<p>How are these two different? I've done my share of the research, but since this stuff is too ambiguous for me, I would like to know in easier terms. It seems like most of the i-banks have some division called asset management. Are the two related?</p>
<p>Maybe mahras could help here?</p>
<p>Didnt notice this thread before!
Asset Management and Investment banking are on two different sides of the spectrum. Asset Managers are in the "buy side" and Ibanking is usually the "sell side" or act as the "middlemen". Asset Management personnel usually work in distributing customer investments on financial instruments or products to achieve a rate of return that is determined to be sufficient. However in Ibanking there is no distributing of customer investment. Ibanking is about client services through advisory work, and to look for buyers for seller or vice versa. For example, in M&A work you usually advice company's and pitch them about potential acquisition candidates but you really dont take their investment money and just buy investment products with it. Same for sales and trading, mostly you work as a flow trader helping to give liquidity to the institutional clients.</p>
<p>Thanks for your response, mahras. Now I know the difference. Which is harder to get into? How are the salaries different?</p>
<p>It would very much depend on the firm and the performance. Asset Management or Investment Management is very diverse in nature. You have mutual funds, private banks, hedge funds, pension funds etc. Each is different. For example some of the top mutual funds can provide you with comparable salaries to Ibanking. Pension funds as a whole usually are less demanding and less rewarding financially than an ibanking job. Hedge funds are a different story. Some of the top funds will pay you amounts much much higher than the ibanking guys will get paid. It really depends.</p>
<p>Hey mahras, I often see you on the business sections of CC, and you seem to know a lot about this stuff. Are you a high school/college student, or do you work in one of these fields? If you are a college student, where do you go?</p>
<p>High school 10th grader.</p>
<p>Wow, that's amazing how you know all this stuff at that age. The first time I even heard the word investment banking was junior year of high school. Now I'm a senior. Well thanks for your info.</p>
<p>Welcome. I just started early.</p>
<p>Redhare, Mahras knows his stuff. I was in Asset Management for 3 years (first with Lehman Brothers and later on with Goldman Sachs) and he pretty much summed it up very succintly and accurately. I fully expect Mahras to end up at Wharton...and if not, then at Michigan or another top Econ/Finance program.</p>
<p>Haas perhaps? :D</p>
<p>Thanks to Alexander for the kind words. I hope so. Wharton would be nice and michigan would be nice too. Just that Mich has that bad fin. aid for out of state students. Otherwise it would be great.</p>
<p>mahras, I hear North Dakota State - Enron School of Finance has a good business program. You might want to check it out :D</p>
<p>Sure thing ;). Gonna blow up like good ol Lay.</p>