We will use the term financial manager to refer to anyone responsible for a significant corporate investment or financing decision. But except in the smallest firms, no single person is responsible for all the decisions discussed in this book. Responsibility is dispersed throughout the firm. Top management is of course constantly involved in financial decisions. But the engineer who designs a new production facility is also involved: the design determines the kind of asset the firm will invest in. Likewise the marketing manager who undertakes a major advertising campaign is making an investment decision: the campaign is an investment in an intangible asset that will pay off in future sales and earnings.
Nevertheless, there are managers who specialize in finance, and their functions are summarized in Figure 1.2. The treasurer is usually the person most directly responsible for looking after the firm’s cash, raising new capital, and maintaining relationships with banks and other investors who hold the firm’s securities.
Nevertheless, there are managers who specialize in finance, and their functions are summarized in Figure 1.2. The treasurer is usually the person most directly responsible for looking after the firm’s cash, raising new capital, and maintaining relationships with banks and other investors who hold the firm’s securities.
FIGURE 1.2
The financial managers in
large corporations.
The financial managers in
large corporations.
For small firms, the treasurer is likely to be the only financial executive. Larger corporations usually also have a controller, who prepares the financial statements, manages the firm’s internal accounting, and looks after its tax affairs. You can see that the treasurer and controller have different roles: the treasurer’s main function is to obtain and manage the firm’s capital, whereas the controller ensures that the money is used efficiently.
The largest firms usually appoint a chief financial officer (CFO) to oversee both
the treasurer’s and the controller’s work. The CFO is deeply involved in financial policymaking and corporate planning. Often he or she will have general responsibilities beyond strictly financial issues.
Usually the treasurer, controller, or CFO is responsible for organizing and supervising the capital budgeting process. However, major capital investment projects are so closely tied to plans for product development, production, and marketing that managers from these other areas are inevitably drawn into planning and analyzing the projects. If the firm has staff members specializing in corporate planning, they are naturally involved in capital budgeting too.
Because of the importance of many financial issues, ultimate decisions often rest by law or by custom with the board of directors.9 For example, only the board has the legal power to declare a dividend or to sanction a public issue of securities. Boards usually delegate decision-making authority for small- or medium-sized investment outlays, but the authority to approve large investments is almost never delegated.
CAREERS IN FINANCE
In the United States well over 1 million people work in financial services, and many others work in the finance departments of corporations. We can’t tell you what each person does all day, but we can give you some idea of the variety of careers in finance. The nearby box summarizes the experience of a small sample of recent (fictitious) graduates.
We explained earlier that corporations face two principal financial decisions: the investment decision and the financing decision. Therefore, as a newly recruited financial analyst, you may help to analyze a major new investment project. Or you may instead help to raise the money to pay for it, perhaps by a new issue of debt or by arranging to lease the plant and equipment. Other financial analysts work on short-term financial issues, such as collecting and investing the company’s cash or checking whether customers are likely to pay their bills. Financial analysts are also involved in monitoring and controlling risk. For example, they may help to arrange insurance for the firm’s plant and equipment, or they may assist with the purchase and sale of options, futures, and other exotic tools for managing risk.
Instead of working in the finance department of a corporation, you may join a fi-
nancial institution. The largest employers are the commercial banks. We noted earlier that banks collect deposits and relend the cash to corporations and individuals. If you join a bank, at some point you may well work in a branch, where individuals and small businesses come to deposit cash or to seek a loan. Alternatively, you may be employed in the head office, helping to analyze a $100 million loan to a large corporation.
Banks do many things in addition to lending money, and they probably provide a
greater variety of jobs than other financial institutions. For example, individuals and businesses use banks to make payments to each other. So if you work in the cash management department of a large bank, you may help companies electronically transfer huge sums of money as wages, taxes, and payments to suppliers. Banks also buy and sell foreign exchange, so you could find yourself working in front of one of those computer screens in a foreign exchange dealing room. Another glamorous bank job is in the derivatives group, which helps companies to manage their risk by buying and selling options, futures, and so on. This is where the mathematicians and the computer buffs thrive.
