money	notes and coins
account	a structured record of transactions
accountancy	the practice of accounting
accountant	a professional person who maintains and checks business records
accounting event	a transaction recorded in a particular book of account
accounting fees	payments paid to an accountant for preparing accounts
accountinig departament	a unit in a company that deals with accounts
accounts payable	the amount that a company owes for goods or services obtained on credit
accounts receivable	the money that is owed to a company for goods or services provided
accrued income	money that has been earned but not yet received
accrued liabilities	money which is recorded although payment has not yet been made
advanced payment	an amount paid before it is earned
aggregate-supply	the total of all goods and services produced in an economy
amortise	to reduce the value of an asset gradually by writing off its cost
annual charge	a management fee paid yearly
annual report	documents prepared each year to give a true and fair view of a company's state of affairs
asset	any tangible or intangible item to which a value can be assigned
ATM	an electronic machine from which bank customers can withdraw paper money
audit committee	a company's board of directors that monitors the company's finances
bad debt	a debt which is considered to be uncollectable
balance	the state of an account
balance sheet	a financial report stating the total assets and liabilities at a given date
bang for the buck	return on investment
bankruptcy	the condition of being unable to pay debts
barefoot pilgrim	an investor who has lost everythiong in securities
barren money	money that is unproductive because it is not invested
take a bath	suffer a serious financial loss
bean counter	a derogatory term for an accountant
bear market	a market in which prices are falling and in which a dealer is more likely to sell securities rather
bid	an offer to buy all or a majority of the capital shares of a company
bond	a promise to repay with interest on specified dates money that an investor lends a company or a gove
bookkeeper	a person responsible for financial records
books of accounts	ledgers and journals used in preparing financial statements
bottom line	the line in a financial statement that shows net income or loss
budget deficit	the extent by which expenditure exceeds revenue
budget surplus	the extent by which revenue exceeds expenditure
bull market	market in which prices are rising and in which a dealer is more likely to buy than sell
cash crop	a crop, e.g. tobacco, that can be sold for cash
cash discount	a discount offered to a customer who pays for goods with cash
cash flow	the movement through an organisation of money that is generated by its own operations
category killer	a major organisation that puts out of business smaller companies
chartered accountant	a qualified professional accountant in the UK
cheap money	low interest rates
clicks and mortar	hybrid businesses involved in e-commerce and traditional stores
collateral	property or goods used as security against a loan
commodities	a good or service, e.g. cotton, wool or a laptop
commission	a payment made to an intermediary often calculated as a percentage of the value of goods or services
competition	rivalry between companies
competitive advantage	a factor giving a company supremacy over competitors
corporate fraud	a financial crime committed by a corporation
creative accounting	the use of accounting methods to hide aspects of a company's financial dealings in order to make the
credit	a financial arrangement to buy goods or services and pay for that at a later date
credit ceiling	the largest amount that a lender will permit somebody to borrow
creditor	a person or entity to whom money is owed
current assets	cash or assets that are readily convertible to cash
current liabilities	money owed which falls due for payment within one year
daisy chaining	creating artificial transactions in order to make a particular security appear more active than it i
dear money	money which has to be borrowed at a high interest rate
debt collection agency	a business that secures the repayment of debts for third parties
debtor	a person or entity owing money
deed	a legal document that details the transfer or sale of a property
deep pocket	a company or an individual that provides funds for another company
default	failure to comply with the terms of a binding legal agreement
digital economy	an economy in which e-commerce dominates
direct debit	a claim on an individual or organisation by a creditor and paid by the individual's or organisation'
discount	a reduction in the price
diversification	increasing the variety of business, service or product types
divestment	a proportional reduction in an ownership stake
dividend	an amount payable to shareholders from profits
downsizing	organisational restructuring
drop a bundle	lose a lot of money
dynamic pricing	pricing that changes in line with demand
embezzlement	a financial crime, fraud
endorse	to sign a bill or cheque on the back to show that its ownership has been passes on to another person
entrepreneur	somebody who sets up a business
ethical investment	investment only in companies whose policies meet the ethical criteria of the investor
exchange rate	the rate at which one currency can be exchanged for that of another country
excise duty	a tax on goods such as alcohol or tobacco
expense	a cost incurred in buying goods or services
fill or kill	to carry out a client's order immediately or else the order is cancelled
financial year	the twelve-month period for which a company produces accounts
fixed asset	a long-term asset such as a machine or building
foreign currency	a currency used in a foreign country
GDP	Gross Domestic Product
gnomes of Zurich	a derogatory name for Swiss bankers
go-go fund	a unit trust that trades in high-return and high-risk investments
