Other than not getting selected as a possible candidate, nothing’s more painful than the feeling that you’ve left money on the table. If you’ve been lucky enough to get a job offer, or if you’re one of the ones in the final running, it’s probably time for your prospective employer to turn the tables on you. It’s the question you know they’re going to ask. What salary and take are... Read more

Cry me a river, right? According to Fortune, Goldman’s per capita compensation is down 11% to $147,825, as the firm’s first-quarter revenue fell 7% for the three months ended March 31. Meanwhile the bank grew its staff by 7% - meaning there were far fewer funds to go around. Says the magazine: “But if Goldman matches Wall Street's 2011 revenue estimate of around $38.5 billion and pays out the same... Read more

Asset based lending (ABL) may be the forgotten stepsister of the finance world but it's still a very safe and consistent bet for those who work their way into this specialized sector. When traditional lending contracts, as it does in the midst of recession or a market downturn, secured lenders such as ABL players and factors, usually pick up the slack. Jobs are opening up at firms that specifically provide... Read more

Low-cost portfolio managers that sell prepackaged portfolios such as MarketRiders and Folio Investing are being eyed as the new wave of investing, as such products have attracted more than $3 billion in assets over the last three years, according to Businessweek . These services are designed to tap the market of attract smaller, self-directed investors with monthly fees as low as $10 -- an underserved group, as traditional brokerages... Read more

Banks, as well as investment and asset management firms, seem to want it all from their job applicants. Don’t even mention hedge funds and private equity. In their search for the “perfect” and well-seasoned candidate, the list of job requirements is becoming longer than the Brady Bunch’s grocery list. Steven Pincus, managing director for TTI of USA, an executive recruiter, notes, “Client job descriptions, more often than not, do have... Read more

High-yield is enjoying a comeback. Investors put a whopping $4.6 billion into high yield mutual funds year-to-date as of mid February—a figure which already surpasses 1/3 of all in-flows into high yield mutual funds in 2010, according to Marc Gross, a New York-based money manager with York at RS Investments, which oversees $3 billion in its fixed-income funds. U.S. sales of below-investment grade bonds rated below Baa3 by Moody’s and lower... Read more

It seems like the old boys’ network is alive and well on Wall Street, if only because guys know how to make one another feel like part of the team even before a relationship’s been established. Connie Thanasoulis-Cerrachio, head of career coaching firm SixFigureStart, recently observed this clearly when she and some colleagues interviewed asset management analyst recruits from top undergraduate colleges and universities. Some of the male interviewers greeted... Read more

Hedge funds lagged the stock market last year, yet managers of even the poorest performing funds took home handsome pay packages, according to the New York Times. Case in point: the head of D.E. Shaw saw a 2010 payday of $275 million, even though his firm’s biggest fund returned a lousy 2.45%. The Times quotes one hedge fund investor: “So many of these guys are killing it on the management fees.... Read more

Putnam's retirement unit undergoes a big shake-up. [Investment News] Credit Suisse Cuts CEO Dougan’s pay by 34% after its profit drops. [Bloomberg] Deutsche Bank hired named Ben Solomon from Goldman Sachs as head of its commercial-mortgage backed securities trading as banks ramp up their real estate debt businesses. [BusinessWeek] Jefferies CEO's total 2010 pay was $47.3 million. [WSJ] Federal Reserve president Thomas Hoenig to retire. [AP] Citigroup hires UBS European M&A head Guerin for asset... Read more

Everything you need to know about hiring in one enormous report from Morgan Stanley, Predicts 20k job losses Morgan Stanley and Oliver Wyman have produced their large annual report on the state of the investment banking industry. While it doesn’t make for massively felicitous reading, what with Basel III and falling margins, it does say that banks need to reduce their costs and cut 20,000 jobs. Assuming you don’t have... Read more

