“I earn £250k+ as a banker in London. I do not feel secure enough to have a child”

GBP 500k is the new GBP 250k in London nowadays.

Any professional claiming to feel insecure after earning salaries in top 0.1% of the country pretty much from the start of the wire careers should really have a hard look at their philosophy. I earned a basic salary of £160k by the time I became a senior associate 6 years ago. Before that I had a modest career but my peers had been used to high income for 5-6 years. A bonus of 140-160k hit my account every year. Even after 45% tax that was a massive amount. But the time you become an ED/D you should have earned easily sufficient to pay off a 2 bed flat in london, an another 250-300k of liquid savings to secure your child’s private school fee. If you save smart that is gonna compound. Unless you wasted your disposable income and bonus on expensive clubs, renting in Chelsea and 3 Bahamas and alpine 5* holidays a year with weekend clubbing every weekend, you should by now have a paid off flat and liquid savings on top of your employer pension especially if you work in a tier 1 bank. Seriously mate I cannot believe you feel insecure! It would be on you! The other thing it what’s wrong with tier 2 banks. They only pay 15-20% less, hardly a hit. Third thing, do you have skills ? Like genuine transferable skills. Your write-up sounds you are placing no value on those. After 10 years of banking, you can carve out plentiful well paid career paths. May be not those that pay £1mn, but sure enough a very comfortable payout to have a family in london or around M25. I feel sorry for the narrow mindedness of people like you who are so detached from the rest of the world and the happiness that exists in many who earn much less. Other thing it you don’t have to send kids to private schools , certainly not in primary years.

I read this and couldn't help but feel that you're making life much harder for yourself than it needs to be. I'm a father of five, living in London on a salary 25% lower than yours, and while it’s undeniably challenging, it’s absolutely doable—if you place value in the right things and use your time wisely.

Like you, I’ve worked hard to build a career in finance, and I understand the pressures that come with it. But I’ve also come to realize that there will never be a "perfect" moment to start a family. The belief that reaching MD will somehow create stability is an illusion—there will always be another hurdle, another goalpost moving just out of reach. And in the meantime, life is passing by (plenty of lifeless MDs in banking...).

Having a family has not been a hindrance to my career; if anything, it has sharpened my focus. I don't waste time on things that don't matter. I work hard, but I also make time for what’s truly important. And I’m fortunate to have a fantastic wife who also works, meaning we share the load together. We've built a life that isn’t about spending lavishly but about prioritizing what really counts—family, relationships, meaningful experiences.

If you keep waiting for absolute security before taking the plunge, you may find that by the time you feel "ready," you've spent years chasing a version of success that doesn’t actually make you happy. And worse, you may regret the opportunities you let slip away in the process.

You’re clearly talented and hardworking. But I’d challenge you to reconsider what "enough" really means. Because from where I’m standing—doing more with less and living a rich, fulfilling life—I can tell you that it's not just about the

money.

Reach out if you want to have a chat.

I am a CEO, husband, and have six kids.

All areas are demanding, and it can seem too much most days. But it's also very rewarding and I wouldn't change it.

It might never seem the right time to have kids until they come along. You have plenty of income, but you and your partner might not be ready to make the trade offs needed to add family. For many its OK if that is always the case.

I live outside London so I can afford a family home, and I don't have much time or energy for anything else like hobbies.

Untrue. Depends what you spend your money on. Invest in yourself, your life and if you can't do that, time to get out of banking as your priorities have changed. As an ED and a banker for 10 years, you have enough. Make a commitment to life, not the bank. Plus, if you do get the boot, Tier 3 and boutiques are not the only institutions, if you have skills and more particularly charisma and personality, you can go where you want.