Bonus season 2023: how does yours measure up?

Following record-breaking payouts last year, many investment bankers will be glad just to hang on to their jobs this bonus season as incentive pay takes a nosedive.

The prospect of recession and a sharp drop in global dealmaking has caused banks to take the knife to bonus pools as well as staff numbers, but nevertheless, some traders still expect to be well rewarded.

Following the success of our annual bonus survey last year, FT Money would like to ask readers working in finance to complete an anonymous, three-minute online survey about their 2023 bonus round expectations.

As well as the likely size of your bonus in relation to last year, we would like to know how you intend to invest, save or spend the money.

Last year, the majority of readers told us they intended to invest their bonus, but 13 per cent said they would pay a lump sum off their mortgage, and 7 per cent intended to sink some of their bonus into buying crypto.

How might readers’ financial priorities have changed in 2023?

You will also have the opportunity to comment on market dynamics and whether the removal of the cap on bankers’ bonuses is likely to make any difference to your future remuneration package.

“Few people in investment banking will have high expectations this year given the dearth of IPOs and declines across equity and bond markets last year,” said Jason Hollands, managing director at Evelyn Partners. “Having a job is your real bonus against that backdrop.”

However, as the FT has reported, some traders in areas such as fixed-income and currency trading expect to see increases to their bonus payouts this year.

In the coming weeks, FT Money will collate and publish the findings alongside specially tailored content for readers who are keen to learn more about investing their money tax efficiently.

Please direct any queries to our usual email address: money@ft.com