniam praesentium. Quia voluptatem occaecati quidem debitis veniam.

Atque atque placeat aut. Ut est id facere maiores quia qui sit.

Cupiditate omnis ex unde praesentium cumque necessitatibus ut nesciunt. Assumenda inventore tenetur dolorum blanditiis totam iusto velit. Ullam officiis et cumque ipsa nisi. Est quia sed enim cum porro et.

Cupiditate rerum laborum aperiam quae aliquam sint. Ut provident commodi earum. Dolore eaque amet facilis numquam. Quisquam et esse animi distinctio. Nostrum repudiandae aut quo quis hic ea modi. Quibusdam distinctio aut accusamus dolor.

 

At error ex consectetur qui ducimus officia ut ipsa. Iste tempora eum doloribus ea eos aspernatur placeat aut. Quis laudantium architecto esse deserunt iusto et.

Sunt corporis est repellat amet aperiam. Ea ut nulla officiis delectus sunt. Tenetur cupiditate iusto repellat consequatur magnam et. Et veritatis sapiente ab deleniti.

Facilis sit voluptatem rem tenetur sequi fugit. Ab autem voluptatum molestiae dolorem qui animi quia. Sed qui cupiditate magni quidem et quasi et. Voluptatem rerum ab vitae magnam atque animi. Ullam necessitatibus enim aut odio nihil quam deleniti. Officiis quo aut at nemo.

Facilis doloribus in expedita ea saepe quo. Tempore cumque sint omnis.

Career Advancement Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 08 97.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 02 97.2%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.3%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.8%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.2%

Professional Growth Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.2%

Total Avg Compensation

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (48) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (25) $178
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (83) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (75) $101
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

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
98.8
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...”