Wall Street Now Hawks Research Like a Budget Airline Sells Seats

If you’ve ever flown on a discount airline—paying extra for everything from seat selection to a bottle of water—you have a pretty good idea how financial firms sell research these days.

You want to talk to the analyst? Hear from an economist? Attend an industry conference? Meet a corporate executive? Order up a customized report? There’s likely to be a fee for each—unless you’ve opted for the premium all-in-one fare.