Morgan Stanley or Merrill for PWM Internship (Fall/Winter/Spring)?

Hey guys,

 I'm a Finance sophomore at a semi/non-target. I'm going into <abbr>IB</abbr> when I graduate, and I want some real-world exposure to carry with me for an internship at a <span><a href="/finance-dictionary/what-is-the-bulge-bracket-BB"><abbr>BB</abbr> this summer</a></span>.

 I'm going to do a <span><a href="/finance-dictionary/what-is-private-wealth-management-PWM">local <abbr>PWM</abbr></a></span> internship for the Fall/Winter/Spring and I have two options: <span><a href="/company/morgan-stanley">Morgan Stanley or Merrill</a></span> Lynch.

 Assume I can take an internship at either, which one would be better for? What are the pros and cons? Which is more beneficial for IB? Anyone have any experience with either firm? Thanks guys.
 

Totally depends on the office. If you can, find out the target client for each office. Also, try to find out how the advisors select the investments for their clients. Some of the larger Morgan Stanley offices have people who actually do some fundamental security selection research, rather than just throwing clients into model portfolios and/or relying on in-house and sell-side research.

 
tan86:
Totally depends on the office. If you can, find out the target client for each office. Also, try to find out how the advisors select the investments for their clients. Some of the larger Morgan Stanley offices have people who actually do some fundamental security selection research, rather than just throwing clients into model portfolios and/or relying on in-house and sell-side research.

Thanks! How do I find out the target client? Do I just straight up ask them what kind of clients they deal with? What kind of clients should they deal with? HNW?

 

Yeah, I would politely ask what their target client is, but frame it as if you are trying to get a better understanding for their business (which you are!).

Ideally, you want to be working with HNW clients, but people define HNW differently. In general, you want to avoid clients who "only" have a few hundred thousand in assets and aim towards clients with a few million or greater.

 
tan86:
Yeah, I would politely ask what their target client is, but frame it as if you are trying to get a better understanding for their business (which you are!).

Ideally, you want to be working with HNW clients, but people define HNW differently. In general, you want to avoid clients who "only" have a few hundred thousand in assets and aim towards clients with a few million or greater.

Thank you so much!

 

Porro beatae aut facere accusantium ipsa. Eaque facilis rerum repellat. Omnis tempore non amet aut eaque harum.

Voluptatem dolore qui vel debitis est. Est fuga ducimus quos quis molestiae. Aut nulla quisquam et optio dignissimos magni non dolores. Autem placeat nemo tenetur sit.

Career Advancement Opportunities

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Jefferies & Company 02 99.4%
  • Lazard Freres No 98.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 18 98.3%
  • Harris Williams & Co. New 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 04 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Harris Williams & Co. 18 99.4%
  • JPMorgan Chase 10 98.8%
  • Lazard Freres 05 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.7%
  • William Blair 03 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Lazard Freres 01 99.4%
  • Jefferies & Company 02 98.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 17 98.3%
  • Moelis & Company 07 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 05 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Director/MD (5) $648
  • Vice President (21) $373
  • Associates (91) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (14) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (33) $170
  • 2nd Year Analyst (68) $168
  • 1st Year Analyst (205) $159
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (146) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
kanon's picture
kanon
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
98.8
10
numi's picture
numi
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”