But their regulator, James B. Lockhart III, rebuffed that suggestion. And Fannie's chief executive, Herbert M. Allison Jr., quickly struck back in a note to employees, decrying the injustice of letting the firestorm surrounding A.I.G.'s bonuses spread to Fannie Mae. "It is simply inaccurate to say, as some have, that in this difficult job market our highly skilled, professional employees have no place else to go," wrote Mr. Allison, who did not receive any salary or bonus last year. It is not just financial giants that have embraced these types of bonuses. In January 2008, SunTrust Banks jettisoned its broad-based performance bonus program for a one-time grant of restricted stock after it fell short of its financial goals the last two years. In its recent proxy, SunTrust's compensation committee called the award "very important to retaining talent." While some smaller banks are rethinking such bonuses because of tough times, First Horizon of Tennessee said it had no plans to do so.