Redlining is an unethical practice that puts services (financial and otherwise) out of reach for residents of certain areas based on race or ethnicity. It can be seen in the systematic denial of mortgages, insurance, loans, and other financial services based on location (and that area’s default history) rather than an individual’s qualifications and creditworthiness. Notably, the policy of redlining is felt the most by residents of minority neighborhoods.
An unweighted index is comprised of securities with equal weight within the index. An equivalent dollar amount is invested in each of the index components. For an unweighted stock index, one stock’s performance will not have a dramatic effect on the performance of the index as a whole.
A windfall tax is a tax levied by governments against certain industries when economic conditions allow those industries to experience above-average profits. Windfall taxes are primarily levied on companies in the targeted industry that have benefited the most from the economic windfall, most often commodity-based businesses.
The financial sector is a section of the economy made up of firms and institutions that provide financial services to commercial and retail customers. This sector comprises a broad range of industries including banks, investment companies, insurance companies, and real estate firms.
The Series 24 is an exam and license entitling the holder to supervise and manage branch activities at a broker-dealer. It is also known as the General Securities Principal Qualification Examination and was designed to test the knowledge and competency of candidates aiming to become entry-level securities principals. Supervisory activities allowed after passing the exam include regulatory compliance over trading and market-making activities, underwriting, and advertising.
Hysteresis in the field of economics refers to an event in the economy that persists into the future, even after the factors that led to that event have been removed. Hysteresis can occur following a recession when the unemployment rate continues to increase despite growth in the economy.
A NINJA loan is a slang term for a loan extended to a borrower with little or no attempt by the lender to verify the applicant’s ability to repay. It stands for no income, no job, and no assets. Whereas most lenders require loan applicants to provide evidence of a stable stream of income or sufficient collateral, a NINJA loan ignores that verification process.
Hard dollars are cash fees or payments made by an investor or customer to a brokerage firm in return for their services. Hard dollar payments are usually set amounts that are known before a customer begins dealing with a broker.
A technical analyst, also known as a chartist or market technician, is a securities researcher or trader who analyzes investments based on past market prices and technical indicators. Technicians believe that short-term price movements are the result of supply and demand forces in the market for a given security.
A chartered financial analyst (CFA) is a globally-recognized professional designation given by the CFA Institute, (formerly the AIMR (Association for Investment Management and Research)), that measures and certifies the competence and integrity of financial analysts. Candidates are required to pass three levels of exams covering areas, such as accounting, economics, ethics, money management, and security analysis.