The Ticker
By Stephanie D. Smith and Cybele Weisser
February 1, 2002

(MONEY Magazine) – POCKET CHANGE. The New York State controller says Wall Street bonuses will be down 30% in 2001. But don't weep for the i-bankers: The total pool will still be $10 billion; the average bonus, $60,000.

DEBIT TO CASH. An American Bankers Association survey says Americans now use debit cards more often than credit cards for in-store purchases.

LEGAL LOAD. Stanford Law's Securities Class Action Clearinghouse finds that the number of securities fraud suits went from 216 in 2000 to 471 in 2001--largely because of a surge of complaints about IPO practices.

--STEPHANIE D. SMITH AND CYBELE WEISSER