just sayin’

Morgan Stanley, Citigroup, and Credit Suisse made some of the year’s biggest cuts in compensation for investment bankers, averaging as much as 30 percent, as Wall Street firms grappled with lower revenue.  Morgan Stanley, owner of the world’s largest brokerage, will also cap cash awards and defer more payouts, people with knowledge of the plans have said, while Zurich-based Credit Suisse, Switzerland’s second-largest bank, plans to give a portion of senior employees’ bonuses in bonds backed by derivatives. New York-based Citigroup may cut some bonuses in the securities and banking unit as much as 70 percent…Recipients may find they do better with shares instead of cash, according to Paul Sorbera, president of Wall Street executive search firm Alliance Consulting. “If things turn around, it may really turn out to be a windfall for them,” said Sorbera, whose firm is based in New York. “Some of these stocks are off 80 percent.” The S&P Financials Index advanced 8.6 percent this year as of last week’s close, and Bank of America Corp., ranked second by assets in the U.S., was leading the Dow Jones Industrial Average with a 31 percent advance. [Bloomberg]

Now would be a good time to start counting those coins. Continue reading »

  • 24 Sep 2010 at 5:27 PM

Ben Bernanke, Trendsetter?

Ben Bernanke, December 16, 2009: “I’ve got a driver’s license, my American Express card, a debit card, a Jos. [A.] Bank card where I get my suits, I have a health insurance card. And then I have a variety of other cards, phone numbers, United Airlines, frequent flyer. And I have $45…$75…$85. I’m all set.” Continue reading »


[CWS via clusterstock]
In case you needed the entirely transparent model broken down for you: DK says the reason the network encourages (requires) its talking heads to screech at each other (and at commentators) in a pitch only dogs can hear, and get into faux fights, is because you people won’t pay attention to or understand today’s business news unless it is packaged with “conflict, drama and struggle.”