Words you shouldn't put in emails at ANY investment bank
Goldman Sachs monitors for some pretty strange words in emails. CNBC has come into possession of a long, long list of things that Goldman Sachs purportedly screens for. They include phrases like, "supposed to be the top best financial company," "let me remind you," and "I am not a happy camper."
With most banks a lot more vigilant about monitoring emails and messaging services in the wake of the LIBOR and FX scandals, it's not just Goldman that's keep a close eye on communications from its staff. And it's not just about what you write in emails - Erkin Adlov, a former Goldman Sachs equities analyst, is developing a system that also keeps tabs on the speed with which employees communicate on telephone calls (If your speech slows, it suggests you're contemplating a lie).
We spoke to a senior compliance monitoring professional who's worked across banks on Wall Street. Goldman's list aside, he said most banks monitor messages for the words below. Include them at your peril...
Compliance
Blue Horseshoe (from movie Wall Street)
Article
Timing
Leak
Reporter
Filing
Audit
Jail
Prison
on the DL
Hearing
Don't
Lawyer
For your eyes only
Call me
Text me
Meet me
Announce
Pending
Investigation
Secret
Confidential
Fix
Tribe
Ears
Smell
Shred
Delete
Favor
Owe you
Press Release
Desk
Seeing
Idiot
Liar
Heart Attack
Stress
Migraine
Nervous
FBI
DOJ
Mistake
Wrong
Sit Tight
Wait and see
Madoff
Squid
WTF
Stomach
Chatter
Investigation
Out of here
Resign
Quit
Leaving