WSO Weekly Wrap-up

January 24, 2026

Hey WSO Monkey,

Hope your week didn’t completely run you over. This week’s top discussions were around comp/promo, the usual office culture/perks, and some debate on what PE actually is (and whether you’re supposed to feel good about it). Check out whatever matches your current headspace.

-Patrick

Top Discussions

  1. A Finance Pirate Looks at 40 - "Life isn’t just about planning. It’s even more important to know what to plan. I think you can easily find yourself at 40 realizing that you achieved what you wanted to achieve but now that you know more, you’ve focused on and achieved the wrong things. Whether it is finding Jesus or just figuring out things like where you want to live and how do you see your life with a significant other and kids, the earlier you figure it out the better. Otherwise, you may spend a lot of time “accomplishing” goals which in hindsight were not that wise or important at all in the bigger picture. We often think about regret in terms of not doing the things we should have done to achieve our goals but when you realize that you regret your goals, it’s even worse. Having good goals that are never fully achieved is in my opinion better than bad goals successfully mastered...”

  2. Everything Rothschild London - "Joined the team very recently as an Analyst and know the comp is 70 for An1 and 80 for An2. Does it go to 90 for An3? What about bonuses? Know these are usually eqv. to Tesco meal deal vouchers but more precise numbers would be greatly appreciated please! What does the promotion cycle look like? I.e. when are Analyst promotions during the year and when does An -> Aso happen? What is Aso comp looking like these days? On the topic of promotions, is it possible to be fast-tracked?"

  3. I have $1.5M: Should I do a Roth conversion? (Ask an Advisor) - "‘I've heard that doing Roth conversions could help reduce taxes triggered by RMDs.’ Questions like this deserve more than passing consideration.

    Get data-driven answers. Connect with up to 3 vetted fiduciary advisors focused on tax-aware planning."

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Top Discussions (contd.)

  1. The Private Equity Boogeyman - "Public equities/quant don't involve control of the company. We get in and out to make whatever our investment thesis was and, setting aside the handful of activist funds, we never have a seat at the table. At worst, it's "more efficient allocation of capital" across publicly traded companies. Nobody's kidding themselves that they are making the world a better place, but it's not extracting "value" from actual businesses (paying out a big cash dividend Year 1 to juice IRR or other fun games). PE's primary selling point is the corporate control (without that, it's just illiquid, long beta exposure with high rates risk). And corporate control, if done well, probably leads to "efficiencies". For your average Joe, that's layoffs, disappearing family owned businesses, and declining service quality at PE-owned companies (see: health care)..."

  2. Raise your hand if you are still manually calculating DSCR in Excel. Stop it. - “Your portfolio is too complex for manual data entry. LoanBoss doesn't just store loan docs; it automates them. One-click covenant testing. Live forward curves. Instant cash flow forecasting. Stop the manual repetition. Modernize your debt management today.”

  3. Office Amenities - "Houlihan on every floor has cold brew on tap, giant fridges with diff beverages and drawers of snacks. Only problem is a lot of fuckers will camp the snack drops and hoard all the good stuff. Once a month there’s a “birthday party” where they basically just order a bunch of cakes to office. Have heard LA office is even better."

  4. PE Perks 2026 - "European funds have pretty great off-sites or at least the large ones. Ski trips and/or offsites are common. Not at a European fund though, unfortunately so we get the more standard dinner stipends, business travel if far, ubers, etc. only."

  5. Are You Proud of Your Job in PE? - "I'm proud of my ability to handle a challenging job and work towards financial freedom for myself and my family. I'm grateful. That said, I'm not proud of private equity's overall impact on the country. Not to say PE is actively evil, but it likely is contributing to unsustainable levels of income inequality."

New Podcasts Coming in Hot 🔥

  • Mentorship, Banking & Big Deals | A Real Career Story

  • From Italy to Saudi Arabia: Claudio’s Global Finance Journey & Lessons in Mentorship

  • Breaking Into Investment Banking: Vamshi’s Journey from UChicago to Private Equity Success

Hot Jobs 💼

Remote Project for Investment Banking / Private Equity Professionals ($175/hr) - “Handshake is recruiting Investment Banking and Private Equity experts to contribute to an AI research project with leading AI labs. Participation is flexible and fully remote.”

Investment Banking, Private Equity, and Hedge Fund Professionals - “AfterQuery Experts is hiring IB/PE/HF professionals with 1-5 years of experience for remote, part-time roles ($100-$150/hr; 20-40hr/week). You’ll apply your foundation in accounting, valuation, and financial modeling to create high-quality content used to train AI models.”

Investment Banking Vice President - "This involves reviewing AI outputs for correctness, methodological rigour, and commercial relevance—then building evaluation criteria and model answers that reflect how things are actually done at top-tier banks.."

Finance Expert - "Mercor is recruiting U.S./UK/Canada/Europe/Singapore/Dubai/Australia-based Investment Banking or Private Equity Experts for a research project with a leading foundational model AI lab."

Private Equity Expert - "Mercor is recruiting U.S./UK/Canada/Europe/Australia-based Private Equity Experts for a research project with a leading foundational model AI lab."

Insights Senior Manager/Principal, Private Equity - "The Insights Private Equity group at Dialectica plays a key role in driving growth and scaling an emerging business unit within the company..."

Pre-MBA Private Equity Associate - "We are seeking a Pre-MBA Private Equity Associate to join our team for a Summer 2027 start..."

Financial Modeling Expert - "In this highly visible role, you will deploy your deep expertise in financial modeling, valuation, and deal structuring to support major investment decisions across diverse sectors..."

WSO Mentor - "Are you an experienced professional with a background in investment banking, private equity, hedge funds, S&T, venture capital, asset management, equity research, quant finance, corporate dev, real estate finance, or top-tier consulting? Passionate about mentoring the next generation of leaders? Wall Street Oasis (WSO) is expanding its Mentorship Program, and we're looking for outstanding professionals to join our mentor roster—an elite network supporting students and young professionals as they prepare for high-stakes careers. Whether you’re looking to give back, stay connected to rising talent, or sharpen your coaching skills, this role offers you the chance to make a meaningful impact, remotely and on your schedule..."

On Deck - Training 🎓

All in Eastern Standard Time

Stay Strong,
Patrick Curtis
CEO and Founder, WallStreetOasis.com

WSO Mobile App: iOS | Android

PS - We're also always looking to add resume reviewers and WSO Mentors to our team. Set your own pay (from $40/hr to up to $400/hr) to increase or decrease mentee flow. To submit an application, go here.

PPS - Think you have an interesting story? Want to share it with our podcast listeners? Hit reply and let me know!




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