What is a Credit Rating? A credit rating is an opinion of a particular credit agency regarding the ability and willingness an entity (government, business, or individual) to fulfill its financial obligations in completeness and within the established due dates. A credit rating also signifies the likelihood a debtor will default. It is also representative…
What are the Important Dividend Dates? In order to understand dividend-paying stocks, knowledge of important dividend dates is crucial. A dividend typically comes in the form of a cash distribution that is paid from the company’s earnings to investors. Instead of reinvesting cash back into the business, a company may choose to transfer value to…
What is Ratio Analysis? Ratio analysis refers to the analysis of various pieces of financial information in the financial statements of a business. They are mainly used by external analysts to determine various aspects of a business, such as its profitability, liquidity, and solvency. Analysts rely on current and past financial statements to obtain data…
What is a Stock Dividend? A stock dividend, a method used by companies to distribute wealth to shareholders, is a dividend payment made in the form of shares rather than cash. Stock dividends are primarily issued in lieu of cash dividends when the company is low on liquid cash on hand. The board of directors…
What is a Checking Account? A checking account is a type of deposit account that individuals open at financial institutions for the purpose of withdrawing and depositing money. Also known as a transactional or demand account, a checking account is very liquid. To put it simply, it provides users a quick way of accessing their…
What is the Modified Internal Rate of Return (MIRR)? The modified internal rate of return (commonly denoted as MIRR) is a financial measure that helps to determine the attractiveness of an investment and that can be used to compare different investments. Essentially, the modified internal rate of return is a modification of the internal rate…
What is Life Cycle Cost Analysis? Life cycle cost analysis (LCCA) is an approach used to assess the total cost of owning a facility or running a project. LCCA considers all the costs associated with obtaining, owning, and disposing of an investment. Life cycle cost analysis is especially useful where a project comes with multiple…
What is a Savings Account? A savings account is a typical account at a bank or a credit union that allows an individual to deposit, secure, or withdraw money when the need arises. A savings account usually pays some interest on deposits, although the rate is quite low. As of 2019, an average account pays…
What is a Security? A security is a financial instrument, typically any financial asset that can be traded. The nature of what can and can’t be called a security generally depends on the jurisdiction in which the assets are being traded. In the United States, the term broadly covers all traded financial assets and breaks…
