Fyntraq

Free finance cover letter templatesThe cover letter that answers “Why us?” at J.P. Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Rothschild & Co, Lazard and the funds

Want a letter that names the deal, the team and the number, not your passion for finance? Here is the template, already written by a student like you. Swap their details for yours.

Cover letter template for a 2027 Summer Analyst application in M&A, four paragraphs on one page

Cover letter for a bank

A Summer Analyst or off-cycle application in M&A, at a large bank or an advisory boutique.

  • Four paragraphs on one page, 250 to 350 words
  • One reason that is only true of this bank, not of banking in general
  • A finished letter: only what changes from one bank to the next is in [brackets]
Download .docxWord, one page. Free, no sign-up.

Applying to a specific posting?

Get a first draft written from the job description and your CV. Included in Premium.

Write my letter

Four paragraphs. One job each.

In this order. The examples come from the bank letter above.

  1. Who you are, what you apply for

    I am a second-year BSc Finance student at the London School of Economics, graduating in June 2028, and I am applying for the 2027 Summer Analyst programme in M&A at [Firm] in London.

  2. Why this firm

    What draws me to [Firm] is its M&A work in [sector], including [a deal the team advised on this year].

  3. One proof, with a number

    At the LSE Business & Investment Group, I built the DCF and trading comparables behind a buy recommendation on a UK mid-cap retailer and defended it in front of 40 members; our team finished in the top 10 of 85 in the stock-pitch competition.

  4. What else you bring

    I also speak French at a professional level, which would let me help on cross-border work with [Firm]'s Paris office.

Write a letter only one firm could receive

If a sentence works for any bank, it tells the reader nothing. Name the deal, the team, the number.

Before
I am very interested in your prestigious bank.
I have always been passionate about finance.
I am hard-working and detail-oriented.

Each of these could be sent to any bank, by anyone.

After
Only true of this firm, and of you
I first met [Firm] at an LSE Business & Investment Group event in March, where [name of the analyst] walked us through a sell-side deal the team had just closed.
I followed that deal from the announcement to [the close], and deals of that size are the ones I want to learn to build, from the first model to the signing.
Last summer I ran the end-of-day cash-up at Pret A Manger, where £3,500 had to balance to the penny every night.

No cover letter asked? You still need one.

Many banks replaced the letter with a question in the form, with a word limit. The same paragraphs answer it: one reason that is only true of this firm, and one proof from your experience.

Write one for a postingIncluded in Premium

Your CV next

Two one-page CVs, one for your first internship and one once you have done one.

See the CV templates

Before you send it

Do banks still ask for a cover letter?
Fewer do. Many large banks have replaced it with one or two short questions in the application form, such as "Why this firm?", with a word limit. Boutiques, funds and French banks still often ask for a full letter. The same structure works for both.
How long should a finance cover letter be?
One page, 250 to 350 words, in four paragraphs. If yours runs longer, cut from the paragraphs about you, never from the one about the firm.
Who do I address it to if I have no name?
Look for the recruiter or the head of the team on LinkedIn first. With a name, write "Dear Ms Surname" and close with "Yours sincerely". Without one, write "Dear Sir or Madam" and close with "Yours faithfully".
Should I write it in French for a French bank?
If the posting is written in French, yes. A team in Paris that posts in English expects the letter in English.
Does it work for Markets or asset management?
The structure does, the examples do not. For a Markets desk, replace the deal in the second paragraph with the products the desk trades and a market view you can defend. For asset management, name the fund's investment style and one position you would argue for. The proof paragraph stays the same: one thing you built, with a number.
Can I send the same letter to several banks?
Keep the structure and the proof paragraph, and rewrite the second paragraph every time. It is the one that shows you know this firm.
Are the templates really free?
Yes. No account and no email. Download the Word file, replace everything with your own details, and send it wherever you want.

Your letter is ready. Now apply first.

Banks read applications in the order they arrive. Set your desks and your cities once. A free account sees every role live for more than 24 hours, Premium emails you the minute one opens.

Start tracking, freeSee Premium