Goldman Sachs' plan to pay its top 30 executives in shares-at-risk, which cannot be cashed out for five years, generated a lot of media attention. Most noted that the plan was a response to the PR needs that have engulfed the firm. No doubt a critical benefit is the ability to respond to critics of its pay policies.

Business Week notes some other benefits. Goldman's awards of shares-at-risk, none of which vest immediately, will not count toward the 2009 compensation expense on its books until they do. "That means it can effectively boost its profits now while lowering its compensation costs," which will allow for a lower payout-to-profit ratio in case anyone is looking. Another move came in July, when the bank began to "include consultants and temporary staff among its total head count, which has risen from 27,898 in March to 31,700 by the end of September." The benefit: lower pay per employee. None of this is scandalous. But it does speak to the times.

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