Twice the husband, half the income

Bankers' wives might soon get less than they bargained for. Senior financiers have started to jump the Wall Street ship at ever-earlier ages. The head of Goldman Sachs's media group, Matt L'Heureux, is retiring from investment banking at 45. The head of JPMorgan's media group is likewise exiting the business. Others eyeing the door may make their move after bonuses hit their bank accounts. It makes sense. For some cash-flush bankers, bailing will look more appealing than enduring Wall Street's ongoing anguish. Their wives, as the old yarn goes, face the prospect of twice the husband and half the income.

The investment banking business may be in for a rocky few years. The capital markets are a shambles, and the mergers business is largely on hold. Pitching clients in such an environment isn't much fun – and it's certainly less lucrative – for deal junkies. So it isn't a bad time to hang up the flashy braces. In previous Wall Street downturns, a host of those who had already made their nut traipsed off to divinity school, sailed the Mediterranean, or satisfied their altruistic streak by building houses in Guatemala.

There are some hurdles, of course, like how to hold on to all those stock options. Bankers that have been at the grind for two decades have likely amassed a quite a pile. Banks don't necessarily have to pay out on options that aren't vested, though they may be willing to cut a deal. And bankers' families may have a view on changes in their standards of living. There also may be some domestic indigestion caused by having a hard-charging former dealmaker suddenly underfoot. But for some, these issues will pale in comparison with the woes of working on Wall Street during a slump.

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