Investment Banking Insights
What information do you need to know as an aspiring investment banker? Join career-switcher and MBA student Alex Mason as we journey together to uncover the technical (including the famous "400 interview questions") and not-so-technical aspects of the investment banking profession.
Episodes
372 episodes
Top 10 IB Recruiting Resources
By popular demand... here are my top 10 recruiting resources for investment banking!1. 400Q Guide2.
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Episode 369
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12:37
Working Capital Equation (Receivables, Inventory and Payables)
Here's a refresher on the concept of working capital. But we don't just cover the concept today, we'll look at the formula and what it means. Specifically:Working capital cycle (aka the funding gap) = Receivable Days + Inventory Day...
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Episode 368
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11:37
Wells Fargo Update, Plus Ken Moelis Steps Down
Updates in the world of investment banking, regarding Wells Fargo's release from it's $1.95 trillion asset cap. Also, Ken Moelis steps down as CEO of Moelis & Co.
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Episode 367
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9:41
Drew Pascarella on Building a Career and Teaching Cornell's IB Immersion
Drew Pascarella is a seasoned investment banker and educator (including my professor!). Drew shares his journey from an IT role at Goldman Sachs to becoming a front-office investment banker at Citi, and eventually transitioning to teaching at C...
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Episode 366
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52:32
Series 63 Exam Results (Plus Graduation!!)
Series 63 exam results and differences from the SIE.Also…I just graduated from business school!!!! 🙌🏽
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Episode 365
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4:59
IB Recruiting Outside of NYC
Most of the investment banking jobs in the United States are in New York...but what if you want to work somewhere else? Setting up your life in a physical location is a big decision that impacts your entire lifestyle. Today we cover how to tack...
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Episode 364
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8:34
Finding Your Champion with Pete Fraser
Today we're sitting down with Pete Fraser, a former mechanical engineer who successfully pivoted to investment banking after his MBA at Cornell. Pete shares his journey from working in a steel mill in Gary, Indiana to landing a coveted position...
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Episode 363
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48:35
How to Un-lever and Re-lever Beta
Beta measures systematic risk...great to know, but what do we do with it? In today's episode we'll walk through how to un-lever and re-lever beta based on the capital structure of a target business that you're valuing (e.g. for a DCF analysis)....
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Episode 362
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9:48
SIE Exam Results
How I did on the Securities Industry Essentials (SIE) exam and advice for you!
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Episode 361
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4:50
What Is Beta?
What does beta mean in finance and what is it used for? A simple explanation.
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Episode 360
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5:22
Quick NVIDIA Comps Analysis (Capital IQ)
Today we're performing a quick comparable companies analysis for NVIDIA in Capital IQ. We'll walk through how to create the set of comparable companies and get to the point of being able to compare trading multiples for similar firms.
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Episode 359
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6:29
IB Journey Update and Networking Thoughts
Today I'll give a quick update on where I'm at in my journey, and share some insights I've learned talking with a several of you!
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Episode 358
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9:35
AI's Impact on Investment Banking
AI's a big buzzword these days, but it's worthwhile to think about how artificial intelligence is going to impact our work as investment bankers. While I don't think we'll be out of a job, I strongly believe the nature of our work as advisors i...
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Episode 357
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10:59
Recruiting Trends and Strategies with Jason Lum
It's my pleasure to welcome Jason Lum back on the show to talk about recruiting trends and strategies to help you stand out (particularly if you go to a non-target school). We discuss what's going on in the market right now and specific actions...
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Episode 356
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24:55
M&A Accretion Example (Capital One and Discover)
Last week we talked about the Capital One and Discover deal going on right now, and I thought it would be a great opportunity to explore how the math might look for a deal like this. We'll go over a simple merger model that I put together in Ex...
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Episode 355
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17:56
Capital One Acquires Discover Financial (Deal Pitch)
Capital One has decided to acquire Discover Financial, a big deal in the financial services space. Today we discuss the basic elements of the deal, including purchase price, consideration, and rationale.
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Episode 354
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13:15
FINRA Requirements for Investment Bankers
After you get the internship and secure the return offer, what's next? To get licensed as an investment banker, you have to take a few tests....bummer right? Don't worry, these are standardized exams that will draw on a lot of knowledge you've ...
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Episode 353
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7:48
The State of Investment Banking 2025
Happy 2025! Every now and then it's good to zoom out of the small details of recruiting and understand what's going on in the broader industry. Here are are some fast facts and figures about how the IB industry did in 2024...and my thoughts for...
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Episode 352
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9:12
Evaluating Multiple Offers
When you get that investment banking offer in hand, it's a beautiful thing. The most common situation is simple - you accept the offer!But what if you have multiple IB offers to choose from? It's an amazing position to be in, f...
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Episode 351
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11:54
3 Fatal Mistakes When Answering Interview Questions
There are a number of ways to prepare for investment banking interviews...and there are ways to not prepare. I've experienced some of these mistakes myself and want to share the lessons I've learned with you in today's episod...
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Episode 349
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12:37
Jon Paris - Career Evolution in Banking and Career Advice From My Talent Director at Lincoln International
Today I have the pleasure of sharing a conversation with someone who not only rose the ranks of investment banking to become a Director, but is also someone who runs recruiting at the largest privately held investment bank in the world, Lincoln...
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Episode 348
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53:43
Case Studies In Investment Banking Interviews
A trend is emerging among some investment banks, where case studies are becoming a component of the interview process. In today's episode, we discuss:why case studies can be relevant to investment banksthe two structures of...
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Episode 347
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8:53
Jason Lum - The 'Bridge' Path to Investment Banking
Today's episode features a conversation with finance consultant Jason Lum. Jason worked his way up to several high-finance roles - including a banking role at CIBC - from his time as an undergraduate at a non-target university in Canada. We dis...
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Episode 346
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30:22