Wall Street bonuses could be healthy

Fears about the impending bonus cuts on Wall Street this year may have
been blown out of proportion, considering the big firms have stashed
away $94 billion for bonus payouts and other compensation expenses
through the first three quarters of 2007 — up from $86 billion for the
same period in 2006, a record year. Consulting firm Johnson &
Associates expects many Wall Streeters to at least match last year’s
bonus, if not get 5 to 15 percent more. A commodities trading managing
director could receive a $5 million to $7 million bonus, on top of a
$200,000 base salary; a managing director doing mortgage-backed
securities might see bonus cuts from $2.5 million in 2006 to $1 million
this year.