golden handcuffs	a financial incentive paid to employees to remain in an organisation
golden handshake	a sum of money given to a senior executive on his involuntary departure from a company
go public	to float the shares of a company
hard currency	a currency that is traded in a foreign exchange market and for which there is demand
haggle	to negotiate the price
hedge fund	a unit trust that takes considerable risk
hire purchase	a method of paying for a product or service in which the buyer pays a series of instalments over a p
hostile bid	a takeover bid that is opposed by the target company
hot issue	a new security that is expected to trade at a significant premium on its issue price
illiquid	not easily convertible into cash
IMF	International Monetary Fund
income tax	tax levied on any income
inflation rate	a rate at which the general price level increases
inheritance tax	tax payable on property inherited after somebody's death
insolvency	the inability to pay debts
interest	the rate that a lender charges for a loan
interim dividend	a dividend whose value is determined on the basis of a period less than a full fiscal year
Internal Revenue Service	tax office
invoice	a document that the supplier sends to a customer detailing the cost of product and requesting paymen
joint venture	a project undertaken by two or more parties
ledger	a book in which transactions are recorded
legal tender	banknotes and coins accepted within a given jurisdiction
lessee	the person who uses a leased asset
lessor	the person who provides the asset being leased
loan shark	somebody who lends money at excessively high rates of interest
long-term liabilities	loans that are due after at least one year
majority shareholder	a shareholder with a controlling interest in a company
management buy-out	the purchase of an existing business by an individual manager or management group from within that b
margin	the difference between the cost and the selling price of a service
market economy	an economy in which a free market in goods and services operates
money laundering	the process of making money obtained illegally appear legitimate
mortgage	a credit to finance the acquisition of land and real property
national debt	the total borrowing of a country's government
near money	assets that can be quickly turned into cash, e.g. bank deposits, short-dated bonds
NYSE	New York Stock Exchange
overdraft	withdrawal of more money from a bank account than it contains
payroll	a list of employees who receive salaries or wages, together with the amounts due to each
payslip	a small document showing details of money earned and tax and insurance paid
PIN	personal identification number
pension	money received regularly after retirement
principal	the original amount of a loan not including interest
parent company	a company with one or more subsidiary undertakings
proceeds	an income from a transaction
profit and loss account	the summary record of a company's sales revenues and expenses over a period
profiteer	an individual who aims to make excessive profits disregarding others
public debt	the money that the government owes
quoted company	companies listed on a stock exchange
red tape	excessive bureaucracy
revenue	the income generated by a product or service
revolving credit	a credit facility which allows the borrower to borrow or repay debt as required
rogue trader	a dealer in stocks and shares who uses illegal methods to make profits
royalties	a proportion of the income from the sales of a product to its creator or owner, e.g. a land owner, i
salary	a form of pay given to employees at regular intervals for the work they have done
savings account	an account with a bank that pays interest
secondary market	a market that trades in existing shares rather than new share issues
shareholder	a person or entity that owns shares in a company
share issue	the offering for sale of shares in a business
sleeping partner	a person or entity that invests money in a company but takes no part in the management of the busine
stock exchange	a registered market in securities
tariff	a government duty imposed on imports
tax evasion	the illegal practice of paying less money in taxes than is due
tax haven	a country that has very low taxes
tiger	any of the key markets in the Pacific region, except Japan: Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore and Ta
tight money	a situation where it is expensive to borrow money
Treasury	a government department responsible for the nation's financial policies, as well as the management o
turnover	total sales revenue for an accounting period
tyre kicker	a potential customer who asks for information and requires attention but does not buy anything
unemployment	the situation when some members of a country's labour force are willing to work but cannot find empl
unlimited liability	full responsibility for the obligations of a general partnership
unlisted company	a company that has no securities listed on a stock exchange
variable interest rate	an interest rate that changes in relation to a standard index during the period of a loan
VAT	value-added tax
wages	a form of pay given to employees for the work they have done on a weekly basis
wear and tear	the deterioration of a tangible fixed asset as a result of normal use
wholesale price	a price charged to customers who buy large quantities of an item
white knight	a person or entity liked a company's management who buys the company when a hostile company is tryin
whizz kid	a young, successful person who makes a lot of money in large financial transactions
white elephant	a product or service that has not sold well despite large amounts of money pumped into its developme
write-off	a reduction in the recorded value of an asset, usually to zero
yield	a percentage of the amount invested that is the annual income from the investment]