article_snippet: The loftier bonuses came despite a 4.5 percent drop in broker/dealer profits in 2014 to $16 billion, a report by the office of the New York State Comptroller said.
article_snippet: Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday.
article_snippet: The decline in profits was due to weakness in some trading divisions, costly legal settlements at large banks and higher capital reserve requirements imposed by regulators after the financial crisis.
article_snippet: But it's a challenging work environment, and in recent years because of the downsizing it's been harder to get these positions.'
article_snippet: Authorities have blamed inflated mortgage-backed securities that plummeted along with the U.S. housing market for the financial crisis in 2008.
article_snippet: Regulatory reforms since have included larger reserve requirements, new limits on proprietary trading and measures intended to reduce risk.
highlights_snippet: Increase came despite 4.5 percent drop in broker/dealer profits .
  