How are you spending your $1,200

For those of you who qualify for the $1,200 stimulus check, what are you doing with your money? I'm thinking about getting a dual monitor set-up to use my senior year and for work eventually. But want to hear other's ideas.

EDIT: To qualify for the check you need to meet these criteria. 1) not be listed as a dependent on your parent's tax filing and 2) you have filed your own taxes for 2019 and 3) you cannot have made over $99K

55 Comments
 
"Intern in IB-M&A" How Are You Spending Your $1,200

There are really only 3 choices: a) Models and bottles b) Hookers and blow c) Boats 'n hoes

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 

I'm afraid they don't work these days.

Never discuss with idiots, first they drag you at their level, then they beat you with experience.
 

I'm more of a ceremonial fungal mask guy.

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/83/8e/92/838e9251bafd039cd81f932e27bcf48…" alt="ceremonial fungal mask" title="ceremonial fungal mask" />

“Doesn't really mean shit plebby boi. LMK when you're pulling thiccboi cheques.“ — @m_1
 
"stev0026" Can someone provide some color on who's getting these checks? I see comments on instagram from people who work 30 hours/week at Macy's thinking they're getting a full $1200... is that true?

And what if your base salary is below $99,000 but total pay is above? Honestly more confused than I was a few days ago

It's pretty simple. This process uses a person's 2019 (if not available, 2018) tax filing, which means you have had to already filed to speed up the process. When you file taxes, your estimated obligation (benefit) from your witholding is based off your AGI. You can check what your AGI is on your tax return once it's been completed. Whatever that AGI is will be used against the threshold for persons qualifying. Some on this board won't qualify for anything as many earn well over $99K in base alone.

Since base salaries for most junior positions, including IB, start below $99k, my assumption is, a lot could potentially qualify for something if they were not paid a bonus that they were required to report in their tax filing which would then bump their AGI above the threshold. For those with an AGI up to $99k, but above $75k, they will receive a check that is $5 less for each additional $100 above $75k.

If you earned $99k, then you made $24k over $75k, which gives you a check of $1200 - 24000/100 = 240 * 5 = $0.

 

The government could have implemented this a lot faster without means testing the check. Just send one to every tax filer and call it a day, Andrew Yang style.

Be excellent to each other, and party on, dudes.
 

If times like these are any indication, then perhaps putting that money towards a savings account may be the smartest move. Although credible sources are hard to find in this regard, a significant portion of Americans cannot withstand an unexpected charge of $1000 dollars or more, i.e. they don't have that much money saved. In this way, setting yourself with, an albeit, modest, nest-egg would certainly be a virtuous move in the longer term to help you withstand any unexpected costs you may incur (health-related, a table at your favorite club, or otherwise).

Barclays and Goldman Sachs offer relatively high-yield savings accounts (1.6-1.7%), among others, that you can use to keep your purchasing power on par with inflation. If you're comfortable with taking on more risk and reaching for some extra yield, you can always open a Roth IRA or a Traditional IRA based on your income level (I'd choose Roth if I were you, as a college student) and invest in traditional, low expense ratio index or mutual funds. Depending on your broker, you can opt for the classics (SPY, the S&P 500 index fund) or others like (FXAIX, a mutual fund offered by Fidelity). I would not advise with going for individual stocks or options, really, ever. As much as r/wallstreetbets may seem like it's a great idea, for every winner there are 100 losers, or more.

If you are dead set on spending it, then I'd reach for something that, for you, would have the greatest marginal value in the long-run. There is nothing better than a well-made suit and pair of shoes that could help you look the part in any eventual interview. Perhaps a tie. Perhaps all three. Even if you have a suit, the utility of a 2nd or 3rd or 4th, all in different styles, cannot be overstated. I would not spend it on any monitors, as, if you're to be a senior in college presumably, then whatever job in finance you have, or end up taking, will not likely be a job you do too frequently from home, if at all, and you won't get up getting the long term gain from the monitors than you thought you would have. And, why get monitors for your job when the monitors you need at your job will already be provided for you? The marginal benefit from having those at work, I guarantee you, will be less than what you'll see if you spend it on something that, when you sit down and think about it, will be a good purchase providing utility on a more permanent basis.

