Countercyclical stockStocks described as countercyclical tend to continue to maintain their value and provide regular income when the economy is slowing down or staying flat…
CounterpartyIn any financial contract, the persons or institutions entering the contract on the opposite sides of the transaction are called the counterparties.
Counterparty riskCounterparty risk is the risk that the person or institution with whom you have entered a financial contract - who is a counterparty to the contract -…
County CodeA three-digit FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standards) code that identifies the county where the property is located.
CouponA certificate that accompanies a bond that indicates the amount of interest it pays and the date it is due.
Coupon RateThe scheduled interest earned on a security, expressed as a percentage of the outstanding balance.
CovenantsRules and restrictions governing the use of property.
Coverdell Education Savings AccountFormerly called education IRA. An education account that accumulates interest tax-free. You can also withdraw money from this account without penalty.)
Covered ExpensesThe losses or conditions that the policy will pay for.
Covered optionWhen you sell call options on stock that you own, they are covered options. That means if the option holder exercises the option, you can deliver your…
CrashA crash is a sudden, steep drop in stock prices. The downward spiral is intensified as more and more investors, seeing the bottom falling out of the…
Creative financingAny financing arrangement other than a traditional mortgage from a third-party lending institution.
Credible sourceCredible source is a known person or entity whose operations or interests are not adversely affected by the employer's alleged non-compliance with the…
CreditCredit generally refers to the ability of a person or organization to borrow money, as well as the arrangements that are made for repaying the loan and…
Credit ApplicationA form to be completed by an applicant for a credit account, giving sufficient details (residence, employment, income, and existing debt) to allow the…
Credit BureauAn agency that collects individual credit information and sells it for a fee to creditors so they can make a decision on granting loans.
Credit Bureausor “consumer reporting agencies,” are companies that compile credit reports, and supply credit information to businesses upon request.
Credit CardA plastic card with a magnetic stripe that is used from time to time or over and over again to borrow money or buy goods or services on credit, and which…
Credit Card Account AgreementA written agreement that explains the terms and conditions of the account, credit usage and payment by the cardholder, and duties and responsibilities of…
Credit card agreementA document that outlines the terms and conditions for using your credit card. It is your contract with your credit card company.
Credit Card IssuerAny financial institution that issues bank cards to those who apply for them.
Credit CounselingEducation on how to improve bad credit and how to avoid having more debt than can be repaid.
Credit counseling serviceA service that employs credit counselors who will look at your financial situation and help develop repayment options.
Credit Disability InsuranceA type of insurance, also known as accident and health insurance, that makes payments on the loan if you become ill or injured and cannot work.
Credit Disability Insurance (CDI)(CDI)A type of insurance, also known as accident and health insurance, that makes payments on the loan if you become ill or injured and cannot work.
Credit EnhancementA form of guarantee, insurance, or other characteristic (e.g. Overcollateralization) of a security that improves its credit quality.
Credit GrantorThe lender that provides a loan or credit.
Credit HistoryA record of an individual’s or company’s past borrowing and repaying behavior maintained by an independent credit reporting agency.
Credit Life & Disability InsuranceInsurance offered to loan and credit card customers that will pay the monthly payments on their debt if they become disabled or the balance of their debt…
Credit Life InsuranceA type of life insurance that helps repay a loan if you should die before the loan is fully repaid. This is optional coverage.
Credit Life Insurance (CLI)(CLI)A type of life insurance that helps repay a loan if you should die before the loan is fully repaid. CLI is optional coverage.
Credit limitThe maximum amount of credit that is available on a credit card or other line of credit account.
Credit LineA credit line, or line of credit, is a revolving credit agreement that allows you to write checks or make cash withdrawals of amounts up to your credit…
Credit Loss RatioThe ratio of credit-related losses to the dollar amount of MBS outstanding and total mortgages owned by the corporation.
Credit Pre-ApprovalA process in which an individual can apply for a credit approval decision before he/she actually finds a home and enters into a Purchase and Sales…
Credit ratingYour credit rating is an independent statistical evaluation of your ability to repay debt based on your borrowing and repayment history.
Credit Repair CompaniesPrivate, for-profit businesses that claim to offer consumers credit and debt repayment difficulties assistance with their credit problems and a bad credit…
Credit Repair OrganizationA person or organization that sells, provides, performs, or assists in improving a consumer's credit record, credit history or credit rating (or says that…
Credit ReportA detailed report of an individual's credit history prepared by a credit bureau and used by a lender in determining a loan applicant's creditworthiness.
Credit Reportsor “consumer reports,” contain information about your credit worthiness. Information is kept on file with a credit bureau and will display data about…
Credit RiskA term used to describe the possibility of default on a loan by a borrower.
Credit ScoreA number, roughly between 300 and 800, that measures an individual's credit worthiness. The most well-known type of credit score is the FICOî score.
Credit Service Organizationalso known as a loan/mortgage broker. Starting in late September 2005 all Credit Service Organizations will be renamed loan brokers; see loan broker.
Credit UnionA cooperative, nonprofit association, licensed under for the purposes of encouraging thrift among its members, creating a source of credit at a fair and…
Credit Union StatementPeriodically the credit union provides a statement of a member's share account.
