Financial Terms Dictionary - Banking Terminology Explained

Book excerpt: Understand Banking Terms - Make Better Financial Decisions This practical financial dictionary for banking terms helps you understand and comprehend most common banking lingo. It was written with an emphasis to quickly grasp the context without using jargon. Each of the 200 financial banking terms is explained in detail and also gives practical examples. It is based on common usage as practiced by financial professionals. Compiled over the last 3 years from questions and feedback to financial articles published by the Wealth Building Course education program. The Essential Investment Banking Dictionary This book is useful if you are new to business and finance. It includes most popular banking terms for businesses, investors and entrepreneurs. It also covers the lingo that was introduced in the financial crisis of 2008 until 2017. With the alphabetical order it makes it quick and easy to find what you are looking for. Financial Dictionary Series Additional financial dictionaries are available in this series. Please also check out: Accounting, Retirement, Corporate Finance, Economics, Investments, Laws & Regulations, Acronyms, Real Estate & Trading. Click on the author name to see them. Example: What is a Custodian Bank? A custodian bank is a special financial institution that carries the responsibility for protecting the financial assets of individuals or companies. These institutions can also be called simply custodians. Such outfits serve as a third party check that protects the assets they are guarding against the fund managers and any illegal activities they may pursue. Congress established these custodian banks with the Investment Company Act of 1940 in order to protect investors. Thanks to this particular legislation, investment companies must adhere to specific stringent listing requirements and must be registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The custodian bank performs a number of activities in their primary function of watching over the financial assets of businesses and individuals. They settle sales and purchases of bonds and equities and physically protect the certificates of these assets. These institutions also gather information about and income from such assets. When the assets are stocks this means dividends. When the instruments are bonds, they collect the interest from the coupons. The custodians also disperse information they gather, pertaining to yearly general meetings and shareholder voting. They handle any foreign exchange transfers as necessary and manage all cash transactions. Finally, custodians deliver routine reports on their various activities to the customers. Custodians banks provide reports on every trade or deal which they transact on behalf of the clients. They must be consistently delivered. Along with these reports they furnish information on the companies whose assets they hold besides information on general meetings. When a custodian is holding foreign shares or bonds, they will also have to change currencies as necessary. This is the case when the fund manager buys or sells foreign currency assets. It is also necessary when companies pay out dividends or bonds receive interest with these overseas financial instruments. Custodian banks are a critical component of the modern investment environment. Without them to carry out these functions, all of the important financial record keeping and housekeeping items would be neglected. Not all custodian banks are national operations in the United States. A number of the major international financial institutions offer these services around the globe. Note: This example description is shorted due to publish restrictions. Each term is explained with 600 words and more.