Now the purpose of this money coming through is for you to spend it. But everyone is going to spend it on something useless. Several expensive dinners at various places, that nice bottle of alcohol that they've been wanting, extra, expensive, useless accessories. But for you, this is a good opportunity to help yourself become more financially stable and/or buy yourself a good that provides you with a significant benefit over the longer term. I know that I'll be putting it into a brokerage account and will let that money grow.

 

Thank you lord and savior, John Bogle.

In all seriousness though, I think this is good advice for most people, though maybe not people on this forum specifically who are already well have and have sufficient savings (if you work in finance I would hope you do). Another thing might be a good idea is putting it into a 529 plan if you want to go to grad school in the next couple years (or starting a college fund for your kids), or enrolling in an online class/program to learn some new skills that would be beneficial to know in the long run.

Quant (ˈkwänt) n: An expert, someone who knows more and more about less and less until they know everything about nothing.
 

Great points. Also, you are the first person in the history of the world to write this:

"rotundanalyst" As much as r/wallstreetbets may seem like it's a great idea
“Doesn't really mean shit plebby boi. LMK when you're pulling thiccboi cheques.“ — @m_1
 
"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 

Man, I know so many people who will technically qualify due to their working shitty easy jobs and not having trust funds despite the fact that they have their parents bankrolling their lifestyles (rent paid, food/ shopping charged to an extra line on dad’s card, etc.)

 

Kind of surprised Rich Handler didn't post about it on his insta, but that's probably out of respect.

Quant (ˈkwänt) n: An expert, someone who knows more and more about less and less until they know everything about nothing.
 

Do people who started work July 2019 qualify because most probably didn't make $99k up to filing their taxes? Also, is it if your parents most recently filed you as dependent (FY2019)?

 
"Intern in IB-M&A" How Are You Spending Your $1,200

Also, $1,200 will get you a picture with a baby tiger. Doc says he's not closing for the corona virus.

![https://gossipgist.com/uploads/28469/kody-antle-docantle.jpg][https://g…]

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 

Consequatur quis laborum rerum quis quis. Et minima laboriosam sit voluptatem animi quis rerum. Et corrupti dolor repellendus ut voluptate. Rem et debitis nobis quam saepe temporibus magni sed. Sint eaque quam est similique.

 

Quia eveniet suscipit quisquam mollitia ipsa impedit. Aut sint adipisci omnis sint ullam et temporibus. Incidunt ea repellat aut aliquid soluta ut sed deserunt. Ut labore saepe fugiat reprehenderit. Nihil culpa maiores mollitia vitae dolorum debitis.

Ipsam et sed corrupti qui qui. Voluptas autem quasi repellendus vel corrupti nemo omnis. Dolor quis illum modi deserunt dolor aut. Enim qui fugiat veniam accusantium.

Sint error minus culpa eligendi veritatis officiis voluptatem. Quasi accusamus dicta error est est. Veniam velit minima mollitia consequuntur fugiat. Rerum saepe nihil sint praesentium nihil perspiciatis ab. Sed aliquid esse eos ea eos. Fugiat aperiam molestiae eligendi voluptas.

Aut ut cumque ipsam et accusamus. Quasi id ullam corrupti voluptates vitae a. Rerum maiores officia aut reprehenderit ea blanditiis. Sequi aperiam omnis molestias mollitia sequi. Nostrum minima quia vero voluptas minus rerum quas.

 

Temporibus molestiae sequi porro voluptatem. Saepe sunt fugiat aut labore debitis. Iste enim totam praesentium molestias provident doloremque. Est et nihil amet quasi praesentium pariatur. Perferendis fugit et sed sapiente.

Aliquid et mollitia nobis exercitationem dolor velit ullam. Corporis quis cumque vero rerum voluptas.

Quas et omnis occaecati officiis. Ipsum fugit ut expedita harum reprehenderit et animi error. Et corporis omnis quod modi. Dolorem illo facere accusamus odio.

Quo ad veniam ea aperiam. Ullam maiores optio quod impedit et molestiae.

Will update my computer soon and leave Incognito so I will disappear forever. How did I achieve Neanderthal by trolling? Some people are after me so need to close account for safety.

Career Advancement Opportunities

May 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.2%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

May 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.2%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.6%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

May 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.2%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

May 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (43) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (75) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (65) $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
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
numi's picture
numi
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...”