The Big 4 accounting firms—Deloitte, PwC, EY, and KPMG—offer competitive salaries that vary by role, experience, qualifications (e.g., ACA, ACCA), department (e.g., audit, tax, advisory), and location. London typically commands a premium due to higher living costs, often 10-20% above other UK...

Private equity (PE) compensation in London and broader Europe remains highly competitive in 2025, driven by factors like fund size, asset class, experience, and regional differences. Data from recent surveys shows that total compensation typically includes base salary, annual bonus, carried...

Introduction The financial services sector hosts two powerhouse groups: the Big 4 accounting firms—Deloitte, PwC, EY, and KPMG—and the Bulge Bracket investment banks like Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, Citigroup, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Barclays, and Deutsche Bank. Big 4...

Preparing as a Graduate for the Big Four in the AI Era As the Big Four firms (Deloitte, PwC, EY, and KPMG) redefine professional services through AI integration—automating routine tasks, launching AI assurance services, and shifting toward tech-driven models—graduates face a more competitive...

Breaking into investment banking (IB) from a Big Four firm (Deloitte, PwC, EY, or KPMG) is absolutely possible—and quite common among those who plan it right. Thousands of accountants and consultants make this switch each year, often landing roles in M&A advisory, leveraged finance, or coverage...

Investment banking stays the golden ticket in finance, where the bonus component of your paycheck can swell two or three times your base in blockbuster years. It's not about just the cash only either—getting on an internship or graduate role can serve as the stepping stone into any solid...

Determining a fair equity agreement for a new startup depends on several factors, including the startup’s stage, valuation, funding amount, market norms, and the roles or contributions of the parties involved (e.g., founders, employees, investors, or advisors). Below, I’ll outline general...

Venture Capital Industry and Career Overview The venture capital (VC) industry involves firms or individuals investing money in early-stage, high-potential startups or small businesses in exchange for equity (ownership stakes). The goal is to fund innovative companies with high growth potential...

Global dealmaking is up by a third this year, setting 2025 up to be the best 12-month stretch since 2021 https://www.ft.com/content/9455b064-7727-4756-8a3d-8dd1cce7f008

OpenAI has signed about $1tn in deals this year for computing power to run its artificial intelligence models https://www.ft.com/content/5f6f78af-aed9-43a5-8e31-2df7851ceb67

Price has rocketed 50% this year, its best performance since 1979, as institutional investors pile in https://www.ft.com/content/54dc2b76-8c24-4dd7-a01a-7d1f38b5ea6d

Investment Professionals Analysts / Associates What they do: Conduct financial modeling (LBOs, DCF, merger models). Perform due diligence on target companies: analyze financial statements, market positioning, competitive landscape. Assist in deal execution: prepare investment memos, valuation...

Breaking into Global Markets as a graduate can feel overwhelming because the term covers many very different jobs—each with its own mix of skills, hours, and career paths. Here’s a overview of main departments and roles within GM, their day-to-day, and how to choose a role that fits you...

Excel serves as the primary platform for virtually all investment banking financial modeling, functioning as both the technical foundation and the analytical workspace where billion-dollar decisions are built, tested, and refined. Despite the availability of more sophisticated software...

Financial modeling in investment banking is a sophisticated analytical discipline that forms the backbone of virtually every major corporate transaction and strategic decision in the capital markets. These models are far more than simple spreadsheets—they are complex, interconnected financial...

The financial services industry is split into two types of companies: the sell-side and the buy-side. While both are essential to capital markets and deal-making, they operate very differently. Let’s break it down from the perspective of both trading/markets and investment banking/deal-making...

Within finance, there are many different industries you can go into and it's important that you choose one that suits your unique background. For example, if you are a textbook example of prospective quantitative trader, there is not much point to consider investment banking, and vice versa...

Attending a target versus a non-target university makes a huge difference when it comes to landing your first role. These categories are based on the relative attractiveness of universities reputation and more concretely, recruitment activity and networking opportunities available on campus...

A commonly asked question by students is: would [insert degree] be "good enough" to break into [insert industry]? While a valid question to ask, the answer is complex and is not always a simple "Yes" or "No". Degree/Subject Choice First of all, you should study a subject that you think you...

Industry Coverage Groups are specialized teams within investment banks that focus and have expertise in specific sectors/industries exclusively. Within a deal team, analysts to MD gain deep industry knowledge (as well as build valuable relationships in parallel) mostly through helping these...