Glossary of (key) Financial Terms

Here at Hack Your Wallet, we aim to provide informational material on key concepts in finance. Simply because we believe that these concepts are essential to financial literacy. However, to have better grasp of these concepts and to be able to make the best investment decisions, there are jargon to learn. We keep all the jargon here in one place for your reference. Find below the definitions of all the key financial terms every one should know by heart. Do not hesitate to email us on [email protected] if you want us to add more or have any questions.

Asset

Accounting definition for asset is anything you own. On HYW, we usually mean an investment.

Asset Class

Group of assets that behave similarly or have similar characteristics.

Credit

Ability to borrow money or access goods or services with the understanding that you’ll pay later.

Default

Failure to meet legal obligations of a loan or credit agreement. In simple terms, failure to pay back debt.

Secured Debt

Debt that is backed by an asset, called a security. In case of a default, lender has the right to seize the asset.

Rate of Return (Return, Return on Investment or ROI)

The amount of money to be made on an investment as a percentage of the invested capital.

Gross Rate of Return (Gross Return)

Rate of return before the deduction of fees, commissions, taxes and any other costs related to the investment.

Net Rate of Return (Net Return)

Rate of return after the deduction of fees, commissions, taxes and any other costs related to the investment.

Gross Salary

Total salary before tax and national insurance/social security deductions.

Net Salary

Total salary after tax and national insurance/social security deductions

Annual Percentage Rate (APR)

Annual rate at which interest is charged on borrowing.

Annual Effective Rate (AER)

Annual rate that is derived from a bi-annual, quarterly, monthly, weekly or daily interest rate.

Principal (In context of borrowing)

Original borrowed sum.

Principal (In context of investing)

Original invested sum.

Amortisation

The spreading of loan repayments over a fixed time period.

Finance Period

Number of years at which a loan is amortised/repaid.

Finance-to-value (FTV) or Loan-to-value (LTV)

The ratio of amount borrowed to the value of the secured asset, usually property.

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