Investment banks, such as Merrill Lynch or Goldman Sachs, help companies sell
their securities to investors. They also have large corporate finance departments which assist firms in major reorganizations such as takeovers. When firms issue securities or try to take over another firm, frequently a lot of money is at stake and the firms may need to move fast. Thus, working for an investment bank can be a high-pressure activity with long hours. It can also be very well paid.
The distinction between commercial banks and investment banks is narrowing. For example, commercial banks may also be involved in new issues of securities, while investment banks are major traders in options and futures. Investment banks and commercial banks may even be owned by the same company; for example, Salomon Smith Barney (an investment bank) and Citibank (a commercial bank) are both owned by Citigroup.
The insurance industry is another large employer. Much of the insurance industry is involved in designing and selling insurance policies on people’s lives and property, but businesses are also major customers. So if you work for an insurance company or a large insurance broker, you could find yourself arranging insurance on a Boeing 767 in the United States or an oil rig in Kazakhstan.
A mutual fund collects money from individuals and invests in a portfolio of stocks or bonds. A financial analyst in a mutual fund analyzes the prospects for the securities and works with the investment manager to decide which should be bought and sold.
Many other financial institutions also contain investment management departments. For example, you might work as a financial analyst in the investment department of an insurance company and help to invest the premiums. Or you could be a financial analyst in the trust department of a bank which manages money for retirement funds, universities, and charitable bodies.
Stockbroking firms and bond dealers help investment management companies and private individuals to invest in securities. They employ sales staff and dealers who make the trades. They also employ financial analysts to analyze the securities and help customers to decide which to buy or sell. Many stockbroking firms are owned by investment banks, such as Merrill Lynch.
Investment banks and stockbroking firms are largely headquartered in New York, as are many of the large commercial banks. Insurance companies and investment management companies tend to be more scattered. For example, some of the largest insurance companies are headquartered in Hartford, Connecticut, and many investment management companies are located in Boston. Of course, many financial institutions have large businesses outside the United States. Finance is a global business. So you may spend some time working in a branch overseas or making the occasional trip to one of the other major financial centers, such as London, Tokyo, Hong Kong, or Singapore.
Finance professionals tend to be well paid. Starting salaries for new graduates are in the region of $30,000, rather more in a major New York investment bank and somewhat less in a small regional bank. But let us look ahead a little: Table 1.2 gives you an idea of the compensation that you can look forward to when you become a senior financial manager.
The largest firms usually appoint a chief financial officer (CFO) to oversee both
the treasurer’s and the controller’s work. The CFO is deeply involved in financial policymaking and corporate planning. Often he or she will have general responsibilities beyond strictly financial issues.
Usually the treasurer, controller, or CFO is responsible for organizing and supervising the capital budgeting process. However, major capital investment projects are so closely tied to plans for product development, production, and marketing that managers from these other areas are inevitably drawn into planning and analyzing the projects. If the firm has staff members specializing in corporate planning, they are naturally involved in capital budgeting too.
Because of the importance of many financial issues, ultimate decisions often rest by law or by custom with the board of directors.9 For example, only the board has the legal power to declare a dividend or to sanction a public issue of securities. Boards usually delegate decision-making authority for small- or medium-sized investment outlays, but the authority to approve large investments is almost never delegated.
CAREERS IN FINANCE
In the United States well over 1 million people work in financial services, and many others work in the finance departments of corporations. We can’t tell you what each person does all day, but we can give you some idea of the variety of careers in finance. The nearby box summarizes the experience of a small sample of recent (fictitious) graduates.
