Careers
Finding Your Champion
And then, there were four.
Four investment bankers, all up for a promotion to the next level. Not quite the coveted managing director title yet, but nonetheless a big step […]
Careers
Careers
Show Me The Money (Lessons From Bonus Time)
Over the past few weeks, a strangely coordinated affair played out across investment banks around the world. At the surface, it manifested itself in short, ten-minute conversations – all revolving around a single number. A number that is, at least theoretically, supposed to reflect […]
Careers
Five Reasons To Look For A New Job This Year
A couple of years ago, one of my best friends was let go from his job. He had spent the previous 14 years climbing the ranks of a large corporate, ultimately landing a senior, well-remunerated position. Unfortunately, the organization he worked for employed an […]
Careers
Your Most Important Investment
Bonds or equities? US or international? Large cap or small cap? What about value? Gold, commodities, crypto, individual stocks, sectors and subsectors, investing styles – the personal finance community is bursting at the seams with discussions on where to put your money. And yet, […]
Careers
The Office Puppet Show
Back in the heydays leading up to the global financial crisis, the same scene would regularly play out at the Deutsche Bank London headquarters. On bonus day, a car transporter would pull up to the landmark yellow building at 75 London Wall. It would […]
Careers
The Low-Effort, High-Impact Way To Do Well At Work
There aren’t many advantages to being an analyst in the investment banking world. You are at the lowest possible point in the pecking order. Hours are long, stress levels high, and social life is non-existent. The one advantage, however, is the timing of the […]
Careers
It Won’t Happen To You
When Randall Stephenson announced he is retiring from his role as the CEO of AT&T a few weeks ago, he sure caused a stir. Donald Trump took an instant swipe at him on Twitter. Clearly, no love lost between CNN and the White House […]
Careers
Walking The Tightrope Of An Up-Or-Out Career
This post is dedicated to all the bankers, lawyers, consultants, private equity professionals and anyone else working in an up-or-out industry. When the time comes, you’ll know the signs. Your firm lands a plum mandate with a big fee – but somehow, despite having […]
Careers
What Your Employer Doesn’t Want You To Know: Loyalty Doesn’t Pay
It didn’t always feel like it, but the last decade was an awesome time to be making money. The S&P 500 delivered a total return of 275% over the ten-year period – that’s about 10.7% on an annualized basis. Large corporations have seized on […]
Careers
The Definitive Guide To Making A Lot More Money At Work
Let’s start this post with a little factoid: If you were to ask people whether they would like to make A LOT more money this year, everyone would say yes. And yet, if you were to ask the same group of people whether they […]
Careers
Run For The Hills From A Job With Unlimited Holiday
A couple of months ago, I was asked to join a task group at work to help evaluate a variety of workplace initiatives. For reasons I outline below, our bank was looking for ways to improve employee work-life balance. I like helping people and […]
Careers
UK Income Distribution – Where Do You Fit In?
Only a minority of people are born into wealthy families. The rest of us need to rely on jobs (at least at first) to generate income, cover our expenses and save money. Once you have saved and invested enough money to reach financial independence, […]
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Five Simple Things You Need To Do In September If You Are Serious About Building Wealth
The last four months of the year is a funny time period. One day, you are on a beach somewhere, enjoying that well-deserved holiday. The next, you are plumbing the depths of despair as you come back to the office and question your entire […]
Careers
The Curse Of A Highly Paid Professional
What do investment bankers, consultant physicians, management consultants, technology professionals and corporate executives have in common? If you believe the popular perception, the people in this category enjoy fabulous lives. They have high profile, rewarding and well remunerated jobs. As a result, they build […]
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The Real Path To Wealth And Power
What is the fastest way to become wealthier? Saving, investing, starting a side business or getting a great education are all things that will set you on the path to financial independence. These are also things that take years and sometimes even decades to […]
Careers
A Candid Look At Investment Banking Salary And Bonus Levels
These days, you can hardly find a more divisive topic than investment banking salary and bonus levels. They are picked on by governments, criticised by media and either envied or derised by the public, depending on the individual. Most of all, it’s a topic […]