Financial Glossary

Level up your understanding of common money terms and complex finance concepts with our glossary.

# A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A

Acquisition

An acquisition refers to obtaining or gaining control of assets, businesses, or rights through purchasing, merging, or other strategic.

Adjusted Gross Income

Adjusted Gross Income is your total income minus specific deductions, determining tax liability and eligibility for credits.

Amalgamation

Amalgamation is the merger of two or more companies into a new entity, pooling resources and goals to form a unified organization.

Angel Investors

Angel investors are affluent individuals who offer financial backing to early-stage startups, usually in exchange for equity ownership or convertible debt.

Appraisal

An appraisal is a professional assessment of an asset's value, often used in real estate to determine a property's market worth.

B

Balance Sheet

A balance sheet is a financial statement showing a company's assets, liabilities, and shareholders' equity at a specific point in time.

Bank Failure

Bank failures occur when banks cannot meet their obligations to depositors and creditors, leading to closure by regulators.

Bear Market

A bear market is a period when stock prices fall 20% or more from recent highs, often signaling widespread pessimism among investors.

Beneficiary

A beneficiary is an individual or entity entitled to receive benefits or assets from a will, trust, insurance policy, or retirement account.

Blockchain Technology

Blockchain technology is a decentralized digital ledger that securely records transactions across a network of computers.

C

Capital

Capital refers to financial assets or resources that businesses or individuals use to fund their operations, investments, and growth.

Capital Gains

Capital gains are the profits earned from selling assets, like stocks or property, for more than the purchase price.

Capitalism

Capitalism is an economic system marked by private ownership of production means, operating for profit within competitive markets.

Cash Flow Statement

A cash flow statement is a financial document that tracks the inflow and outflow of cash within a company over a period.

Cash Stuffing

Cash stuffing is a budgeting technique where cash is divided into envelopes for specific expenses, promoting disciplined spending and saving.

Closing Costs

Closing costs are the various fees and expenses paid at the end of a real estate transaction to finalize the purchase of a home.

Commercial Banking

Commercial banking refers to financial institutions offering services like loans, deposits, and payments to businesses and individuals.

Comparative Advantage

Comparative advantage occurs when a country can produce a good at a lower opportunity cost than others, enabling trade benefits.

Contribution Margin

The contribution margin is the revenue per unit sold minus the variable cost per unit, indicating profitability.

Cryptocurrency

Cryptocurrency is digital currency secured by cryptography, operating on a decentralized network, typically utilizing blockchain technology.

D

Day Trading

Day trading involves buying and selling financial instruments within the same day to capitalize on short-term market fluctuations.

Debt Ceiling

Debt ceiling is a limit set by the government on the total amount of borrowing that can occur to cover existing financial obligations.

Debt-to-Equity Ratio

The debt-to-equity ratio measures a company’s financial leverage by comparing its total liabilities to shareholders’ equity.

Deferred Compensation

Deferred compensation is a part of an employee’s pay withheld for later disbursement, often used for retirement savings.

Disposable Income

Disposable income is the amount of money available for spending and saving after all income taxes have been subtracted from gross income.

Diversification

Diversification is a strategy that spreads investments across various assets to reduce risk.

Dow Jones

The Dow Jones Industrial Average is a stock market index that measures the performance of 30 large, publicly-owned companies in the United States.

E

EBITDA

EBITDA measures a company’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization, highlighting operational profitability.

Economies of Scale

Economies of scale describe the cost advantage firms achieve by increasing production, reducing per-unit costs through operational efficiencies.

Economy

An economy is the complex system of production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services within a specific region or country.

Equity

Equity represents ownership value in an asset or company, reflecting the residual interest after deducting liabilities from assets.

F

Fiat Money

Fiat money is currency without intrinsic value, established as legal tender by government regulation and not backed by a physical commodity.

Fiduciary

A fiduciary is someone entrusted to act in another's best interest, often in financial matters, with a high standard of care and loyalty.

Financial Leverage

Financial leverage is the strategic use of borrowed funds to amplify investment returns, magnifying potential gains and losses.

Fiscal Policy

Fiscal policy is the use of government spending and taxation to influence the overall economic activity, aiming to achieve macroeconomic objectives.

G

GDP

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is the total value of all goods and services produced within a country over a specific period.

Game Theory

Game theory is the study of strategic decision-making among rational individuals in competitive situations.

General Ledger

A general ledger is a complete record of all financial transactions in a business, serving as the foundation of its accounting system.

Gig Economy

A gig economy is a labor market characterized by flexible, short-term jobs as opposed to traditional, permanent roles.

