List of basic finance topics

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For a more comprehensive list, see the List of finance topics.

Finance Portal

Finance studies and addresses the ways in which individuals, businesses and organizations raise, allocate and use monetary resources over time, taking into account the risks entailed in their projects.

The following list of topics is provided as an overview of and introduction to finance:

1 Essence of finance
2 Branches of finance
3 History of finance
4 Basic finance concepts
5 Finance lists
6 Finance scholars
7 Leaders in finance
8 See also
9 External links

[edit] Essence of finance

The term finance may incorporate any of the following:

The study of money and other assets
The management and control of those assets
Profiling and managing project risks
As a verb, "to finance" is to provide funds for business.

[edit] Branches of finance

Personal finance

Personal finance is the application of the principles of finance to the monetary decisions of an individual or family unit. It addresses the ways in which individuals or families obtain, budget, save and spend monetary resources over time, taking into account various financial risks and future life events. Components of personal finance might include checking and savings accounts, credit cards and consumer loans, investments in the stock market, retirement plans, social security benefits, insurance policies, and income tax management. Contents [hide]

   * 1 Personal financial planning
   * 2 Popular Tools
   * 3 See also
   * 4 References

[edit] Personal financial planning

A key component of personal finance is financial planning, a dynamic process that requires regular monitoring and reevaluation. In general, it has five steps:

  1. Assessment: One's personal financial situation can be assessed by compiling simplified versions of financial balance sheets and income statements. A personal balance sheet lists the values of personal assets (e.g., car, house, clothes, stocks, bank account), along with personal liabilities (e.g., credit card debt, bank loan, mortgage). A personal income statement lists personal income and expenses.
  2. Setting goals: Two examples are "retire at age 65 with a personal net worth of $200,000 American" and "buy a house in 3 years paying a monthly mortgage servicing cost that is no more than 25% of my gross income". It is not uncommon to have several goals, some short term and some long term. Setting financial goals helps direct financial planning.
  3. Creating a plan: The financial plan details how to accomplish your goals. It could include, for example, reducing unnecessary expenses, increasing one's employment income, or investing in the stock market.
  4. Execution: Execution of one's personal financial plan often requires discipline and perseverance. Many people obtain assistance from professionals such as accountants, financial planners, investment advisers, and lawyers.
  5. Monitoring and reassessment: As time passes, one's personal financial plan must be monitored for possible adjustments or reassessments.

Typical goals most adults have are paying off credit card and or student loan debt, retirement, college costs for children, medical expenses, and estate planning.

[edit] History of finance

[edit] Basic finance concepts

[edit] General

Risk

[edit] Accounting

[edit] Asset types

[edit] Raising capital

Debt
Factor

Securities
- Initial public offering

[edit] Regulation

Insurance

Funding Hedging Interest Yield Arbitrage Financial Vehicles Collective investment scheme Trusts

[edit] Finance lists

[edit] Finance scholars

[edit] Leaders in finance

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

Find more about Finance on Wikipedia's sister projects:
	Dictionary definitions
	Textbooks
	Quotations
	Source texts
	Images and media
	News stories
	Learning resources

Wharton Finance Knowledge Project - aimed to offer free access to finance knowledge for students, teachers, and self-learners.
For material covering three areas in finance - corporate finance, valuation and investment management, see Prof. Aswath Damodaran
For links to finance web sites, grouped by topic see Web Sites for Discerning Finance Students, Prof. John M. Wachowicz-
For the introductory finance web site at the University of Arizona, studyfinance.com
For introductory articles, a full glossary and links to resources on behavioral finance see the BF gallery
For the law of the financial markets see SECLaw.com
For stock market related financial definitions see TheStreet.com Glossary
The Finance Director provides access to essential suppliers of financial services and solutions
Middle East Banking & Finance News — ArabianBusiness.com

v • d • e List resources

Topic lists (Basic topic lists) · Glossaries · Countries · People · Timelines

Finance
Financial Markets Bond market Stock (Equities) Market Forex market Derivatives market Commodity market Money market Spot (cash) Market OTC market Real Estate market
Market Participants Investors Speculators Institutional Investors
Corporate finance Structured finance Capital budgeting Financial risk management Mergers and Acquisitions Accounting Financial Statements Auditing Credit rating agency
Personal finance Credit and Debt Employment contract Retirement Financial planning
Public finance Tax
Banks and Banking Fractional-reserve banking Central Bank List of banks Deposits Loan Money supply
Financial regulation Finance designations Accounting scandals
History of finance Stock market bubble Recession Stock market crash
This box: view • talk • edit