Business terms starting with H

86 terms

H-1B cap H-1B cap is the number of new H-1B visas that are issued in a fiscal year. The visas are counted as one H-1B visa per person.
H-1B dependent employer H-1B dependent employer has: 25 or fewer full-time employees and at least eight H-1B workers; or 26-50 full-time employees and at least 13 H-1B workers…
H-1B worker H-1B worker is a temporary, nonimmigrant in a specialty occupation (professional or fashion model of high distinction) given status to work for an…
H-1B1 worker H-1B1 worker is a temporary, nonimmigrant of Chile or Singapore in a specialty occupation given status to work for an employer by USCIS via Form I-797…
HAFA Short Sale when the homeowner sells the property for less than the full amount due on the mortgage.
Haircut A haircut, in the financial industry, is a percentage discount that's applied informally to the market value of a stock or the face value of a bond in an…
Hard assets Hard assets are the tangible property of a company or partnership, such as the buildings, furniture, real estate, and other equipment it owns.
Hardship withdrawal A hardship withdrawal, also known as a hardship distribution, occurs when you take money out of your 401(k) or other qualified retirement savings plan to…
Hawaii Capital Loan Program (HCLP) Authorized by state law, this loan program is administered by the State Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism to assist small businesses…
Hazard Insurance insurance that is generally required under mortgage contracts to pay for loss or damage to a person’s home or property.
Hazard Insurance/Homeowners Insurance Insurance coverage that provides compensation to the insured in case of property loss or damage.
Hazard Ranking System (HRS) The Hazard Ranking System (HRS) is the principal mechanism EPA uses to place waste sites on the NPL.
Hazardous Substance Research Centers ((HSRC)): Hazardous Substance Research Centers (HSRC) are a set of national organizations that carry out an active program of basic and applied research…
Head The upper horizontal part of a window frame or window opening.
Head of household Head of household is an IRS filing status that you can use if you are unmarried or considered unmarried on the last day of a tax year and provide at least…
Head of Household filing status You must meet the following requirements: 1. You are unmarried or considered unmarried on the last day of the year. 2.
Header A masonry wall unit of brick which is laid so that its short end is exposed.
Health Insurance Health insurance covers some or all of the cost of treating an insured person's illnesses or injuries.
Health Savings Account (HSA) A health savings account is designed to accumulate tax-free assets to pay current and future healthcare expenses.
HECM (Reverse Mortgage) The reverse mortgage is used by senior homeowners age 62 and older to convert the equity in their home into monthly streams of income and/or a line of…
Hedge fund Hedge funds are private investment partnerships open to institutions and wealthy individual investors.
Hedger Hedgers in the futures market try to offset potential price changes in the spot market by buying or selling a futures contract.
Hedging Hedging is an investment technique designed to offset a potential loss on one investment by purchasing a second investment that you expect to perform in…
HELP Homebuyer Education Learning Program; an educational program from the FHA that counsels people about the home buying process; HELP covers topics like…
High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) A high deductible health plan (HDHP) requires substantially higher than average out-of-pocket expenses before the insurance company will start paying for…
High net worth individual Any individual whose net worth is greater than $2 million immediately before the transaction.
High-yield bond High-yield bonds are bonds whose ratings from independent rating services are below investment grade.
Highly compensated employees Highly compensated employees are people whose on-the-job earnings are higher than the level the government has established to differentiate this category…
Historic Appearance The visual appearance of a structure or site at a specific point in time after it has undergone alterations or additions which enhance or contribute to…
Historic Fabric A building's original or significant historic façade construction material or ornament, or fragments thereof.
Historic structure A building that is officially recognized for its historic significance and has special status under the 1976 Tax Reform Act which encourages…
Historic windows (1) windows installed at time of construction of the building; or (2) windows of a type installed at time of construction of similar buildings in similar…
HO Forms Homeowners insurance polices are sometimes referred to by the kind of form used and the specific perils they cover.
Hold Used to indicate that a certain amount of a customer's balance may not be withdrawn until an item has been collected, or until a specific check or debit…
Holder Also the person or company which receives the financial payment or the mortgage either directly from the borrower or from a mortgage servicer.
Holding company By acquiring enough voting stock in another company, a holding company, also called a parent company, can exert control over the way the target company is…
Holding period A holding period is the length of time you keep an investment. In some cases, a specific holding period is required in order to qualify for some benefit.
Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives Program (HAFA) a program that provides opportunities for homeowners who can no longer afford to stay in their home but want to avoid foreclosure to transition to more…
Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) A program that provides eligible homeowners the opportunity to modify their mortgages to make them more affordable. See www.MakingHomeAffordable.gov.
Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) A program that provides homeowners with loans owned or guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac an opportunity to refinance into more affordable monthly…
Home Affordable Unemployment Program (UP) a program that provides homeowners a temporary forbearance, which is a temporary period of time during which a regular monthly mortgage payment is reduced…
home equity The difference between what you paid for your home and what you get when you sell.
Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) A special type of mortgage-developed and insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) that enables older home owners to convert the equity they…
Home Equity Line of Credit A type of revolving loan, that enables a home owner to obtain multiple advances of the loan proceeds at his or her own discretion, up to an amount that…
Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) A line of credit secured by the equity in a consumer's home. It can be used for home improvements, debt consolidation, and other major purchases.
Home Equity Loan A home equity loan allows you to tap into your home's built-up equity, which is the difference between the amount that your home could be sold for and the…
Home Equity Loan (HEL) A home equity loan allows you to tap into your home's built-up equity, which is the difference between the amount that your home could be sold for and the…
Home Improvement Loan A home improvement loan is (a) any dwelling-secured loan to be used, at least in part, for repairing, rehabilitating, remodeling, or improving a dwelling…
Home improvement scams A contractor talks you into costly or unnecessary repairs, steers you to a high-cost mortgage lender to finance the job, and arranges for the loan…
Home Inspection A professional inspection of a home to determine the condition of the property.
Home Inspector You hire and pay for this individual to analyze the home's physical condition before you buy it.
Home Inventory A detailed list of personal possessions and any information, including pictures or videos, that could help identify lost or destroyed items.
Home ownership The state of living in a structure that one owns.
Home Ownership and Equity Protection Act (HOEPA) Lenders are required to report whether a loan is subject to the provisions of the HOEPA.
Home Owners’ Loan Act Enacted in 1933, this Act established the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation and authorized steps to: provide emergency relief with respect to home mortgage…
Home Purchase Loan A home purchase loan is any loan secured by and made for the purpose of purchasing a dwelling. See the definition of "dwelling."
Home Warranty Offers protection for mechanical systems and attached appliances against unexpected repairs not covered by homeowner's insurance; coverage extends over a…
Homeowner's Insurance Homeowners insurance is a contract between an insurance company and a homeowner to cover certain types of damage to the property and its contents, theft…
Homeowner's Warranty (HOW) Insurance offered by a seller that covers certain home repairs and fixtures for a specified period of time.
Homeowners' Association An organization of homeowners residing within a particular area whose principal purpose is to ensure the provision and maintenance of community facilities…
Homeownership Education Classes Classes that stress the need to develop a strong credit history and offer information about how to get a mortgage approved, qualify for a loan, choose an…
Homestead Credit Property tax credit program, offered by some state governments, that provides reductions in property taxes to eligible households.
Honorarium A payment of money or anything of value for an appearance, speech, or article, less any necessary travel expenses.
Hood A projection that shelters an element such as a door or window.
Hope scholarship credit You may qualify for a Hope scholarship tax credit for money you spend on qualified educational expenses for yourself, your spouse, or a dependent child.
horizontal equity The concept that people in the same income group should be taxed at the same rate. "Equals should be taxed equally."
Hot issue If a newly issued security rises steeply in price after its initial public offering (IPO) because of intense investor demand, it is considered a hot issue.
Households and institutions sector Includes all production by households, which consists of families and unrelated individuals, and by nonprofit institutions that primarily serve households…
housing affordability index An index that indicates what proportion of homebuyers can afford to buy an average-priced home in specified areas.
Housing and Economic Recovery Act (HERA) HERA was enacted in 2008, and it established FHFA-OIG and FHFA, which oversees the GSEs’ operations.
Housing and Urban Development (HUD) The U.S. government agency that administers FHA, GNMA and other housing programs.
Housing and Urban Development Act Enacted in 1968, this Act partitioned Fannie Mae into two separate organizations, a government-sponsored corporation (Fannie Mae) and a wholly-owned…
Housing Counseling Agency Provides counseling and assistance to individuals on a variety of issues, including loan default, fair housing, and home buying.
Housing expense the sum of a homeowner’s mortgage payment, hazard insurance, property taxes, and homeowner association fees.
Housing Expense Ratio The percentage of your gross monthly income that goes toward paying for your housing expenses.
housing expenses-to-income ratio See: debt-to-income ratio.
Housing unit A housing unit is a house, apartment, group of rooms or a single room occupied as separate living quarters; that is, 1.
HUD See: Housing and Urban Development.
HUD-1 Settlement Statement A final listing of the costs of the mortgage transaction. It provides the sales price and down payment, as well as the total settlement costs required…
HUD-1 Uniform Settlement Statement Standard form used to disclose costs at closing. All charges imposed in the transaction, including mortgage broker fees, must be disclosed separately.
HUD1 Statement Also known as the "settlement sheet," or "closing statement" it itemizes all closing costs; must be given to the borrower at or before closing.
HVAC Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning; a home's heating and cooling system.
HVAC Equipment Window, through-wall and yard-mounted heating, ventilation, and air conditioning equipment, including window louvers, wall-mounted grilles and stove…
Hybrid annuity With a hybrid annuity, you allocate part of your annuity's assets to providing fixed income payments and part to making variable income payments.
Hybrid mortgage Sometimes called an intermediate ARM, a fixed-period ARM, or a multiyear mortgage, a hybrid mortgage combines aspects of fixed-rate and adjustable-rate…
Hypothecation Hypothecation means pledging an asset as collateral for a loan. If you use a margin account to buy on margin or sell short, for example, you pledge…