Globalization

Globalization is the process of increased interconnectedness and integration of economies, cultures, and governments worldwide.

Gross Margin

Gross margin is the percentage of revenue that exceeds the cost of goods sold, indicating a company's production efficiency and profitability.

Guarantor

A guarantor is someone who agrees to be responsible for another's debt or obligations if the primary party fails to meet the terms.

H

Hedge Fund

A hedge fund is an investment fund that pools capital from accredited investors to engage in diverse and complex trading strategies.

Home Equity LIne of Credit

A home equity line of credit is a revolving loan where your home serves as collateral, allowing you to borrow against your home's equity.

Homestead Exemption

The homestead exemption is a legal provision that protects a portion of a home's value from taxes and creditors, ensuring homeowner security.

I

Income-Driven Repayment

Learn about income-driven repayment (IDR) plans for federal student loans. Discover how these plans adjust payments to make student loans more manageable.

Indemnity

Indemnity is a financial agreement to compensate for loss or damage, ensuring the affected party is restored to their original position.

Index Fund

An index fund tracks a market index, offering broad market exposure, low expenses, and low portfolio turnover.

Inheritance Tax

Inheritance tax is levied on the value of assets passed to heirs upon someone's death.

Insider Trading

Insider trading involves trading a public company's stock based on material, non-public information.

Inventory Turnover Ratio

The inventory turnover ratio measures how often a company sells and replaces its stock over a period, indicating efficiency.

L

Law of Diminishing Returns

The law of diminishing returns states that adding more of a production factor – while holding others constant – yields smaller incremental output increases.

M

Marginal Tax Rate

The marginal tax rate is the percentage at which your next dollar of income is taxed, reflecting how income tiers affect your tax obligations.

Microeconomics

Microeconomics studies how individuals and firms make decisions to allocate limited resources.

Middle Class Income

Middle-class income refers to earnings that allow for a comfortable lifestyle, meaning it meets basic living expenses and allows for savings.

N

Net Worth

Net worth is the difference between an individual's total assets and total liabilities.

P

PCI Compliance

PCI compliance refers to meeting security standards to protect credit card data in transactions.

Passive Income

Passive income is earnings derived from ventures requiring minimal active effort, allowing individuals to generate revenue with little ongoing work.

Philanthropy

Philanthropy is the act of promoting the welfare of others through generous donations of money, resources, or time to social causes.

Ponzi Scheme

A Ponzi scheme is a fraudulent investing scam promising high returns with little risk by paying earlier investors with newer investors’ money.

Proof of Stake

Proof of Stake is a blockchain consensus model that rewards validation rights based on the user’s coin holdings.

Public Goods

Public goods are services or products available to all members of society, characterized by non-excludability and non-rivalrous consumption.

Pyramid Scheme

A pyramid scheme is a fraudulent system of making money based on recruiting an ever-increasing number of "investors".

R

Real Estate Investment Trust

A reverse mortgage is a loan allowing homeowners 62 or older to convert home equity into cash without selling their home or making payments.

Recession

A recession is a significant decline in economic activity, with contraction in GDP, unemployment, and a slowdown in other indicators.

Remittance

Remittance is the transfer of money by a foreign worker to their home country, supporting family and contributing to economic development.

Retirement Planning

Retirement planning is the process of preparing financially for life after paid work ends, focusing on savings, investments, and income strategies.

Reverse Mortgage

A reverse mortgage is a loan that allows seniors to convert home equity into cash without monthly payments, repaid when the home is sold or vacated.

S

Sharpe Ratio

The Sharpe ratio measures an investment’s return relative to its risk, comparing performance to a risk-free asset.

Stablecoin

A stablecoin is a digital currency with its value linked to a stable asset to combine crypto’s efficiency with traditional currency stability.

Subsidized Loan

A subsidized loan is a financial aid where the interest is paid by the government during school and grace periods, reducing borrower costs.

Swing Trading

Swing trading is a strategy aiming to capture short-to-medium term gains in stocks over days to weeks using technical and fundamental analysis.

T

Tax Day

Tax day is the annual deadline for individuals and businesses to file their income tax returns and pay any outstanding taxes.

V

Venture Capital (VC)

Venture capital is financing that investors provide to startups and small businesses with potential for significant growth and innovation.

W

W-9 Form

A W-9 form is an IRS document used to gather taxpayer information from individuals or entities for reporting purposes, ensuring accurate tax compliance.

Wire Transfer

A wire transfer is an electronic method of sending funds directly between banks or financial institutions, often used for same-day, secure transactions.

Working Capital

Working capital is the difference between a company’s current assets and current liabilities.

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