Finance: English Vocabulary List

an agreement between business rivals to not sell products at a lower price

"Price fixing is illegal."

"Competitors were caught engaging in illegal price fixing, agreeing not to lower their prices to artificially inflate profits."

the money that is demanded by the court to be paid to an ex-spouse or ex-partner

"She receives alimony."

"After the divorce, the court mandated that he pay a specific amount of alimony to his former spouse each month."

money that is owed and not yet paid

"Payment is in arrears."

"The homeowner was notified that their mortgage payments were in arrears and immediate action was required to avoid foreclosure."

the funds that are set aside for unforeseen expenses that may arise in the future

"Set aside contingency funds."

"The project budget included a significant contingency fund to cover unexpected costs that might arise during construction."

a single, large payment made in full, instead of smaller payments made over time

"Received a lump sum."

"The inheritance was paid out as a single lump sum, rather than being distributed in installments over several years."

an extra amount of money added to an existing sum so that it reaches the required total

"Need a top-up."

"She needed a small top-up to her savings account to reach the exact amount required for the down payment on the car."

the sum of money spent

"The initial outlay."

"The project requires a large capital outlay."

the amount of unpaid debt that a company expects to receive from its customers or another company

"The accountant reviewed company receivables carefully"

"The company’s receivables total over one million dollars."

the initial amount of money needed to start a business or project

"They need seed money."

"The startup raised seed money from angel investors."

an additional amount of money given to someone for their services

"He left a gratuity."

"The gratuity is usually 15-20% in restaurants."

an organization that lends money to people for buying a house or pays interest on the money that they save there

"He works at a savings and loan association."

"My grandparents opened an account at a savings and loan association many years ago to save money."

a financial institution that oversees exchanging cheques and other financial transactions

"The clearing house processes payments."

"The financial clearing house settles transactions between banks."

the maximum amount of loan that a customer is allowed to receive

"The business has a line of credit at the bank."

"The business established a line of credit with the bank allowing it to borrow up to one hundred thousand dollars as needed to cover temporary cash shortages during slow months."

the technological innovation in financial services

"Fintech is growing."

"Fintech companies are changing traditional banking."

the total accumulated savings set aside for retirement

"His pension pot."

"He is saving regularly to grow his pension pot."

a regular payment from one parent to financially support the child after a divorce

"He pays child support."

"The court ordered the noncustodial parent to pay monthly child support of five hundred dollars to help cover the costs of raising his two young children."

subsidies, incentives, or benefits given by the government to big or growing businesses and corporations

"Corporate welfare is controversial."

"Critics argue that corporate welfare benefits big companies."

a British banking system in which funds are transferred from one account to another upon authorization, often via bank or post office

"She receives giro."

"He received his monthly giro payment from the post office."

the value of a company's assets minus its liabilities, divided by the number of outstanding shares

"The net asset value increased today."

"The fund’s net asset value increased by 8% last year."

money or property donated to an institution, the income from which is used for its support

"The university has a large endowment that funds many scholarships every year."

"A financial endowment is a permanently invested fund where the principal is kept intact and the investment income is used for ongoing operational support."

a loan guarantee that may be taken away if the loan is not repaid

"The car is collateral."

"The bank required him to pledge his valuable artwork as collateral for the substantial business loan he requested."

the regular costs required for maintaining a business or an organization

"Overhead costs are high."

"The business owner carefully tracked all overhead expenses like rent and utilities to ensure profitability and manage operational costs effectively."

a rapid trend of increase in prices that eventually leads to a collapse

"The stock bubble burst."

"The dot-com bubble of the late 1990s saw rapid stock price increases followed by a dramatic market collapse."

the price that is imprinted on a product

"The ticket's face value."

"While the offer seemed generous, it's important not to accept it at face value without thoroughly examining all the terms."

to clear one's debt

"They will liquidate assets."

"The bankrupt company was forced to liquidate all its assets to pay off its creditors."