We explained earlier that corporations face two principal financial decisions: the investment decision and the financing decision. Therefore, as a newly recruited financial analyst, you may help to analyze a major new investment project. Or you may instead help to raise the money to pay for it, perhaps by a new issue of debt or by arranging to lease the plant and equipment. Other financial analysts work on short-term financial issues, such as collecting and investing the company’s cash or checking whether customers are likely to pay their bills. Financial analysts are also involved in monitoring and controlling risk. For example, they may help to arrange insurance for the firm’s plant and equipment, or they may assist with the purchase and sale of options, futures, and other exotic tools for managing risk.
Instead of working in the finance department of a corporation, you may join a fi-
nancial institution. The largest employers are the commercial banks. We noted earlier that banks collect deposits and relend the cash to corporations and individuals. If you join a bank, at some point you may well work in a branch, where individuals and small businesses come to deposit cash or to seek a loan. Alternatively, you may be employed in the head office, helping to analyze a $100 million loan to a large corporation.
Banks do many things in addition to lending money, and they probably provide a
greater variety of jobs than other financial institutions. For example, individuals and businesses use banks to make payments to each other. So if you work in the cash management department of a large bank, you may help companies electronically transfer huge sums of money as wages, taxes, and payments to suppliers. Banks also buy and sell foreign exchange, so you could find yourself working in front of one of those computer screens in a foreign exchange dealing room. Another glamorous bank job is in the derivatives group, which helps companies to manage their risk by buying and selling options, futures, and so on. This is where the mathematicians and the computer buffs thrive.
Investment banks, such as Merrill Lynch or Goldman Sachs, help companies sell
their securities to investors. They also have large corporate finance departments which assist firms in major reorganizations such as takeovers. When firms issue securities or try to take over another firm, frequently a lot of money is at stake and the firms may need to move fast. Thus, working for an investment bank can be a high-pressure activity with long hours. It can also be very well paid.
The distinction between commercial banks and investment banks is narrowing. For example, commercial banks may also be involved in new issues of securities, while investment banks are major traders in options and futures. Investment banks and commercial banks may even be owned by the same company; for example, Salomon Smith Barney (an investment bank) and Citibank (a commercial bank) are both owned by Citigroup.
The insurance industry is another large employer. Much of the insurance industry is involved in designing and selling insurance policies on people’s lives and property, but businesses are also major customers. So if you work for an insurance company or a large insurance broker, you could find yourself arranging insurance on a Boeing 767 in the United States or an oil rig in Kazakhstan.
A mutual fund collects money from individuals and invests in a portfolio of stocks or bonds. A financial analyst in a mutual fund analyzes the prospects for the securities and works with the investment manager to decide which should be bought and sold.
Many other financial institutions also contain investment management departments. For example, you might work as a financial analyst in the investment department of an insurance company and help to invest the premiums. Or you could be a financial analyst in the trust department of a bank which manages money for retirement funds, universities, and charitable bodies.
Stockbroking firms and bond dealers help investment management companies and private individuals to invest in securities. They employ sales staff and dealers who make the trades. They also employ financial analysts to analyze the securities and help customers to decide which to buy or sell. Many stockbroking firms are owned by investment banks, such as Merrill Lynch.
Investment banks and stockbroking firms are largely headquartered in New York, as are many of the large commercial banks. Insurance companies and investment management companies tend to be more scattered. For example, some of the largest insurance companies are headquartered in Hartford, Connecticut, and many investment management companies are located in Boston. Of course, many financial institutions have large businesses outside the United States. Finance is a global business. So you may spend some time working in a branch overseas or making the occasional trip to one of the other major financial centers, such as London, Tokyo, Hong Kong, or Singapore.
Finance professionals tend to be well paid. Starting salaries for new graduates are in the region of $30,000, rather more in a major New York investment bank and somewhat less in a small regional bank. But let us look ahead a little: Table 1.2 gives you an idea of the compensation that you can look forward to when you become a senior financial manager.
TABLE 1.2
Representative salaries for senior jobs in finance
Representative salaries for senior jobs in finance
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