CreditorA person or company who provides credit to another person or company functions as a creditor.
CreditworthinessThe way a lender measures the ability of a person to qualify and repay a loan.
CreditworthyYour ability to qualify for credit and repay debts.
CrestingA decorative element, frequently of iron, usually located at the peak or edge of a roof.
CrocketAn ornamental foliate form placed at regularly spaced intervals on the slopes and edges of the spires, pinnacles, gables, and similar elements of Gothic…
Cross-border trade in servicesTransactions in services between the residents of one country and the residents of another country. From the U.S.
Crossed marketA market in a particular stock or option is described as crossed when a bid to buy that stock or option is higher than the offer to sell it, or when an…
cum-dividendA term applied to stock at a time when the purchaser will be entitled to a forthcoming dividend.
Cumulative LossTotal Realized Losses as of a measurement date. This does not include implied writedowns, which are not recognized as losses.
Cumulative votingWith this method of voting for a corporation's board of directors, you may cast the total number of votes you're entitled to any way you choose.
CureTo bring your credit account current by paying all past due accounts.
CurrencyA form of money, something (such as coins or bills) generally accepted as a way of measuring value, as a way to trade value, and as a way to pay for goods…
Currency fluctuationA currency has value, or worth, in relation to other currencies and those values change constantly.
Currency swapIn a currency swap, the parties to the contract exchange the principal of two different currencies immediately, so that each party has the use of the…
Currency tradingThe global currency market, where roughly $1.9 trillion a day changes hands, is by far the largest financial market in the world.
Current account (international)Record of transactions in goods, services, income, and unilateral current transfers between residents and nonresidents.
Current Assumption Whole LifeA variation of universal life insurance, this product involves fixed premiums and fixed death benefits. Its cash value growth depends on market conditions.
Current payments to the rest of the worldThe sum of imports of goods and services, income payments to the rest of the world, and current taxes and transfer payments to the rest of the world.
Current returnCurrent return, also called current yield, is the amount of interest you earn on a bond in any given year, expressed as a percent of the current market…
Current surplus of government enterprisesThe current operating revenue and subsidies received by government enterprises from other levels of government less the current expenses of government…
Current tax receiptsTax revenues received by government from all sources. It is the sum of personal current taxes, taxes on production and imports, taxes on corporate income…
Current transfer paymentsPayments consisting of government social benefits and other current transfer payments to the rest of the world.
Current transfer receiptsGovernment net transfer receipts from businesses and from persons. These receipts largely consist of deposit insurance premiums, net insurance…
Current yieldThe annual rate of return that an investor purchasing a security at its market price would realize.
Current-dollar estimateThe market value of an item. It reflects prices and quantities of the period being measured. Related terms: Chained-dollar estimate.
curtailmentsThe borrower's privilege to make payments on a loan's principal before they are due.
CushionAn amount of money, occasionally required by a lender, which is set aside to protect said lender against increases in expenses.
Custodial accountIf you want to make investments on a minor's behalf, or transfer property you own to that person, you can open a custodial account with a bank, brokerage…
CustodianA financial institution, usually a bank or a trust company, that holds a mutual fund's securities and cash in safekeeping.
Custodian ServicesThis is a service whereby a person or entity agrees to hold and manage assets on behalf of another person or entity.
Custom/Non-factory Equipment CoverageCovers customized features such as those found on conversion vans, as well as non-factory items such as compact disc players, cellular phones or CB radios.
Cut-Off TimeA time of day established by a bank for receipt of deposits. After the cut-off time, deposits are considered received on the next banking day.
Cyber CrimeComputer crime, or cybercrime, refers to any crime that involves a computer and/or a network, where the computers may or may not have played an…
Cyclical stockCyclical stocks tend to rise in value during an upturn in the economy and fall during a downturn.
Daily balance method with compoundingAccording to this method, we calculate the interest charges for each balance by applying the “daily periodic rate” for that balance to the “daily…
Daily balance method without compoundingAccording to this method, we calculate the interest charges for each balance by applying the “daily periodic rate” for that balance to the “daily…
Daily periodic rate (DPR)(DPR)DPR stands for “Daily Periodic Rate.” This is a daily interest rate. The daily periodic rate or DPR for a given balance is equal to the APR on that…
Daily trading limitThe daily trading limit is the most that the price of a futures contract can rise or fall in a single session before trading in that contract is stopped…
Data Element Dictionary (DED)(DED)The Data Element Dictionary (DED) is a table in which the data element that you are searching for is located.
Date of maturityThe date of maturity, or maturity date, is the day on which a bond's term ends, and its issuer repays the principal and makes the final interest payment.
DayAny day other than a Saturday or Sunday or legal holiday.
Day orderAn order to buy or sell a security valid only for a limited period, normally less than a day.
Day traderWhen you continuously buy and sell investments within a very short time, perhaps a few minutes or hours, and rarely hold them overnight, you're considered…
day tradingRefers to establishing and liquidating the same position or positions within one day's trading.
DealerDealers, or principals, buy and sell securities for their own accounts, adding liquidity to the marketplace and seeking to profit from the spread between…