Updated Articles and Resources

By Mark Kolakowski, About.com Guide since 2008

Forensic Accounting Created: Friday, February 10, 2012 Updated: Friday, June 07, 2013
Scrutinizing financial records and transactions as part of a criminal investigation or in support of a civil lawsuit is often called forensic accounting.
Litigation Finance Created: Wednesday, May 01, 2013 Updated: Wednesday, June 05, 2013
As the cost of lawsuits escalates, and as even major corporations trim their legal budgets, third parties are stepping in to provide funding for both plaintiffs and defendants in commercial litigat...
Lawsuit Lenders Created: Wednesday, June 05, 2013 Updated: Wednesday, June 05, 2013
Lawsuit lenders extend financing to individual plaintiffs in personal injury cases with large resulting expenses and cash flow problems. You've see them on TV. Some observers feel that these firms ...
Financial Planner Created: Sunday, December 30, 2007 Updated: Tuesday, June 04, 2013
Financial planners pursue rewarding careers helping clients budget, save and set financial goals. Learn what it takes to enter and succeed in the field.
Picturing Power Created: Saturday, June 01, 2013 Updated: Saturday, June 01, 2013
Drawn from the former portrait collection of the New York Chamber of Commerce, the exhibition Picturing Power illustrates how an art collection can be used to confer legitimacy and authority on an ...
FORCES Program Created: Monday, June 04, 2012 Updated: Wednesday, May 15, 2013
The FORCES program is a new initiative of brokerage firm Edward Jones to recruit and train military veterans for careers as financial advisors. It is designed to qualify participants for G.I. Bill ...
Museum of American Finance Created: Saturday, September 12, 2009 Updated: Friday, May 10, 2013
The Museum of American Finance, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution located on Wall Street, bills itself as the nation's only public museum dedicated to money, finance and entrepreneurship....
Budget Exercise Created: Tuesday, October 05, 2010 Updated: Friday, May 10, 2013
A budget exercise is common business parlance for an emergency cost-cutting effort.
Social Network Analysis Created: Friday, September 17, 2010 Updated: Friday, May 10, 2013
Social network analysis is a powerful data analysis technique used by financial services companies to uncover criminal activity such as money laundering and insurance fraud.
Anchoring Created: Friday, September 04, 2009 Updated: Friday, May 10, 2013
Anchoring gets someone thinking about a number to influence his or her actions.
Dark Pool Created: Thursday, September 03, 2009 Updated: Friday, May 10, 2013
A dark pool is a trading venue in which large orders can be executed in secret.
Flash Order Created: Thursday, August 20, 2009 Updated: Friday, May 10, 2013
Definition of a flash order, which is used in sophisticated trading strategies and which has come under severe criticism in some quarters.
ETF Created: Monday, September 22, 2008 Updated: Friday, May 10, 2013
An ETF, or Exchange Traded Fund, is a collection of securities traded as a unit.
Fluency Created: Wednesday, November 18, 2009 Updated: Friday, May 10, 2013
Fluency describes the appeal of simple or familiar-sounding names and ideas as marketing devices for complex and risky products.
Hyperopia Created: Thursday, September 24, 2009 Updated: Friday, May 10, 2013
Hyperopia is farsightedness in medicine. In economics and finance, it refers to a misjudging of how today's actions affect the future.
Layering Created: Thursday, September 17, 2009 Updated: Friday, May 10, 2013
Layering is a market manipulation technique that is related to spoofing.
High Frequency Trading Created: Thursday, August 27, 2009 Updated: Friday, May 10, 2013
High frequency trading is a computer-aided technique for exploiting fleeting price discrepancies and market trends for profit.
Margin Loans Created: Monday, June 30, 2008 Updated: Friday, May 10, 2013
Margin loans use securities as collateral.
Tranche Created: Thursday, May 01, 2008 Updated: Friday, May 10, 2013
A tranche is one in a series of bonds with slightly different terms, but which are backed by the same underlying group of assets.
Credit Default Swap Created: Thursday, May 01, 2008 Updated: Friday, May 10, 2013
A credit default swap (CDS) is a financial contract that offers protection against a bond going into default.
CDO Created: Thursday, May 01, 2008 Updated: Friday, May 10, 2013
A CDO (collateralized debt obligation) is a bond created from a pool of other bonds.
CMO Created: Thursday, May 01, 2008 Updated: Friday, May 10, 2013
A CMO (collateralized mortgage obligation) is a bond backed by home mortgages.
Private Banking Created: Tuesday, February 26, 2008 Updated: Friday, May 10, 2013
A definition of private banking, also sometimes called high net worth banking. Also describes the role of a private banker.
Book of Business Created: Tuesday, February 05, 2008 Updated: Friday, May 10, 2013
Book of business is a common phrase referring to a client list.
Stranger Originated Life Insurance Created: Tuesday, February 16, 2010 Updated: Friday, May 10, 2013
Speculators are taking out policies on the lives of very elderly or terminally ill persons, in search of fast profits, an ethically and legally questionable practice.
Catastrophe Bonds Created: Friday, February 05, 2010 Updated: Friday, May 10, 2013
Catastrophe bonds combine debt with insurance against natural disasters. If a covered disaster occurs, the issuer does not have to repay principal.
Junk Bond Finance Created: Monday, December 14, 2009 Updated: Friday, May 10, 2013
Junk bond finance funds small, new companies with high yield bonds. It is often used in takeovers and leveraged buyouts.
Barter Exchanges Created: Thursday, December 03, 2009 Updated: Friday, May 10, 2013
Barter exchanges facilitate barter transactions among businesses, and assist in tracking the revenues and expenses that must be recognized for tax reporting purposes.
Patent Trolls Created: Tuesday, October 06, 2009 Updated: Friday, May 10, 2013
Patent trolls invest in patents for the stream of royalty income that they can provide. The trading of patents is becoming an increasingly important as an alternative investment.
Risk Aversion Created: Monday, September 21, 2009 Updated: Friday, May 10, 2013
Risk aversion is a major factor in investor psychology, and thus a vital topic for financial professionals. Learn the basic concepts here, as well as their significance.
Spoofing Created: Thursday, September 17, 2009 Updated: Friday, May 10, 2013
Spoofing is a scheme to manipulate securities prices by placing orders in bad faith.
Nudging Created: Friday, September 04, 2009 Updated: Friday, May 10, 2013
Nudging is channeling behavior by giving someone limited choices.

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