The reinsurance market could be a hot M&A ground if corporate predators “have the nerve to look beyond a round of bumper claims triggered by the Japanese earthquake,” says Reuters. Sector activity has been put on hold while buyers try to assess how much the quake will cost reinsurers, which experts estimate could reach $25 billion. But historically, natural disasters have pushed up reinsurance prices as claims eat into the industry's... Read more

Boutique investment bank Guggenheim Partners will hire up to 150 prop-trader refugees from bulge-bracket banks. [Bloomberg] Credit Suisse hired Eric Miller, former head of credit research at Barclays Capital, to run fixed-income research globally - a move to help expand its debt underwriting business. [Bloomberg] UBS has appointed two former Washington insiders to its wealth management division, potentially improving its standing with regulators. [Dealbook] A new SEC proposal would require Wall Street firms... Read more

Jefferies is making a push into credit derivatives. [WSJ] Wall Street’s boutique firms stand to land more takeover deals after a recent ruling. [Bloomberg] Cash bonuses for New York City financial-sector employees reached $20.8 billion in 2010. [WSJ] Goldman Sachs tripled Lloyd Blankfein's salary after he opposed firm-wide raises. [Bloomberg] Wealth manager First Republic Bank is expanding its entertainment banking business in California. [<a href=... Read more

The problems in the muni bond market are giving some traders pause. On Thursday, Vanguard dropped plans for three new municipal bond funds. This comes right on the heels of JPMorgan Chase's Jamie Dimon warning of looming defaults. Certainly, municipal bonds posted one of their worst performances in two decades in December. But given the importance and staying power of the muni bond market, reports of its death are greatly... Read more

The job of a credit analyst is a challenging one, oriented to analytical and detail-driven people. Credit analysts assess the financial risks in things like equity or fixed income offerings, distressed debt, lending vehicles, or commodity portfolios. Gary McKelvie, director at recruiter Integrated Management Resources says you should be prepared to interview with a number of people, including the HR person, IT lead, a risk team specialist and possibly others.... Read more

Here's a list of hot jobs for 2011. For starters, think technology, wealth management, energy M&A and compliance. High Frequency Order Management Developer/Hedge Funds Kyle Ramkisson, principal and founder of hedge fund recruiter IJC Partners in New York, is looking for three or four times as many Order Management Systems (OMS) experts as he was a year ago. One reason: "A lot of firms over the past year have been trying to... Read more

If you're an energy trader, it's a safe bet that you're a bit worried about your job. Overall, due to tech and the big players taking over, there's fewer jobs. Plus, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission is just about ready to announce position limits for physical commodity derivatives as mandated by Dodd-Frank. That, and expected regulation in the EU, is sure to shake things up. "There's been some downsizing already, but... Read more

Some survivors of the hedge fund shakeout are using cash to fund business growth and hire investment and institutional marketing talent. [Investment News] Asset management compensation levels, with firms ditching bonuses and finding new ways to pay for top talent. [Investment News] UBS is marketing a structured product backed by credit derivatives, a welcome sign for the securitization market. [Financial News] HSBC's incoming CEO Stuart Gulliver is expanding the bank's wealth management business... Read more

Here's a job with surging salaries in Asia... The new year promises to be a bright one for compliance pros in Asia. A shortage of talent and increased demands created by new regulations mean higher earning potential, particularly within investment banking and private banking. [Hong Kong] The ongoing battle for Scotland's private banking expertise New entrants are challenging the likes of RBS and others, fueling competition in asset management and a healthy supply... Read more

Wall Street firms are miffed at potential bonus limits imposed by the U.K.'s chief regulator. [Bloomberg] The rebound in mergers and acquisitions is expected to strengthen next year,with global deal activity rising an estimated 36 percent, to $3.04 trillion. [Dealbook Broker dealer BTIG continues to expand in high yield and distressed debt. [Businesswire] M&A activity in Canada could surge due to deal flow in renewable energy. [Canada Newswire] Brok... Read more